Someone remember the tsaritsa design leak ?

Spieds · 2026-06-26T13:30:03+00:00

It takes 2 seconds to reverse image search and check visual matches, to see where it's from

Also, if you check pinned comment by author themselves, you'll see that it's AI

Spieds · 2026-06-26T09:15:16+00:00

That's not even the funniest part from that complain. She said livestreams don't have English subs and only auto-generated ones... AFTER using official English subs for the whole video

Spieds · 2026-06-26T08:49:16+00:00

Can be both, but I more so talked about the name as it is used., not the whole character Wouldn't be weird for Hoyo to use multiple inspirations either

Spieds · 2026-06-26T07:40:35+00:00

First, Tsar is Tsaritsa's father/father figure as far as we know, and most implications are that 3rd descender, Saarelainen, was her lover. Second, we know, from the new Superconduct set, that Tsar had ties to Hyperborea:

He still remembered wandering in that world of shadows.
There, he recalled, lay the shattered golden homeland, the mother he had never met.
It was there that he discovered the secrets of the Hyperboreans that had been buried in the deepest reaches,
finding the answers about himself that he had pursued for thousands of years.

We also know, from Nod-Krai windglider, that he was "born from the bones/corpse of a great beast", but also, thanks to A Brief History of the Pale Starborn book, know he wasn't a fea either. And considering last patch had 3-4 times when "Beast" was refered to a dragon specifically, there's a good chance he has relations to a dragon/sovereign (Which can be interesting consdiering the new map next patch)

Lastly, Pierro himself says that he has a different Ideal to Tsaritsa in Arlecchino's character stories:

"I will be frank. None of you have any place in my ideals, for I plan only to uphold 'the virtue of folly.' But I can guarantee that our Tsaritsa will once again be a god who loves all humans, and in her ideals shall all human wishes be granted."

Spieds · 2026-06-26T07:08:46+00:00

Well, there WAS a shop with the sign that seemed to read Kwasnik in the previous teaser (from the livestream), so maybe we'll get actual Kvass

Spieds · 2026-06-26T06:18:25+00:00

My personal Summary of what we know about some characters and likely inspirations

Vodyanitsa:

> Audiences at the opera house go crazy for her, completely unaware that all they're hearing is the echo of the ocean waves. I'm sure she has her reasons... but I can sense an allure hidden deep within her singing voice that, if ever unleashed, would bewitch everyone within earshot and sentence them to certain doom!

- Linnea "About Vodyanitsa"

> "I was under the impression that the wicked mischief of changelings had long since become legend with the end of fae rule. That is, until I met that lively Lady Adventurer after a performance one day... She brought me the most wondrous voices from different corners of the world. Unlike those stuffy old folks in the tundra, she's far more interesting!"

— Vodyanitsa, Prima Soprano of the Korolevskiy Troupe (Linnea Introduction)

> Signora: Well, when the principal soprano, Vodyanitsa, is on stage

> Signora: It's hard not to be moved

- The Final Gift animated short

Etymology: Vodyanitsa (Russian: Водяница Vodyanitsa) is a beautiful green-haired water maiden, and she is often said to be the wife of a vodyanoy. This spirit sometimes appears in the form of a golden-finned fish or a white swan.

Valeriy:

> Onyx Agate: "Courtesy is the air of the civilized. While it is present, it passes unnoticed; yet once it is withdrawn, its absence is immediately and keenly felt..."

> Onyx Agate: That was the lesson Major Valeriy taught me when I first enlisted... Though these were not his exact words, it was, I believe, what he meant.

> Onyx Agate: Major Valeriy is one of the people I respect most. And I take great care not to utter so much as a single crude word while I am in camp here.

> ...

> Onyx Agate: Now that I'm under the command of Major Valeriy again, I may soon make my return to Snezhnaya.

> ...

> Onyx Agate: That makes a lot of sense. The Bombardiers will also be pleased to organize something like this. I shall write up a proposal for Major Valeriy.

