Zajef recently hosted a spontaneous Q&A session addressing some of Genshin Impact’s most talked-about characters and game design topics, from Escoffier’s dominance in Freeze teams to the awkward status of characters like Yae Miko and Xianyun. This session provided honest and sometimes brutally accurate assessments of how these units impact gameplay and how team-building in 2025 has shifted.

Here’s a full recap of the best insights, including specific team recommendations and meta commentary.

🌸 Yae Miko: Strong Synergy, But No Standout Role

Zajef was asked to list positives for Yae Miko, and his take was clear: while Yae isn’t bad at anything, she’s also not amazing at anything either. She has solid off-field Electro application and her skill makes her decent for Quickened teams. However, she struggles with field time needs and lacks standout scaling.

Zajef believes her best synergy is with Tighnari, whose short field time pairs well with Yae’s need to stay on field briefly to place her turrets. Unfortunately, Tighnari’s numbers are also underwhelming, making the overall team average despite the synergy.

💨 Is Anemo Still Meta?

With HoYoverse moving away from Viridescent Venerer as a crutch for team comps, players wondered if Anemo still has a bright future. According to Zajef, while VV is losing value due to newer units having built-in shred mechanics (like Escoffier), Anemo’s versatility means it’ll always find a way to stay relevant.

He does note that Kazuha’s role is slipping, often being outperformed by Sucrose in more niche setups.

🧊 Escoffier: Too Good for Freeze?

Zajef didn’t mince words: Escoffier is too centralizing. Her strength makes Freeze teams work to such an extent that if you don’t have her, it’s simply not worth investing in many Cryo carries like Ayaka. Without Escoffier, Freeze teams fall off so dramatically that it discourages player choice.

It’s not that Freeze shouldn’t be viable—it’s that Freeze without Escoffier isn’t, which Zajef argues is poor design.

🧭 Is Xianyun Still Worth It?

When asked about Xianyun‘s current role, especially in plunge teams, Zajef was blunt: Xianyun is a support that opens doors, but she’s rarely a must-pull unless you want to revive bad characters like Diluc. She works best with existing plungers (like Gaming or Xiao), but even then, she’s only marginally better than standard supports like Bennett or Jean.

That said, Xianyun C2 does offer a noticeable power bump for teams like Hu Tao, and she’s a decent VV user in comps with tight rotations. Still, her exploration value post-Natlan is now “powercrept to death.”

🔥 Should You Pull Escoffier Over Xianyun?

If you’re considering skipping Xianyun in favor of Escoffier, Zajef says to wait—Skirk leaks will likely drop on Escoffier’s release day. If Skirk ends up being a Freeze DPS, Escoffier may be better. If she’s a Melt DPS, Xianyun’s healing and VV utility could edge out.

🧮 Itto’s Best Team?

Asked about Itto, Zajef noted that C6R1 Itto only hitting 70k DPS is disappointing. Surprisingly, Pyro plunge Itto slightly outperforms his traditional double Geo team. However, the best current Itto comp mirrors Wanderer’s: Xianyun, Yelan, Furina—the “wheelchair meta.”

🧪 Other Insights

Alhaitham may benefit from Yansan’s C6 passive, but it’s marginal compared to his Hyperbloom builds.
Mavika is essentially a full-package unit like Xiangling, but with higher burst damage and more on-field flexibility.
Sethos is extremely strong but mechanically demanding—proper walk cancels and energy timing are vital.
Dori has only one real team: C6 Dori + Fishl + Nahida + Furina. It’s niche but functional.
Razor’s best (and only real) team is full EM Burgeon with overload. Physical Razor remains dead.

🧊 Is Escoffier Bad for Genshin Impact?

In one of the most poignant responses, Zajef argued that Escoffier represents the kind of meta warping that’s bad for long-term game health. Her existence makes Cryo carries like Ayaka only viable with her, and unviable without her, creating a “must-have support” dynamic that punishes F2P or casual players who can’t pull her.

📌 Closing Thoughts

Zajef summarized the current state of Genshin Impact as one where HoYoverse is clearly leaning into power creep, particularly around new supports. Characters like Escoffier and Furina redefine what makes a support “meta,” but they also make older teams and units irrelevant without them.

His advice? Pull what you like, but recognize that the new standard is being written by characters like Escoffier, Skirk, and Furina.

For more meta breakdowns, team comp guides, and up-to-date analysis, be sure to check out our full coverage at ExploreGenshin.gg.