Genshin Impact will introduce two new mechanics to Fontaine, including Ousia and Pneuma. These additions will change your gameplay and strategy a lot. Check them out here and learn how Ousia and Pneuma work.

Table of Contents

I. New Mechanics In Fontaine

There will be two new mechanics, including Ousia and Pneuma in the character's kit after Fontaine's release. In specific, the leaked kits of the Hydro Traveler, Freminet, and Lyney will have the Pneuma mechanics while Lynette's kit has the Ousia mechanics.

New characters in Fontaine will have new Ousia and Pneuma stats.

Ousia and Pneuma are two Greek-rooted words. The word 'Pneuma' means soul or spirit and the word 'Ousia' refers to entity, essence, or substance. According to the leaker, Pneuma and Ousia are two opposite mechanics. Let's learn how they work in the game after update 4.0 in the next part.

II. How Pneuma & Ousia Work

All playable characters and enemies in Fontaine have one of two mechanics in their kits. When you hit the opponent with the opposite mechanics, the opponent will be stunned. But you cannot stun the opponent with the same mechanics. It works like traditional elements as you can break the shield of character with Pneuma element by using characters or weapons with Ousia element.

Old characters in Genshin Impact can take advantage of these new mechanics by using weapons from Fontaine.

These are two exclusive mechanics of Fontaine. But old characters from four previous nations can still use these new mechanics to counter enemies in Fontaine by using new weapons from this nation. Ousia and Pneuma mechanisms only exist in creatures and species from Fontaine - the nation of high-tech robots.

According to leakers, Genshin Impact made these additions to increase the difficulty level in Spiral Abyss floors. Apart from building the team base on the elements and elemental reactions, you must pay attention to the Pneuma and Ousia status of the enemy. Then, choose the right characters and weapons with opposite or similar mechanics to counter.

This change affects your gameplay and team building.

III. Pneuma In Hydro Travelers' Kits

Hydro Traveler, Freminet, Lynnette, and Lyney may be the four earliest playable characters to be launched in the Fontaine Update. Their kits are also leaked earlier than other characters.

According to leakers, the Normal, Charged, and Plunge Attacks of the Travelers remain unchanged. Their kits have big changes in the Elemental Skill and Burst.

  • Elemental skill - Aquacrest Saber: Press to unleash a Torrent Surge towards the targets and deal Hydro DMG to them. Hold to aim and shoot Dewdrops to the aimed targets. When the charged elemental skill ends, it also unleashes a Torrent Surge on the enemies in its path. Notably, this skill scales on their HP.
  • Elemental burst - Rising Waters: The Traveler will unleash a slow-moving floating bubble to deal Hydro DMG to nearby opponents continuously. After unlocking passive talent, Rising Waters will help generate Sourcewater Droplets on the ground for Travelers to collect and restore their HP by 7%.
The Hydro Traveler will be the first free Hydro playable character for Genshin Impact players.

The elemental skill of the Traveler will interact with the Pneuma mechanism to get a Pneuma-aligned DMG bonus. His/her Pneuma attacks can counter and remove the shield or ultimate attacks of the opponent with Ousia. For example, the Hydro Traveler can counter the Crescendo attacks of the Coppelius boss or break the Ousia Bufftower in Spiral Abyss 4.0.

IV. Ousia And Pneuma In Spiral Abyss

When Fontaine is released, Hoyoverse will update Spiral Abyss and make it more challenging for players. In specific, there will be an Ousia/Pneuma elemental tower on the 9th Floor - 3rd Chamber. Here's how it works:

  • A second after the match starts, the tower will apply a strengthening effect and 3U-elemental aura with Ousia/Pneuma on all enemies. The cycle time is 15s.
  • After being strengthened, the enemy will receive strengthening effects: 60% ATK, 150% RES for the same element, and 60% RES for other elements. They are also not interrupted.
  • If you destroy the strengthening tower by traditional elemental reaction, it will respawn and continue to strengthen enemies every 15 seconds.
  • You should use Ousia/Pneuma to destroy these Bufftowers to deactivate them forever and weaken buffed enemies.
Hoyoverse will add Ousia and Pneuma to Spiral Abyss to challenge Genshin Impact players. 

Ousia and Pneuma also exist in the abilities and kits of enemies. You have to counter many new bosses from Fontaine in Spiral Abyss 4.0, such as the Large Shatterstone Breacher Primus, Icewind Suite, and Clockwork Meka robots. These bosses will be more dangerous in Spiral Abyss chambers than in the open world with the buffs from Ousia/Pneuma towers.

>>> Also Read: Genshin Impact 3.8 Maintenance Time - When Will Update 3.8 Come Out?