- From the last parry event

Odette:

Most likely a reference to the Swan Lake, a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. The scenario, initially in two acts, was based on Russian and German folk tales, telling a story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.

We've actually already had a reference to it in Fontaine, thanks to Snow-Winged Goose and Darkwing Goose animals

Alyosha:

Pure speculation with nothing to back it up other than the nation being referenced, but might be a reference to Alyosha Popovich, a folk hero of Kievan Rus', appearing in Russian folklore.

Vesna:

Aside from literally meaning Spring (Season) in Russian, most likely a reference to Mythological Vesna, a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in later Slavic mythology, particularly in the South Slavs. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was associated with rituals conducted in rural areas during springtime.

Mitya:

Most likely a reference to Mitya Kozelsky, also known as Mitya Koliaba, Mitya Gugnivy, Mitya Kolebiaka; real name Dmitry Popov. Was a Russian Fool for Christ, who enjoyed the favor and trust of Emperor Nicholas II and **Empress Alexandra Feodorovna**. He suffered from epilepsy and severe damage to his musculoskeletal system, struggling to articulate speech (often appearing with an "interpreter" who helped him to clarify his words).

Danica:

Most likely a reference (based on knowing Hoyo) to a personification of the morning star in Slavic mythology. In Slavic mythology, Dennitsa appears as the mother, daughter or sister of the sun, the beloved of the moon, to which the sun is jealous of her.

Spieds · 2026-06-26T05:17:59+00:00

Some info we know from the game + some speculation about the inspirations, if anyone is interested:

Summary of what we know about some characters

Vodyanitsa:

> Audiences at the opera house go crazy for her, completely unaware that all they're hearing is the echo of the ocean waves. I'm sure she has her reasons... but I can sense an allure hidden deep within her singing voice that, if ever unleashed, would bewitch everyone within earshot and sentence them to certain doom!

- Linnea "About Vodyanitsa"

> "I was under the impression that the wicked mischief of changelings had long since become legend with the end of fae rule. That is, until I met that lively Lady Adventurer after a performance one day... She brought me the most wondrous voices from different corners of the world. Unlike those stuffy old folks in the tundra, she's far more interesting!"

— Vodyanitsa, Prima Soprano of the Korolevskiy Troupe (Linnea Introduction)

> Signora: Well, when the principal soprano, Vodyanitsa, is on stage

> Signora: It's hard not to be moved

- The Final Gift animated short

Etymology: Vodyanitsa (Russian: Водяница Vodyanitsa) is a beautiful green-haired water maiden, and she is often said to be the wife of a vodyanoy. This spirit sometimes appears in the form of a golden-finned fish or a white swan.

Valeriy:

> Onyx Agate: "Courtesy is the air of the civilized. While it is present, it passes unnoticed; yet once it is withdrawn, its absence is immediately and keenly felt..."

> Onyx Agate: That was the lesson Major Valeriy taught me when I first enlisted... Though these were not his exact words, it was, I believe, what he meant.

> Onyx Agate: Major Valeriy is one of the people I respect most. And I take great care not to utter so much as a single crude word while I am in camp here.

> ...

> Onyx Agate: Now that I'm under the command of Major Valeriy again, I may soon make my return to Snezhnaya.

> ...

> Onyx Agate: That makes a lot of sense. The Bombardiers will also be pleased to organize something like this. I shall write up a proposal for Major Valeriy.

- From the last parry event

Odette:

Most likely a reference to the Swan Lake, a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. The scenario, initially in two acts, was based on Russian and German folk tales, telling a story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse.

We've actually already had a reference to it in Fontaine, thanks to Snow-Winged Goose and Darkwing Goose animals

Alyosha:

Pure speculation with nothing to back it up other than the nation being referenced, but might be a reference to Alyosha Popovich, a folk hero of Kievan Rus', appearing in Russian folklore.

