Genshin Impact Version 5.7 introduces a long-awaited addition to endgame content: Subduer, a permanent combat mode focused on challenging boss fights. In his detailed breakdown, Zajef77 dives into how this mode works, what makes it different from Spiral Abyss, and why it could redefine co-op gameplay and character meta going forward.

Whether you’re a free-to-play planner, a min-maxer, or just looking for new content to sink your teeth into, here’s everything you need to know about Subduer.

🛡️ What Is Subduer and How Does It Work?

Subduer is a multi-team boss gauntlet mode with some critical differences from Abyss:

You build three teams, not two.
You start with zero energy—meaning rotations must build from scratch.
There are no floors or chambers like Abyss. Each team faces one boss encounter per difficulty level.
There are five difficulties, and you earn most Primogems from the first three.

Unlike Spiral Abyss, Subduer is co-op friendly, supports repeatable rewards, and offers resin-spend efficiency for artifact farming during specific periods.

🔥 Difficulty Tiers: From Casual to “Raid Boss”

🔹 Difficulties 1–3

Boss HP around 900k–1.1M.
You get 10 minutes per encounter.
No stars or rankings, just clear or fail.
Accessible to nearly all players, especially in co-op.

🔸 Difficulty 4

Boss HP jumps to ~5 million.
Time limit shrinks to 2 minutes.
Comparable to Spiral Abyss 12, but a bit more forgiving thanks to single-target fights and extended prep time.

⚠️ Difficulty 5

This is where things get brutal.
Bosses become event versions with additional mechanics, resistances, and punishing effects.
Some examples include:
- Event Tulpa that spawns two high-resistance minions, gains 200% resistance and self-healing.
- Cryo Automaton that’s almost immune to all elements except Cryo.
- Lava Dragon Statue with increased resistance and a permanent Pyro aura.

Expect these fights to require specific elements or tactics, and punish poor team building.

🤝 Subduer Supports Co-Op (and Encourages It)

Perhaps the most game-changing aspect of Subduer is that it’s fully co-opable—and sometimes optimal in co-op.

Enemy HP is increased by 50% in co-op, whether you have 2, 3, or 4 players.
You can build teams with friends, making use of rare units or niche synergies.
There’s no matchmaking for higher difficulties (Lv. 4 and 5), but external coordination (Discord, websites) makes it viable.

🧩 Why This Changes Character Value

In solo content, some characters are weighed down by:

Poor energy generation
Long setup times
Vulnerability to interruption

In co-op, many of these flaws vanish.

Examples:

Ganyu, normally disrupted in solo play, excels in co-op where others draw aggro.
Bennett buffs and heals the entire team in co-op, not just one character.
Characters like Yoimiya or Diluc can become more viable in the right co-op setups.

Zajef notes that this shift may revive older units, making them co-op meta picks even if they’ve fallen behind in solo Abyss.

📈 Zero Energy Start: Annoying but Not Devastating

One controversial mechanic is that every team starts fights with zero energy.

This delays initial burst rotations, especially for ER-hungry characters like Ayaka.
However, with a 120-second timer, most teams can run 4–8 full rotations, making the delay manageable.
Worst-case scenario: You lose one rotation’s burst in total. Annoying, but not run-killing.

It’s a design choice that raises the skill ceiling slightly but doesn’t gate content for non-whales—at least through Difficulty 4.

💎 Artifact Farming Boost: 15% More Efficient

During Subduer phases, players can also spend resin for enhanced artifact rewards:

Works like a standard domain, but every 120 resin guarantees an extra artifact.
About 15% more efficient than standard domains.
Limited to the first 12 days of each Subduer phase (unspecified reset cadence).

For those hoarding fragile resin since 1.0, now’s the time to burn it.

🎮 Is Subduer Genshin’s First “Raid Mode”?

In a sense, yes. Subduer is:

Boss-only
Mechanics-heavy
Designed for multiple teams
Best experienced in coordinated co-op

It’s as close as Genshin has ever come to a raid-style format, and it introduces exciting possibilities:

Co-op content with meaningful rewards
More value variety in character design
Opportunities for community coordination, streaming, and collaborations

🚩 Challenges for Free-to-Play Players

According to Zajef, Difficulty 5 will be the upper limit for even well-invested F2P accounts running C0R1 characters.

Premium builds (e.g. C2R1+ characters) may find it easier.
Team diversity and investment matter more now with 3-team content.

However, it’s important to note:

Primo rewards stop at Difficulty 3, which is very accessible.
Difficulty 5 is true endgame content, and missing it won’t heavily impact your progress.

Final Thoughts: Promising If Executed Right

Zajef closes with cautious optimism:

“If they keep the co-op scaling balanced and don’t bloat rewards with resources, this could be the best endgame system we’ve had.”

Subduer isn’t perfect—zero energy starts and gated damage types could frustrate some—but it’s a massive step in the right direction. It promotes team variety, enables community interaction, and revives underused characters in meaningful ways.

Stay up to date with Subduer meta, team guides, and co-op tools at ExploreGenshin.gg