Genshin Impact 2.5 to bring anti-shield monsters to nerf the shield units, as per leaks

The Genshin Impact meta is going to change significantly with the introduction of a new anti-shield monster type. Leaks surrounding version 2.5 have suggested that shield characters will be ineffective against the upcoming Shadowy Husk monsters.

Even though the next update in miHoYo's action-RPG is supposed to be a filler, players can expect some massive changes in the usage of shield characters in the Spiral Abyss.

Here's everything there is to know about the Shadowy Husks in Genshin Impact version 2.5.

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Shadowy Husk: Line Breaker in Genshin Impact version 2.5 explained

The Shadowy Husk is a new type of enemy that has the following sub-categories:

• Standard Bearer
• Line Breaker
• Defender

All these Shadowy Husks have different offensive capabilities, but they seem to be sharing a common disdain for shield characters. When they land their attacks on a shield, they generate shields for themselves or heal nearby Shadowy Husks.

This implies that meta characters like Zhongli, Thoma, Diona, and Yun Jin, among others, won't be able to defend nearby party members against Shadowy Husk enemies. Players will have to replace them with healers, or solely rely on their damage dealers.

Leaks have further suggested that the Shadowy Husks will trouble players in the 2.5 Spiral Abyss as well.

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Will Zhongli still be a strong character in Genshin Impact following version 2.5?

Interestingly, the leaks regarding Shadowy Husks have arrived ahead of the Zhongli re-run banner in update 2.4. Ever since his release, the Geo Archon has defined the meta by providing unbreakable shields.

In the second phase of the 2.4 update, Zhongli and Ganyu re-run banners will be available. Both five-star characters have been fan favorites for their support as well as damage dealing abilities.

For months, players have cleared Genshin Impact's end-game content like Spiral Abyss with Zhongli's shields. With the inclusion of Shadowy Husks in the enemy pool, the five-star Geo polearm user is practically useless on certain floors of the Spiral Abyss.

It is evident that the developers are currently focusing more on healers and support characters. Back in version 2.1, Corrossion was introduced as a Ley Line disorder and a status effect. Only healers can counter this effect that can be applied to characters by Rifthounds.

Having said that, Zhongli and other shielders will still be equally important to players. Their ability to stop massive amounts of damage is irreplaceable, and the addition of Shadowy Husks should not affect their overall significance barring a few situations.