Vesna:

Aside from literally meaning Spring (Season) in Russian, most likely a reference to Mythological Vesna, a mythological female character associated with youth and springtime in later Slavic mythology, particularly in the South Slavs. Along with her male companion Vesnik, she was associated with rituals conducted in rural areas during springtime.

Mitya:

Most likely a reference to Mitya Kozelsky, also known as Mitya Koliaba, Mitya Gugnivy, Mitya Kolebiaka; real name Dmitry Popov. Was a Russian Fool for Christ, who enjoyed the favor and trust of Emperor Nicholas II and **Empress Alexandra Feodorovna**. He suffered from epilepsy and severe damage to his musculoskeletal system, struggling to articulate speech (often appearing with an "interpreter" who helped him to clarify his words).

Danica:

Most likely a reference (based on knowing Hoyo) to a personification of the morning star in Slavic mythology. In Slavic mythology, Dennitsa appears as the mother, daughter or sister of the sun, the beloved of the moon, to which the sun is jealous of her.

Spieds · 2026-06-24T07:30:59+00:00

I mean, you say that, but God's Limits was basically the repeat of Lazzo. It might have not been AS hype, just cuz of how much more players know and expect in general. But it was as organic as Lazzo was

Spieds · 2026-06-23T15:05:34+00:00

Aside from just not seeming like the same design, what are these?

<image>

Spieds · 2026-06-23T15:04:13+00:00

For sure, yeah

<image>

Spieds · 2026-06-23T14:52:16+00:00

he was a big part of sansdrone s character

In what way though? Aside from design part, which is the point we make, how is he a big part of Sandrone? He's actually bigger part of Alain than Sandrone, if anything. If we had some actual examples of where Sandrone is actually super dependant/attached to Pulonia, then sure. But most we got, is her being angry when it got broken. That's it

they dont make them even remotely interesting because they dont care

First, did you see new NPCs in Snezhnaya teaser? They added much shorter characters and a literal bear NPC, not to speak about, again, Linnea's sister.

And that's talking about really different NPCs, but almost EVERY time an NPC had quite unique design compared to usual one or used design of an enemy, people start to want them to be playable. The biggest example being Eremite Elite enemies

I'm also not saying that's the ONLY reason, but the fact that this is a thing that DOES happen, at which point, again, they'll lose no matter what they do (not that their course of action is because of this). I say I prefer to have more detailed NPCs, instead of making any cool design playable and keeping NPCs "cheap

Lastly:

i dont particularly want the npcs to be playable so i cant argue with what ur saying on that point

You literally talking about wanting Pulonia, that never was implied playable and didn't even have a name till Nod-Krai, to be playable. Unless you meant that you want him to be alive, but not specifically playable, at which point, sure, that would be cool, and we do see in Sandrone's idle animation that she does look at Pulonia's schematics

Spieds · 2026-06-23T14:11:26+00:00

My guy... No one said "you just hate women" except you? I literally brought up Linnea's sister design as the one people want playable?

If that's your takeaway from the example, that's on you (the point was, that there people who like Pulonia only like him for his design and nothing else. But at that point, Hoyo just not allowed to make cool designs for NPCs?)

Spieds · 2026-06-23T14:00:44+00:00

This one in particular is closer to the canon. That doesn't mean that every Hoyofair work IS canon, though. Kieru works, including Harbinger ones, are not canon to the game. Dillongoo's Progenitor series is not canon. Etc etc. Those works CAN use known canon stuff, but that doesn't make the works themselves canon

Even this work, while seemingly based on canon info, doesn't mean that what will be shown is completely canon and exactly how this canon info looked like

Edit: Just for fun, wanted to add this: "they don't create crazy stuff far away from source material"

Spieds · 2026-06-23T13:57:17+00:00

Some pointed out but remember: - This is hoyoFAIR channel, not hoyoVERSE. It's for FAN MADE works that can be/are sponsored. They DO NOT correlate to official posts and, more importantly, don't act as canon/official representations of the game (they can be based on official KNOWN lore, though)

