Genshin Impact continues to evolve, and in 2025, players are now enjoying one of the most requested cosmetic features: weapon skins. These stylish upgrades give Travelers the ability to personalize their arsenal like never before—without affecting gameplay stats.
Whether you’re a die-hard collector or just love flaunting your flair in combat, this guide will break down everything you need to know about how to unlock, equip, and maximize your experience with weapon skins in Genshin Impact’s latest version. We’ll also explore whether the grind is truly worth it, what skins are available, and how long you have to grab them.
🗡️ What Are Weapon Skins in Genshin Impact?
Weapon skins are purely cosmetic overlays that alter the appearance of your equipped weapons, adding visual flair and element-themed designs. These skins do not affect stats, bonuses, or artifact synergy—they’re strictly for aesthetics.
From glowing greatswords to shimmering bows, weapon skins allow you to match your combat gear with your character’s element, theme, or fashion. Think of them as the equivalent of outfits, but for your weapons.
⚠️ Important: Weapon skins are not permanent (at least for now). They’re exclusive to the limited-time Stygian Onslaught event and will disappear when the patch ends.
⚔️ How to Unlock Weapon Skins in 2025
At the time of writing, the only way to unlock weapon skins is through the high-difficulty Stygian Onslaught event, a battle mode designed for seasoned players with powerful teams.
Here’s a step-by-step breakdown of how it works:
🔓 Step 1: Unlock Dire VI Difficulty
You must first clear the earlier stages of Stygian Onslaught:
- Fearless I through VI
- Dire I through V
Only after beating these stages can you attempt Dire VI, the highest difficulty available.
💀 Step 2: Beat Dire VI
Dire VI is not for the faint of heart:
- Enemy level: 110
- Mechanics: Time-limited, three-boss gauntlet
- Requirements: Fully-leveled characters, refined weapons, and top-tier artifact sets
Successfully clearing Dire VI will grant you the 4-star version of the weapon skin reward:
🟣 Radiant Phantasm: Incursion Repeller
This base skin adds a stylish new look to one of your weapons, depending on the category (sword, claymore, polearm, etc.).
⏱️ Step 3: Speedrun to Earn the 5-Star Skin
For those looking for an extra challenge:
- Clear all three bosses in under 180 seconds total in Dire VI
- Unlock the 5-star version of the skin:
🟡 Radiant Phantasm: Incursion Repeller – Sublimation
This skin is visually enhanced, featuring glowing effects or animated particles—essentially a “prestige” version of the base cosmetic.
🧾 Why Are Weapon Skins Temporary?
Unlike character outfits and namecards, weapon skins in this version are temporary. Here’s why:
- Competitive Prestige: The limited-time nature adds urgency and prestige to those who complete Dire VI before the patch ends.
- Balancing the Meta: The challenge is tuned higher than Spiral Abyss Floor 12, so the rewards are meant to be exclusive.
- Monetization Strategy: These may become monetized or re-released in future events or battle passes—miHoYo is likely testing interest.
If you miss this opportunity, there’s no guarantee these skins will return—though they may in another form later.
🎮 How to Equip Weapon Skins
Once you’ve unlocked your skins, applying them is quick and easy:
Step-by-Step:
- Open the Character Menu
- Select the character using the weapon you want to customize
- Tap the “hanger” or “wardrobe” icon in the bottom-right
- Navigate to the Weapon tab
- Choose your new weapon skin
- (Optional) Select an elemental color variant to match your character’s Vision (Pyro, Hydro, etc.)
🎨 Customization Tip: Elemental color variants are purely visual and let you coordinate outfits and weapon skins for maximum drip.
🏹 Available Weapon Skins (2025)
Each weapon type—Sword, Claymore, Bow, Polearm, and Catalyst—has its own unique weapon skin available in this event.
Here’s a quick look at the current skins:
1. Serpent Devourer (Sword)
- A sleek, obsidian-colored blade with shifting serpentine patterns
- Subtle violet glow in its 5-star version
2. Ardent Storm (Claymore)
- A massive flaming greatsword that crackles with electrical energy
- The 5-star variant emits sparks when swung
3. Shattered Moon (Polearm)
- A spear with a crescent-moon motif and cosmic shimmer
- 5-star version trails starlight after thrusts
4. Hallowed Fetters (Catalyst)
- An elegant tome with glowing runes and gold accents
- Glows brightly in the 5-star edition during charge attacks
5. Starpiercer (Bow)
- A radiant longbow forged from celestial crystal
- The 5-star version adds a glowing nock and pulsing aura
These designs are perfect for those who care about combat aesthetics, content creation, or simply looking cool in co-op.
🧠 Tips to Conquer Dire VI Difficulty
💪 Build Fully-Leveled Teams
- Use Level 90 characters with Level 90 weapons
- Maximize artifact sets for your team’s synergy
- Include crowd control, healing, and elemental reactions
⚗️ Use Buff Food and Potions
- Bring ATK-boosting food, DEF potions, and stamina recovery items
- Don’t underestimate preparation—the time challenge is tight
📺 Learn Boss Patterns
- Dire VI reuses elite boss mechanics with enhanced modifiers
- Watch videos or guides on positioning, burst windows, and iframes
🧍 Use a Flexible Team Comp
Ideal lineup:
- Main DPS: Strong AoE like Xiao, Navia, or Hu Tao
- Support DPS: Yelan, Fischl, Nahida
- Healer/Shielder: Baizhu, Zhongli, or Bennett
- Buffer/Debuffer: Sucrose, Kazuha, or Mona
❓ Are Weapon Skins Worth It?
Let’s break it down by player type:
✅ Yes – If You’re:
- A completionist
- A meta player who enjoys hard content
- Someone who loves customization and character aesthetics
- A co-op fan who wants to show off
- Looking for a challenge beyond Abyss Floor 12
The skins are temporary trophies that scream: “I beat the hardest content in the game during this patch.”
🚫 No – If You’re:
- A casual player
- More into exploration than combat
- Uninterested in cosmetics
- Not confident in beating Dire VI in time
Remember: these skins offer no gameplay advantage. If grinding a punishing time-attack event doesn’t appeal to you, skipping it is totally valid.
🔮 Will Weapon Skins Return in the Future?
There’s no official word from HoYoverse, but here are some likely outcomes:
- Re-release in future events
- Inclusion in battle passes
- Premium skins sold in the shop
Expect feedback from this update to influence how weapon skins evolve in future patches. If they prove popular, permanent skins may arrive soon.
📝 Final Thoughts: A New Era of Customization
Weapon skins have added a new cosmetic dimension to Genshin Impact—and for many players, they’re a welcome addition. With the Stygian Onslaught mode raising the bar for in-game challenge, these skins represent a true status symbol for elite players.
Whether you grind for them or admire them from afar, one thing is clear: Genshin Impact is continuing to blend aesthetics, prestige, and gameplay in creative ways.
Don’t wait too long—the patch timer is ticking, and once the event ends, these skins will vanish into history.
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