How to get two free 5-star characters in Genshin Impact 7.1 is one of the biggest anniversary bonuses in the patch, but the two characters come from separate selectors with different pools and requirements.
Version 7.1 launches on September 23 and carries Genshin Impact’s sixth anniversary. The standard selector returns alongside a new limited five-star selector, so eligible players can add two five-star characters without spending Primogems or Intertwined Fates.
How to get two free 5-star characters in Genshin Impact 7.1
The first thing to understand is that this is not one menu offering two picks from the same list. The standard invitation and the limited invitation are separate rewards. You choose one character from each pool, and each choice is permanent once confirmed.
For the standard selector, the available characters are Diluc, Jean, Mona, Keqing, Qiqi, Tighnari, Dehya and Yumemizuki Mizuki. The limited selector contains Tartaglia, Baizhu, Chiori, Nilou, Clorinde and Varesa. That gives you 14 possible characters across the two lists, but only one selection from each.
Requirements for both free characters
The standard invitation is the more straightforward reward and is tied to the anniversary event interface. The limited selector has the more important requirement: HoYoverse says players must complete the latest Archon Quest before they can choose the event-exclusive five-star.
If you are behind on the Snezhnaya story, that makes story progress the priority before the limited selector closes. The new Version 7.1 Archon Quest also awards 620 Primogems, so catching up helps both the free-character claim and your wish balance.
Which selector should you use first?
There is no gameplay advantage to rushing one selector before the other, but it is sensible to decide on the limited pick first because those characters normally require limited-banner wishes. The standard pool can appear through Wanderlust Invocation and lost 50/50 results, while the six-character limited pool is much harder to obtain outside a featured banner.
If you are undecided, compare the missing roles on your account rather than picking only by rarity. Varesa and Clorinde are damage-focused choices, Baizhu adds healing and Dendro support, Nilou enables her special Bloom playstyle, Chiori offers off-field Geo damage and Tartaglia remains a Hydro on-field enabler.
Do the selectors affect pity?
No. Claiming either free five-star is an anniversary reward, not a Wish. It does not consume Intertwined Fates, Acquaint Fates, Primogems or your current character-banner pity. Your guarantee also stays exactly where it was before the claim.
That separation is what makes the sixth-anniversary package unusually valuable. You can claim two characters and still keep the 1,600 Primogems and 10 Intertwined Fates for whichever Version 7.1 banner you actually want.
Claim both before Version 7.1 ends
Do not treat the selectors as permanent account entitlements. The limited five-star invitation is available during Version 7.1, and anniversary rewards use their own claim windows. Open the event menu once the update is live, check the deadlines shown on your server, and make both choices while the rewards are active.
The safest approach is simple: update the game, clear the required Archon Quest, claim the standard five-star, claim the limited five-star, then verify both characters appear in your roster before moving on to the rest of the anniversary rewards.
Official Genshin Impact information
HoYoverse publishes version and event notices through the official Genshin Impact website. Use the in-game event page for the final server-specific claim window, because event deadlines are displayed in your local server time.
Two free 5-star characters FAQ
Do the two free 5-star characters use banner pity?
No. The two free 5-star characters come from anniversary selectors, so claiming them does not spend Wishes, reset pity or consume a character-event guarantee.
Can returning players get the two free 5-star characters?
Returning players can get the two free 5-star characters if they meet the event requirements during Version 7.1, including the latest Archon Quest requirement for the limited selector.
Can you choose the same character twice from the two free 5-star characters?
No. The two free 5-star characters come from separate standard and limited pools, so the two selections cannot be used to claim the same character twice.