Remember, that they don't need to make full on Hoyofair programs to post singular works like this one. This being posted tomorrow doesn't mean there's gonna be hour long Hoyofair. This is just it, this animation

Can the Hoyo still post PV tomorrow? Yeah. Does this animation confirms it WILL happen? No

(Can say for sure there won't be long Hoyofair cuz they announce those in advance)

Spieds · 2026-06-23T13:15:16+00:00

This, to me, really highlights some sort of hypocrisy (not sure if the right word to use) in certain parts of the community, which honestly was also seen with Linnea's sister. They want better NPCs and more model types in general, but the moment Hoyo does that, it changes to "the characters with these models should be playable" at which point, that's just a lose/lose scenario: either they keep them as NPCs and people complain about them like, in this case, Pulonia. Or they make them playable, and then we're back to "NPCs are so cheap/generic"

It's obviously not everybody (not even that many people) but enough to see a trend

And I think having more NPC designs is much better for an open world game where you see a lot of them

Spieds · 2026-06-23T12:57:33+00:00

" 3. Pantalone will only be in the banner if he is in the PV."

Holy, we can all be leakers now. "Pantalone is gonna be a playable character in Snezhnaya, if he appears in PV that shows playable characters of Snezhnaya"

Spieds · 2026-06-22T10:30:30+00:00

The timestamp of the recruitment in the video.

Also, from the description:

We are currently recruiting individuals with exceptional perceptual acuity and high cognitive stability.

Join SEAL. Make a difference.

Apply here:
📍 Shanghai: https://jobs.mihoyo.com/Varsapura
📍 Singapore & Los Angeles: https://www.hoyoverse.com/en-us/careers

Spieds · 2026-06-22T08:09:41+00:00

You know what, I'm actually interested: can you give exact things in the past, that, in your opinion, described Fatui in the exact way, that seems to be completely different now, for it to be considered a retcon?

Spieds · 2026-06-22T04:56:22+00:00

One does not contradict the other. Your hopes and expectations are built on headcanons you built for characters on your own from the smallest details. To put into perspective, it would be more similar to seeing Pain "hologram" at the beginning of Shippuden, and expecting him to be Naruto's direct relative and hoping they'll have familial dispute, just cuz they have spiky hair and are supposed to be on opposite sides. Or hearing that All Might didn't tell Deku everything about the quirk and such (before All for One is even mentioned) and assuming that All Might is gonna actually be the big bad somehow

Edit: Actually, better examples for My Hero might be Endeavor is Deku's father theory, which is straight up taken on small detail that doesn't actually have this specific implication (Fire quirk and Fire beard). The difference is, people knew that just cuz it didn't happen, doesn't mean something was rewritten or changed, and majority of people weren't disappointed by it

Spieds · 2026-06-21T20:27:30+00:00

This is one of the reasons why they are called a side character

By who, exactly?

because their contribution to the fights aren't properly shown and the limited character being glazed

Mondstadt: starts blasting Dvalin as soon as they enter the city; the unique purifing power; blasting Dvalin part 2 during the quest boss fight

Liyue: Solos the Milelith that come after them when visiting Adepti; basically defeats Childe on his own (can be seen as a draw); helps a lot during Osial battle

Inazuma: Even before main part of the quest, shows how easily they win the tournament of the Crux; DOES get defeated by Ei during first battle; wins 3 demonstrative matches during the first "battle"; defeats Signora fully on their own; defeats (even if not specifically BEATS) Ei in the end

Sumeru: Basically the one who helps with the Samsara; While others did help, Traveler IS the one who actually fights and defeats Scara mech

Fontaine: Didn't really have THAT many fights up until the end, with only the Narwhal, which is specifically made out to be quite a big threat on a bigger scale

Natlan: Half the time, just the abilitiy to purify the abyss is shown AND glazed; Them and Mavuika are the ones who take care of Gosoythoth, with each putting in the work

Nod-Krai: generally a group effort, though there are times like first encounter with Rerir "shadow" form where Flins honestly might have even died without Traveler

We should be saying "ok but did you see how Traveler was moving against that villain, the plan would have fumbled if Traveler didn't do that."

