What is the difference between an Archon Quest and a Story Quest?

Archon Quests are the main story, advancing chapter by chapter and unlocking new regions, systems and some weekly bosses. Story Quests are a single character's personal storyline, unlocked with Story Keys (1 per 8 daily commissions). They are independent, but the main story gates your access to map regions and systems.

What are the AR requirements for each Archon Quest?

Prologue: AR1 / 10 / 18. Chapter I (Liyue): AR23 / 25 / 28 / 28. Chapter II (Inazuma): AR30 throughout. Interlude: AR30 / 30 / 30 / 28. Chapter III (Sumeru): AR30 for the first five acts, AR35 for the last. Chapter IV (Fontaine): AR30 for the first two, AR40 after. Chapter V (Natlan): AR40 for the first two, AR28 for the rest.

Why does it say a character is involved in other quests?

That character is currently reserved by another Story Quest or World Quest. Finish the quest that holds them, or abandon that Story Quest from its quest details screen to release the character and continue the main story.

What rewards do Archon Quests give?

Every act gives Primogems, Adventure EXP, Mora and Character EXP books. Over a full playthrough that is a major Primogem source for free-to-play players. The main story also unlocks new regions, the reputation system, the Serenitea Pot, fishing, and some weekly bosses and characters.For example, each Chapter VII act gives 30 Primogems as quest rewards, and finishing both within the version window added a 560 Primogem bonus (expired September 22, 2026).

How do I raise Adventure Rank quickly?

By efficiency: open chests, run daily commissions, farm Blossoms of Revelation (they grant Adventure EXP), complete world quests and make offerings to statues. Chests and daily commissions give the best return — do not burn Resin just to push AR.

Genshin Archon Quest Guide: Full Chapter Order and AR Requirements

Q: Do I have to complete Interlude chapters? Can I skip them?

You cannot skip them. Interludes are inserted between chapters but still count as prerequisites — for example you cannot start Sumeru's main story without finishing Interlude Act 1, The Crane Returns on the Wind. They are usually short, and skipping only creates a bigger wall later.

Quick Answer

Archon Quests are the main story — the only quest line that unlocks new regions and systems.
Prologue AR1/10/18 → Chapter I Liyue AR23-28 → Chapter II Inazuma AR30 → Interlude AR30/28.
Chapter III Sumeru AR30-35 → Chapter IV Fontaine AR30-40 → Chapter V Natlan AR40-28.
The story has reached Snezhnaya Chapter VII, with four acts released.
The usual blockers: an unfinished Interlude, a missing prerequisite chapter, or a character reserved by another quest.

What an Archon Quest Is

Archon Quests are Genshin's main story. The distinction from the other two quest types is easy to remember:

Type	Content	How it unlocks
Archon Quest	Main story — the nations and the Seven	Adventure Rank + previous chapters
Story Quest	A single character's own story, gives a trial of that character	Story Keys (1 per 8 daily commissions)
World Quest	Side stories and regional lore on the map	Triggered by location or conditions

The main story is the only quest line that unlocks new regions, new systems and some weekly bosses. If a new player feels stuck, nine times out of ten the main story has not been pushed far enough.

Full Chapter Order and AR Requirements

Here is the complete main story list as of the current version. Note that the numbers are the minimum unlock requirement for that chapter — by the time you reach it, your AR is usually well above it.

Chapter	Region	Acts	AR requirement
Prologue	Mondstadt	3	1 / 10 / 18
Chapter I	Liyue	4	23 / 25 / 28 / 28
Chapter II	Inazuma	Prologue + 4	30 across the board
Interlude	Cross-region	4	30 / 30 / 30 / 28
Chapter III	Sumeru	6	30 for the first five, 35 for the last
Chapter IV	Fontaine	6	30 for the first two, 40 after
Chapter V	Natlan	6 + Interlude	40 for the first two, 28 for the rest
Song of the Welkin Moon	6.x main story	Prologue + 10	28
Chapter VII	Snezhnaya	2 acts released (more to come)	AR18 + Prologue Act III

Do not be confused when later chapters appear to require less: those are floor values. By the time you are able to finish the earlier chapters, your AR is already past 28, so the game no longer sets a higher wall.

Chapter Highlights

Prologue · Mondstadt (AR 1 → 18)

Waking up near Windrise, meeting Paimon, and ultimately facing Stormterror. Prologue Act III, "Song of the Dragon and Freedom", is a key milestone — it is one of the unlock requirements for Genius Invokation TCG.

