How to unlock the Genius Invokation TCG in Genshin Impact

You'll need to visit an old friend.

Images via miHoYo | Remix by Kacee Fay

Teyvat’s newest gameplay mechanic is nearly here and is set to release as soon as the Version 3.3 update of Genshin Impact officially goes live. This new gameplay option is called Genius Invokation TCG and is an epic card dueling game that players will be able to regularly play once they have first completed the prerequisites to unlock it.

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Genius Invokation TCG won’t function as a special, limited-time event and instead will be a permanent gameplay addition. In this game mode, players are able to compete against their favorite recruitable characters from Teyvat, general NPCs, other players, and even some of the adorable animals found around the world.

Image via miHoYo

Related: Genshin Impact Version 3.4 leaks: New characters, banners, events, and details so far

The Genius Invokation TCG promises quite a lot of content for players to delve into. Thus, Travelers will want to know how to get in on the action as soon as possible so that they can get to battling straight away.

Where is the Genius Invokation TCG in Genshin Impact?

The Genius Invokation TCG is currently only playable at one specific location. Before players can venture to this location to play the card game, they must first meet the following prerequisites:

  • Any player hoping to play the fast-paced card game will first need to reach Adventure Rank 32. All players who have reached this Adventure Rank or higher may participate in the Genius Invokation TCG as long as they have also completed the other requirement.
  • The second prerequisite to playing Genius Invokation TCG is that players must have fully completed the “Song of Dragon and Freedom” Archon quest. This is not just one quest and instead is made up of eight smaller ones, which means that it may take players quite some time to complete. But all quests within the overarching “Song of Dragon and Freedom” Archon quest are very early-on quests for Mondstadt and most players should thus already have passed this point.
Image via miHoYo

After both prerequisites have been met, players will then want to head to the city of Mondstadt. The Genius Invokation TCG takes place at a previously hidden location called The Cat’s Tail, which players may remember is the bar where the four-star Cryo Bow character Diona works as a bartender.

The Cat’s Tail tavern is located somewhat close to Mondstadt’s main gates. It isn’t a particularly hidden location but is likely not one that players have taken into account and it may thus be difficult to locate.

Screengrab via miHoYo

Players can find the entrance to The Cat’s Tail in two different ways. The first and easiest method of locating the tavern is to visit the Mondstadt Souvenir Shop and simply turn around and walk directly straight until players reach a building covered in posters. This is certainly the easiest way to locate the building, but the official sign can be difficult to see from this angle and players may instead want to choose the other route.

The other option for locating The Cat’s Tail is to start by visiting the Adventurer’s Guild. Once there, players should then walk around to the left of the building, go up the stairs, and locate the building that has a hanging sign with a cat motif on it. A gray cat may also be found near the barrels at this location and is thus another feature players can look out for when trying to find this location.

Screengrab via miHoYo

Although players could previously only visit the outside of the establishment, Version 3.3 now allows Travelers to venture inside The Cat’s Tail tavern. The Genius Invokation TCG can officially be unlocked by approaching Prince, who is a cat sitting atop a bar inside of The Cat’s Tail tavern with the label “Duel Saint of Cats” over his head, and interacting with him. Talking to Prince will begin the tutorial process of playing Genius Invokation TCG for the first time and players will then unlock it as a permanent game mode once they have done so.

The Genius Invokation TCG permanent gameplay mode will be live for all players when the Version 3.3 update of Genshin is released. This update promises a plethora of exciting new content in addition to the Genius Invokation TCG, such as the highly-anticipated arrival of the five-star Anemo Catalyst character Wanderer (Scaramouche), a new four-star Anemo Bow character named Faruzan, an immediate banner rerun for Arataki Itto followed later on by banner reruns for Raiden Shogun and Kamisato Ayato, new weapons, new artifacts, a few exciting events, and a new quest.

Author
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Kacee Fay
Staff Writer at Dot Esports covering new releases and a wide array of topics including Minecraft, Disney Dreamlight Valley, Phasmophobia, general gaming, streaming, and more. She has been avidly writing and gaming her whole life and now spends her time combining the two. Kacee graduated from San Diego State University in 2021 with a Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Certificate in Creative Editing and Publishing. She then joined Dot Esports as a Freelance Writer in 2022 before transitioning to a Staff Writer in 2023. In her spare time, she enjoys buying more books than she can read, gaming alone or with friends, drinking too much tea, attending concerts, fangirling over movies and television, listening to music, and spending time with her family, friends, and pets, who are the most important parts of her world.