Why is Genshin Impact 4.2 livestream postponed?

HoYoverse had originally planned to conduct the Special Program for the upcoming Genshin Impact 4.2 update today (October 27, 2023) at 8:00 AM (UTC-4). Unfortunately, the livestream has been postponed indefinitely, as confirmed by the developers through a notice posted earlier today on all of their official social media handles. The exact reason for the delay, however, is yet to be revealed.

Many within the community believe that the postponement of the Genshin Impact 4.2 livestream is likely related to the sudden death of Li Keqiang, the former Premier of the People's Republic of China, due to a heart attack. More details about the delay of the v4.2 Special Program are covered below.

---

Genshin Impact 4.2 livestream postponed as China mourns ex-Premier's demise

The Genshin Impact officials released a notice earlier today to announce the postponement of the version 4.2 livestream, which was originally scheduled to begin at 8:00 AM (UTC-4) today. HoYoverse did not reveal the official reason behind the delay, but they have stated that they will announce the new dates and timings for the Special Program soon, as shown in the X post above.

Many believe that the reason behind the 4.2 livestream delay is likely due to the unfortunate demise of Li Keqiang, the former Premier of the People's Republic of China. According to the Chinese state media, Li suffered a heart attack on Thursday, October 26, 2023, and passed away in Shanghai in the early hours of Friday. He was one of the most prominent figures in China.

As the nation mourns his death, the former Premier is expected to receive a state funeral. There is a chance that this could delay HoYoverse's plans to livestream by a couple of days as they pay their respects. As mentioned earlier, the officials have stated that they will announce the new livestream dates so travelers can expect some news soon.

It is worth mentioning that Genshin Impact's global social media handles also delayed Nahida's birthday wish post by two hours. Meanwhile, the game's Chinese social media platforms deleted the "Happy Birthday" message from the congratulatory post.

Version 4.2 will release Furina and Charlotte as the two newest Fontaine playable characters. While their kits have already been leaked, the livestream will showcase their gameplay in more detail.