Genshin Impact Dataminers Found Major Characters—but Their Missing Models May Be the Bigger Clue

Snezhnaya's Files Are Raising More Questions Than They Answer

Genshin Impact's latest datamine has given players an unusually detailed glimpse behind the curtain, revealing assets connected to several major characters as the game moves deeper into its Snezhnaya era.

Pierro, Ronova and Pulcinella are among the recognizable names appearing within files examined from the Version 7.0 preload, alongside new material associated with Vodyanitsa, Mitya, Valeriy, Vesna and others. Icons, renders, character artwork and model classifications have given the community plenty to investigate.

But the biggest clue may be what dataminers cannot find.

Despite the presence of several major figures, some highly anticipated characters are missing expected model assets entirely, while others appear to have classifications that do not necessarily indicate playability.

For players attempting to decipher HoYoverse's long-term plans, those absences could be considerably more interesting than the characters who have already appeared.

Pierro and Ronova Step Out of the Shadows

Pierro is one of the most significant names discovered among the files.

As the director of the Fatui Harbingers and one of the most mysterious figures connected to Snezhnaya, his increased presence represents a potentially important development for Genshin Impact's overarching story. Datamined material reportedly includes a new character icon and multiple renders associated with him.

Ronova has similarly received additional assets, including an icon and renders.

Neither discovery establishes that the characters are becoming playable. Genshin Impact frequently uses detailed character assets for NPCs, story sequences and other non-playable appearances.

That distinction is becoming increasingly important as the community analyzes the Version 7.0 files.

A character can have an icon, render and significant role in the story without being configured as a conventional playable unit.

Pulcinella's Classification Changes the Conversation

Pulcinella provides perhaps the clearest example of why players should be cautious when interpreting leaked assets.

The Fatui Harbinger reportedly has an icon and multiple renders within the Version 7.0 files. On the surface, that collection of material could easily encourage speculation about a future banner.

His model classification tells a different story.

Datamined information reportedly categorizes Pulcinella using an NPC designation rather than one of the Avatar classifications commonly associated with playable characters.

That does not necessarily determine his permanent fate. HoYoverse could theoretically create a different model or classification for the character later.

For Version 7.0, however, the distinction is substantial.

It demonstrates that simply finding a character inside Genshin Impact's files cannot be treated as confirmation that players will eventually be able to add that character to their party.

Vodyanitsa Shows What a Playable-Looking Footprint Can Look Like

Vodyanitsa offers an interesting contrast.

The Version 7.0 preload reportedly contains a substantial collection of assets connected to the character, including an icon, multiple renders and an Avatar Girl model classification.

Her files reportedly include both a standard outfit presentation and imagery depicting a mermaid-like appearance, giving players additional clues about how the character could be represented during the Snezhnaya storyline.

That footprint looks very different from Pulcinella's NPC classification.

Mitya provides another comparison. His discovered material reportedly includes an icon, artwork and a full render alongside an Avatar Boy classification. The files also indicate an Electro Vision.

Valeriy similarly appears with an Avatar Male classification.

Taken together, these distinctions give dataminers more than character artwork to examine. Internal naming and model categories can provide clues about how different characters are currently being implemented.

But even those classifications should not be interpreted as guaranteed release schedules.

Development assets can change.

The Tsaritsa's Absence Is Hard to Ignore

Then there is perhaps the most consequential omission of all.

The Version 7.0 preload reportedly does not contain an identified character model for the Tsaritsa.

For a Snezhnaya-focused chapter, that absence immediately stands out.

The Cryo Archon has loomed over Genshin Impact's story since the game's earliest chapters. Her Fatui Harbingers have shaped conflicts throughout Teyvat, while the collection of the other Archons' Gnoses has served as one of the central mysteries connecting the game's regional narratives.

Yet the current preload apparently offers players assets for figures such as Pierro and Ronova without exposing an equivalent Tsaritsa model.

That does not mean she is absent from the broader Snezhnaya storyline, nor does it establish anything about her eventual playability.

Instead, it raises questions about when HoYoverse intends to fully introduce her.

If her model simply has not been included because it is unnecessary for Version 7.0, the omission could suggest that the most consequential parts of her story are being reserved for later updates.

Danica Adds Another Missing Piece

The Tsaritsa is not alone.

Dataminers reportedly have not identified a Danica character model in the Version 7.0 preload either.

Again, missing files cannot establish a character's future. Game development does not require every asset associated with an entire patch cycle or regional storyline to be packaged into the first update.

That is precisely why the omissions are interesting.

Snezhnaya is not a single-update story. HoYoverse can introduce characters, environments and narrative developments progressively across subsequent versions.

The initial files therefore offer a snapshot rather than a complete roadmap.

What players are seeing may reveal which characters Version 7.0 actually needs to render directly, while the missing assets could point toward characters whose major appearances have been deliberately pushed deeper into the update cycle.

The Datamine Is Becoming a Map of HoYoverse's Priorities

Looking at the files collectively creates a more nuanced picture than simply asking which characters were found.

Pierro has assets.

Ronova has assets.

Pulcinella has substantial visual material but reportedly carries an NPC model designation.

Vodyanitsa, Mitya and Valeriy reportedly use Avatar classifications.

The Tsaritsa and Danica do not currently have identified models in the preload.

Those differences are what make the datamine particularly intriguing.

Rather than exposing a straightforward roster of future playable characters, the files appear to show characters at very different stages and with very different purposes inside the game.

Some may be present primarily for narrative reasons. Others appear structured more similarly to playable units. Still others may be intentionally absent because their role belongs to a later chapter.

For players attempting to reconstruct HoYoverse's plans from development files, understanding those differences matters considerably more than simply counting character names.

Snezhnaya's Biggest Reveals May Still Be Locked Away

Datamines have always occupied an unusual position within Genshin Impact's community.

They can reveal genuine information contained within game files, but interpreting what those files mean requires considerably more caution. Unused assets can remain dormant. Internal classifications can change. Characters can receive new models in later versions, and material created for story purposes does not automatically translate into playable content.

Version 7.0 appears to be another example of that uncertainty.

The discoveries surrounding Pierro, Ronova, Pulcinella and the expanding Snezhnaya cast provide players with new information about characters who have remained mysterious for years.

Yet the absence of expected models may ultimately reveal something equally important.

The Tsaritsa remains one of Genshin Impact's most anticipated characters, and Snezhnaya represents the culmination of narrative threads stretching back to the beginning of the game.

If HoYoverse is deliberately keeping some of those pieces out of the opening Version 7.0 files, the biggest reveals of the Snezhnaya era may still be waiting several updates deeper into the story.

And that could make what dataminers did not find the most intriguing discovery of all.