Imaginarium Theater resets on the first day of every month, and the reset swaps the three elements you are allowed to field. That one rule is why the mode feels trivial one month and impossible the next. The wall is rarely enemy damage. It is whether you own enough levelled characters of the right colour to fill the roster at all.
HoYoverse has already published the December season, almost four weeks early, inside the Version 7.2 update notice. It brings back an element that was absent from all three previous seasons, and its roster pool is smaller than both October's and November's. This guide covers December first, then the November season that is live right now, whose boss line-up is now public. It is current as of 10 November 2026.
Quick answer: The next Imaginarium Theater season opens on 1 December 2026 at 04:00 server time. Required Elemental Types are Pyro, Hydro, and Geo. The six Opening Characters are Arlecchino, Bennett, Furina, Xingqiu, Navia, and Illuga, and the four Special Guest Stars are Chasca, Varesa, Kinich, and Iansan. New Thespian Tricks go to Arlecchino, Linnea, Ifa, and Nefer. Pyro, Hydro and Geo give you about 50 eligible characters, against about 53 for November's Hydro, Electro and Geo. The current November season (Season 29) runs until 1 December 2026 03:59:59 server time, and its boss ladder ends with Radiant Moonfly at Lv. 100.
When does the December 2026 Imaginarium Theater start?
HoYoverse confirmed it in section IX of the Version 7.2 "Hour of Ruin" Update Details: "After the Version 7.2 update, a new season of 'Imaginarium Theater' will be available on December 1."
The theater resets at 04:00 on each server's own clock (UTC+8 for Asia, UTC+1 for Europe, UTC-5 for America), so the same reset lands at very different moments:
| Server | Reset in server time | Reset in UTC | What your clock shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asia / TW-HK-MO | 1 Dec, 04:00 (UTC+8) | 30 Nov, 20:00 | 30 Nov, 20:00 UTC |
| Europe | 1 Dec, 04:00 (UTC+1) | 1 Dec, 03:00 | 03:00 London (GMT), 04:00 Berlin (CET) |
| America | 1 Dec, 04:00 (UTC-5) | 1 Dec, 09:00 | 04:00 New York (EST), 01:00 Los Angeles (PST) |
Unlike November, there is no daylight-saving change around this reset, so the conversion that worked on 1 November works again on 1 December. Asia players get the new season on the evening of Monday 30 November in UTC terms.
HoYoverse has not published an end date for the December season. Every season so far has run until the next month's reset, which would mean 1 January 2027, but treat that as the pattern, not an announcement. The Version 7.3 notice should confirm it.
What are the December elements and Opening Characters?
Required Elemental Types for December are Pyro, Hydro, and Geo. The six Opening Characters, verbatim from the 7.2 update notice, are Arlecchino, Bennett, Furina, Xingqiu, Navia, and Illuga. HoYoverse again picked one five-star and one four-star per element:
| Opening Character | Element | Rarity | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlecchino | Pyro | 5-star | Polearm |
| Bennett | Pyro | 4-star | Sword |
| Furina | Hydro | 5-star | Sword |
| Xingqiu | Hydro | 4-star | Sword |
| Navia | Geo | 5-star | Claymore |
| Illuga | Geo | 4-star | Polearm |
The notice adds: "When Imaginarium Theater is open, the corresponding Opening Characters will obtain Fantastical Blessings." The blessing is a 20% increase to Max HP, ATK and DEF for any Opening Character you own, and the community wiki says it applies inside and outside the theater for the whole season.
If you don't own an Opening Character, you are not locked out. The theater gives you Trial versions for the Principal Cast. What you lose is the 20% blessing, which only applies to characters you own. Opening Characters cannot be set as Supporting Cast, so you cannot borrow a friend's Navia to fill that slot.