Chapter I · Liyue (AR 23 → 28)

Traveling with Zhongli, witnessing the Rite of Descension, and confronting the Overlord of the Vortex in "A New Star Approaches". Act IV, "We Will Be Reunited", introduces Dainsleif.

Chapter II · Inazuma (AR 30)

Entering the closed nation through the "Autumn Winds, Scarlet Leaves" prologue, living through the Vision Hunt Decree, and facing Raiden Shogun and Signora in "Omnipresence Over Mortals". Act IV, "Requiem of the Echoing Depths", pairs you with Dainsleif again.

Interlude (AR 30 / 28)

Four cross-region acts: "The Crane Returns on the Wind", "Perilous Trail", "Inversion of Genesis" and "Paralogism". Interludes sit between chapters and are mandatory — you cannot start Sumeru's main story without finishing "The Crane Returns on the Wind".

Chapter III · Sumeru (AR 30 → 35)

From "Through Mists of Smoke and Forests Dark" to "Akasha Pulses, the Kalpa Flame Rises", closing with "Caribert". Sumeru introduces Dendro and a batch of new systems.

Chapter IV · Fontaine (AR 30 → 40)

Opening with "Prelude of Blancheur and Noirceur", moving through "Masquerade of the Guilty", ending in "Bedtime Story". Fontaine's main story has the densest concentration of puzzle and trial gameplay.

Chapter V · Natlan (AR 40 → 28)

"Flowers Resplendent on the Sun-Scorched Sojourn" opens it, six acts plus an interlude follow, and it closes with "A Space and Time for You". Natlan is tightly bound to the Abyss war storyline and is essential to understanding the later plot.

Snezhnaya and the newest chapters

The main story has now reached Chapter VII in Snezhnaya. Version 7.0 (August 12, 2026) released Act I "Everwinter Without Mercy" and Act II "Wraith's Nocturne"; prerequisites are AR 18 plus Prologue, Act III "Song of the Dragon and Freedom". Progressing Act I grants the free 4★ Alyosha (Electro polearm), and resonating with Snezhnaya's Statues of the Seven unlocks the Cryo Traveler. Both acts carried a limited-time bonus of 560 Primogems (expired September 22, 2026) — starting now still earns per-act Primogems and all story rewards. The Nod-Krai arc between Natlan and Snezhnaya rolled out across the 6.x versions and is likewise a prerequisite for Chapter VII.

The Three Unlock Conditions

Adventure Rank: see the table above. AR comes from quests, opening chests, offering to statues and Ley Line Outcrops.
All prerequisite chapters complete: the main story is a chain — skipping any act blocks what comes after. Interludes count as prerequisites too.
Occasional extra conditions: a few acts additionally require a specific world quest or a certain exploration threshold.

Troubleshooting: Why the Quest Won't Appear

Symptom	Cause	Fix
"This character is involved in other quests"	The character is reserved by a story or world quest	Finish the quest holding them, or abandon that story quest from the quest list
Next act is missing from the quest list	A prerequisite chapter or interlude is unfinished	Check chapter by chapter, and do not overlook interludes
"Quest area is locked"	The region has not been opened by the main story yet	Push the currently available main story — regions unlock through plot
Adventure Rank too low	AR below the gate	Opening chests, daily commissions and Ley Line Outcrops are the fastest AR sources

Why the Main Story Is Worth Rushing

Regions: Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan and Snezhnaya all unlock through the main story. Without them you have no access to their materials or domains.
Systems: the Serenitea Pot, fishing and the reputation system all have main story prerequisites.
Steady income: every act pays Primogems, Adventure EXP, Mora and EXP books. Over a full playthrough this adds up to a serious Primogem total — a major source for free-to-play players.
Bosses and characters: some weekly bosses and story quests depend on main story progress.

Suggested Order

Finish the Mondstadt prologue first — it unlocks core systems and Genius Invokation TCG.
Push Liyue far enough to open Inazuma, and build Liyue reputation for the Condensed Resin blueprint along the way.
Push Sumeru, Fontaine and Natlan in parallel with your character building — the regions they unlock are where ascension materials come from.
Never skip an interlude. They are short, but they gate everything after them.
When AR is the blocker, open chests and run daily commissions rather than grinding Ley Lines.

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