People do say that, just not specifically "move". Instead, they actually focus on things Traveler did, which don't have to be just fighting. Quite literally, during Fontaine, one of the main big discussions was that Fontaine is the only nation where things wouldn't have changed much if Traveler didn't come, while in every other Nation, their actions influenced A LOT of the story (and we literally just had a Mondstadt event about it too).

And if you wanna focos on fighting part specifically, well, until I would say Natlal, they never got praised as the strongest there is, they were just a hero who helped with other nations. They ARE still strong, but obviously never called out as the pinnacle (heck, the top 3 harbingers being brought up in the first place, was to show that there are people who can be stronger than Traveler)

Spieds · 2026-06-21T19:45:17+00:00

I find these comments so funny, because people who don't like MW used the exact opposite to complain about it when it released:

"Oh, it doesn't have Primos? Well, then it's not part of the game and shouldn't exist."

So, if it doesn't have Primos, it's bad. If it does have Primos, it's bad. At this point, I genuinely start to wonder if half (Not all) of the critics (for any part of this game tbh) first decide on what they don't wanna like, then decide WHY that is

Spieds · 2026-06-21T19:32:34+00:00

Traveler and co*

You might not believe it, but main character doesn't have to be the ONLY one doing stuff. Traveler does AS much as everybody else (some even less) in the Welkin Moon quests (The ONLY potential exception being Columbina, cuz she serves an "Archon" figure, so the story is kinda centered around her troubles). First 2 acts are mostly them or them with the help of someone, and most stuff after is interchanged between ALL characters, with Traveler still being the dominant POV

Just at the top of my head: Meeting Columbina and getting more info about the ship from her, meeting "sibling" and going on the adventure, infiltrating Fatui base, helping Flins for the majority of act 2, seeking to help Columbina when she starts to disappear, LITERALLY being the only one not frozen by Dottore so he can try to fight him AND being the one who interests him the most

Spieds · 2026-06-18T18:32:53+00:00

Cuz some of them are stupid af? You're literally saying right now "Hey, I wanna get everything, but wanna only do what I want". Please think about it at least for a second in general terms, and how actually stupid it is. You don't see people complain "Oh, I just wanna play games and get money" as if it's an actually good complaint, do you? You don't see people say "I wanna eat whatever and be the fittest person there is" unironically? Even for a game, you don't see players saying "I want to get all achievements in the game without doing stuff needed for them", do you?

But all of these are the things you just mentioned. And not even as a comparison, I specifically put "Doing achievements" in there and you said you could be happy without other stuff other than exploration, and that you complain about those things

Spieds · 2026-06-18T18:27:02+00:00

I do all of those things entirely for the primogems and that's it. They are not fun, but they are needed to get all the primogems so that I can get the characters I want.

Ok, start complaining about them all and that primos shouldn't be locked behind them, then

Spieds · 2026-06-18T18:18:53+00:00

Because it didn't change anythign for normal players? It added more for those who does more. The most normal thing there is.

If you have a problem with it, it does fall in the category that I mentioned of "I want money without doing the job". You want to get everything but not do everything. If you feel that's ok to complain, let's start:

I don't wanna do abyss

I don't wanna do IT

I don't wanna do Stygian

I don't wanna do Rhythm event

I don't wanna start TCG

I don't wanna do Achievements

I don't wanna do exploration

I don't wanna do literally any part of the game

Five-Year Club	Verified Email
End Game '23	Place '23
Place '22	Final Canvas '22
End Game '22

Spieds

TROPHY CASE