Bennett and Xingqiu are the free wins. Both are four-stars almost every account owns. Furina is the time-sensitive one: her rerun on the Version 7.2 Phase I banner ends on 24 November 2026 at 17:59 server time, a week before the season opens. If you were planning to pull for her anyway, December is when the blessing pays out. Our Furina build guide and banner schedule cover both decisions.
Who are the December Special Guest Stars?
December's four Special Guest Stars are Chasca, Varesa, Kinich, and Iansan:
| Guest Star | Element | Rarity | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chasca | Anemo | 5-star | Bow |
| Varesa | Electro | 5-star | Catalyst |
| Kinich | Dendro | 5-star | Claymore |
| Iansan | Electro | 4-star | Polearm |
Guest Stars are the exception to the element rule. The wiki defines them as "a special pool of selectable characters that do not need to meet the Elemental requirements for that season." There is a condition: you must own them or borrow them as Supporting Cast, and there is no trial version.
All four are Natlan characters, and none of them is Pyro, Hydro or Geo. That makes them the only way to bring Anemo, Electro or Dendro into a December run. Each Blessing Level grants +800 Max HP, +50 ATK, +50 DEF and +20 Elemental Mastery, and the wiki states that "the buff effects received by Special Guest Stars are increased by 100%." A Guest Star picked late in a run, with stacked Blessing Levels behind them, is often your strongest unit.
Varesa is the one to watch. HoYoverse's official Version 7.2 recap lists her on the new Chronicled Wish, and the 7.2 press release places that wish in Phase 2, after Phase I closes on 24 November. No Phase 2 wish notice with dates is out yet, but on that timing there should be a route to her before 1 December. Our Varesa build guide covers her kit. Iansan is the only four-star of the four, which makes her the cheapest to build.
Is December a harder roster month than November?
Slightly, and for a reason most players will not see coming: Pyro.
We counted the community wiki's playable-character listings on 10 November 2026, counting the Traveler once rather than once per element:
| Season | Elements | Element pool (approx.) | Pool minus the 6 Opening Characters | Owned Lv. 70 characters Lunar still needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 (October 2026) | Hydro, Cryo, Anemo | ~58 | ~52 | 21 |
| 29 (November 2026) | Hydro, Electro, Geo | ~53 (51 before 7.2) | ~47 | 21 |
| December 2026 | Pyro, Hydro, Geo | ~50 | ~44 | 21 |
The split for December is Pyro 19, Hydro 18, Geo 15. November's pool grew by two on 4 November when Version 7.2 added Mitya and Valeriy, both Electro. Neither helps in December, and no new character is due before the reset.
How the last column works: Lunar Mode's 28 is the total cast, not 28 owned characters. The six Opening Characters are provided as trials, and Lunar lets you bring one borrowed Supporting Cast character, so 28 minus 7 leaves 21 owned characters at Lv. 70. Visionary's 22 works out to about 15 owned on the same maths.
Here is the trap. Pyro was not a required element in September, October or November. September ran Hydro, Electro and Dendro, October Hydro, Cryo and Anemo, November Hydro, Electro and Geo. If you have spent three months levelling only what the theater asked for, your Pyro bench is probably the most neglected part of your account. Xiangling, Thoma, Xinyan, Yanfei, Amber, Chevreuse and Gaming are all four-stars that count as a full roster body at Lv. 70.
Geo is the other pinch point. It is the second-smallest playable pool after Dendro, and it is required for a second month in a row. The Version 7.2 Phase 2 banners help here: HoYoverse's official recap lists Zibai and Linnea, both Geo, as the Phase 2 five-stars. Phase I ends on 24 November, and the exact Phase 2 dates are not published yet. Our Linnea build guide covers her, and Linnea also gets a new Thespian Trick in December.
What are the November 2026 bosses?
Season 29 is live until the December reset, and its line-up is now public. When we updated this page on 29 October, every Act was blank. The community wiki's Season 29 page now lists the full ladder:
| Stage | Villain | Level | Time limit | Star Challenge | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Act 3 | Jadeplume Terrorshroom | Lv. 90 | 105s | Clear in 70s | Electro |
| Arcana Challenge I | Consecrated beasts, survival | Lv. 100 | 360s | Defeat 10 | Shields |
| Act 6 | Lord of the Hidden Depths: Whisperer of Nightmares | Lv. 92 | 110s | Clear in 75s | Lunar reactions |
| Arcana Challenge II | Battle-Hardened Biting-Cold Wayob Manifestation | Lv. 100 | 125s | Clear in 85s | Healers |
| Act 8 | Battle-Hardened Samachurl | Lv. 95 | 110s | Clear in 75s | Hydro and Geo |
| Act 10 | Radiant Moonfly | Lv. 100 | 105s | Clear in 70s | Healers |
Levels are the Hard and Visionary values. The two Arcana Challenges only appear in Lunar Mode.
Three mechanics decide most failed runs. The Whisperer of Nightmares deploys a Deepdark Shield that only Elemental Attacks or reaction DMG can break, and the wiki notes that Lunar Reaction DMG is especially effective. That is why Lunar teams have the advantage on Act 6. The Battle-Hardened Samachurl cooks a Delicious Hot Pot in the middle of the arena: put out the bonfire to stop the cooking and destroy the pot to leave it weakened. If the soup finishes, it heals and gains greatly increased All Elemental and Physical RES. If the timer runs out first, it becomes Enraged. Radiant Moonfly traps characters in a Radiant Cocoon that you escape by healing to full HP, so save a healer for Act 10.
December's antagonists are not published. The 7.2 notice gives elements, Opening Characters and Guest Stars only, and the wiki has no December page yet. Any December boss list you see today comes from leaks. We will add it once the season is live.
How many characters does each difficulty need?
This is the number that decides your month. Every difficulty sets a minimum roster, a maximum roster and a level floor:
| Difficulty | Acts | Minimum roster | Maximum roster | Level required |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Mode | 3 | 8 | 10 | Lv. 60 |
| Normal Mode | 6 | 12 | 14 | Lv. 60 |
| Hard Mode | 8 | 16 | 20 | Lv. 70 |
| Visionary Mode | 10 | 22 | 26 | Lv. 70 |
| Lunar Mode | 10 + 2 Arcana Challenges | 28 | 32 | Lv. 70 |
Visionary unlocks only after you clear Hard Mode, and Lunar only after Visionary.
Treat the maximum column as a target. Every character added to the Alternate Cast above the required number raises Blessing Level by 2. Taking 32 characters into Lunar instead of 28 is +8 Blessing Levels: +6,400 HP, +400 ATK, +400 DEF and +160 Elemental Mastery for the party, and double that for Guest Stars. A spare Lv. 70 Pyro four-star does more good in the Alternate Cast than sitting at home.
The other resource is Vigor. Each character has two Vigor, one spent per stage, and each stage needs four members. With a thin bench in one element, plan which Acts get your best units instead of spending them in the opening stages.
How many Primogems is a season worth?
Clearing is what pays. A player in r/GenshinImpactTips put it simply: "IT doesn't lock primogems behind the star, you just need to clear." That's right. Stella pay materials, not Primogems.
| Track | Acts 1 to 10 | Two Arcana Challenges (Lunar only) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Performance Tour (every season) | 800 Primogems | 200 Primogems | 1,000 Primogems |
| Debut Performance (first clear only) | 1,500 Primogems | 300 Primogems | 1,800 Primogems |
The widely quoted "1,000 Primogems per season" figure is Lunar Mode only. Stop at Visionary and the season pays 800. Two seasons in a row with Geo required means plenty of accounts will stop there in both November and December, which is 400 Primogems left on the table.
A full Lunar season also pays 600,000 Mora, 3 Toy Medals, 26 Sanctifying Essence, 28 Sanctifying Unction, 1 Transient Resin and 2 Sanctifying Elixir. The Crown of Insight sits on the Act 10 Debut reward and can be claimed only once per account. Stella pay out at 3 (8 Sanctifying Unction), 6 (1 Transient Resin), 9 (1 Sanctifying Elixir) and 12 (1 Sanctifying Elixir).
What else changes in the December season?
Four characters get new Thespian Tricks, photo poses bought from the concierge NPC Wolfy with Toy Medals. The 7.2 notice names Arlecchino, Linnea, Ifa, and Nefer. November's four were Ineffa, Aino, Arataki Itto and Thoma. Toy Medals come three per season, so you cannot buy all four new poses in one month unless you saved some.
A common help-thread question is whether a character "isn't allowed this month". The only test is element. Hu Tao, Mavuika and Lyney are all Pyro, so they are all eligible in December even though only Arlecchino and Bennett get the Pyro blessing. Being an Opening Character is a bonus, not a requirement. Our Arlecchino build guide and Navia build guide cover two of the Opening five-stars.
What should you do before 1 December?
- Finish Season 29. November's Hydro, Electro and Geo season closes at the reset, and unclaimed rewards go with it.
- Count your Pyro bench. Filter your roster to Pyro, Hydro and Geo, leave out the six Opening Characters, and count everyone at Lv. 70 or above. Around 21 means Lunar is realistic, around 15 means Visionary.
- Level the gap with Pyro four-stars. Pyro has not been required for three months, so this is where most accounts have unlevelled bodies. Two or three ascensions can decide whether you earn 800 or 1,000 Primogems.
- Decide on Furina before 24 November. Her Phase I rerun closes a week before the season opens.
- Set your Supporting Cast. You can offer up to 7 characters to friends, each usable 15 times per season. Lending them does not stop you using them yourself. Offering a levelled Pyro or Geo unit in December helps friends more than another Hydro one.
FAQ
When does the next Imaginarium Theater start in Genshin Impact? On 1 December 2026 at 04:00 server time. HoYoverse confirmed it in the Version 7.2 update notice: "After the Version 7.2 update, a new season of 'Imaginarium Theater' will be available on December 1." In UTC, Asia resets at 20:00 on 30 November, Europe at 03:00 and America at 09:00 on 1 December.
What are the Imaginarium Theater elements for December 2026? Pyro, Hydro, and Geo. Every Alternate Cast character must be one of those three. The only exceptions are the four Special Guest Stars, Chasca, Varesa, Kinich and Iansan, who ignore the element requirement but must be owned or borrowed.
Who are the December 2026 Opening Characters? Arlecchino, Bennett, Furina, Xingqiu, Navia, and Illuga. Trial versions are provided for the Principal Cast. Owning one unlocks the Fantastical Blessing, a 20% boost to Max HP, ATK and DEF for the season that also applies in the open world.
What are the November 2026 Imaginarium Theater bosses? Jadeplume Terrorshroom (Act 3), Lord of the Hidden Depths: Whisperer of Nightmares (Act 6), Battle-Hardened Samachurl (Act 8) and Radiant Moonfly (Act 10). Lunar Mode adds two Arcana Challenges: a 360-second survival against consecrated beasts and a Battle-Hardened Biting-Cold Wayob Manifestation.
Are the December bosses known? Not officially. The Version 7.2 notice lists elements, Opening Characters, Guest Stars and Thespian Tricks, but no enemies, and the community wiki has no December season page yet.
How many Primogems does Imaginarium Theater give per month? 1,000 Primogems per season on the repeatable track, but only for a Lunar Mode clear. Acts 1 to 10 pay 800 and the two Lunar-only Arcana Challenges add 100 each. First-time clears also pay 1,800 Primogems on the Debut track, including a Crown of Insight at Act 10.
Find more Genshin Impact guides for this version, including the November Spiral Abyss, banners and character builds, on the timesaver.gg blog.
