A new Capitano’s release in Genshin Impact is canceled.

This article may contain leaked story spoilers for events that will take place in Version 5.3.

A more recent leak has mentioned that no Fatui Harbinger should be released as a playable character until Version 6.0 or onward, though the same leak states that there is a chance for Columbina to be made playable before players head over to Snezhnaya. Still, it’s looking very bleak when it comes to an estimation of Capitano’s release and if it will ever happen. Allied Fatui Harbingers have been released in the past, such as Childe and Arlecchino in Genshin Impact, so it would make sense for Capitano to become playable. However, there may be something very obscure impeding that.

Capitano May Die In Genshin Impact 5.3

A Leaked Audio File Hints At A Tombstone For The First Of The Eleven Fatui Harbingers

While there is a lot of speculation as to why Capitano may not become playable, the answer may be offered by the game itself in Version 5.3. According to new information by the leaker known as Miruko Real, there’s an audio file in Version 5.3 that roughly translates to “Cinder City Capitano Tombstone,” which may indicate the character will die. The leak was shared in a post on Reddit. If the leak is true and Capitano truly dies in the new story quests in Natlan, that would easily explain why he would not become a playable character in Genshin Impact.

When characters are set in team comps, it’s as if they were accompanying the Traveler on their travels across Teyvat; they even have voice lines that interact with certain situations. If Capitano were to accompany the Traveler as a playable character, he would need to be alive. So far, the game has not made any deceased character playable, so if Capitano were to die and still become playable, he would be the first of his kind. This stacks with the Capitano leaks in Genshin Impact that cite he will not become playable – and his death may be the explanation.

Why Capitano May Die In Genshin Impact (& How He Could Still Become Playable)

Capitano’s Rumored Death In Natlan May Not Be Permanent

Aside from the ominous leak that hints at a tombstone for Capitano – though it could be a tombstone made by Capitano for his fallen Khaenri’ah comrades – the character has indicated that he is in poor health. He’s been able to remain alive thanks to special abilities but has not been able to replicate the same effects as Dainsleif’s longevity techniques. Capitano has mentioned that his body has rotten and is still decaying, so his death seems inevitable at this point. Another key point that may lead Capitano to his death is his appreciation for Natlan in Genshin Impact.

Capitano’s ruthlessness is a result of an intense desire to protect the Nation of Pyro and impede the region from having the same fate as Khaenri’ah, which succumbed to the Abyss. If his wish is genuine and his health is already in a poor state, Capitano may sacrifice himself in an battle so as to ensure victory over the Abyssal incursion. With the apex of the Natlan story being released in Genshin Impact 5.3’s Archon Quests, this would be the perfect moment for a gesture of this magnitude, as the stakes have never been higher.

This could be precisely what leads to Capitano’s rumored demise, hinted at by the leaked audio file. Naturally, this would impede him from becoming a playable character, but Natlan is a special region when it comes to death. The First of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers is not from the Nation of Pyro, but his actions within it, such as his aid in fending off the Abyss, may make him susceptible to being recorded by the Wayobs and the Night Kingdom. This, in turn, could possibly make Capitano a candidate for an Ode of Resurrection in Genshin Impact.

For the Traveler to receive an Ancient Name, they are recording their deeds in Natlan, to later receive the blessing of the Wayobs, for example. As such, a similar logic could be applied to Capitano.

If Capitano were to be resurrected in Natlan, which is essentially the only location this would be permitted to occur, he could then be fully compatible with the role of a playable character in the future, even if current leaks say that no Fatui Harbinger will become playable before the arrival of Snezhnaya in Version 6.0. There are also theories about Capitano’s true intents in Natlan that involve the possible resurrection of La Signora in Genshin Impact and his death could be a conduit for that to occur, too, given the laws of the Night Kingdom.

In fact, several leaks indicate that La Signora would somehow return to play an important role in the Natlan story arc, so Capitano’s death could actually make him ineligible as a playable character but open up doors for La Signora as a playable Fatui Harbinger in the future. Even though they were presented as a villainous group at launch, the game has been heavily hinting at the possibility that the Tsaritsa and her Fatui subordinates are not actually evil, but possibly allies that will help take down not only the Abyss but the Heavenly Principles in Genshin Impact.

At the moment, it’s hard to determine what will happen to Capitano and the Fatui Harbingers, but the story developments could have implications on their release as playable characters, which lines up with the leaks and rumors presented thus far. Even so, players should take the leaked information with a certain degree of caution, as the details may be incorrect, poorly interpreted, incomplete, or simply subject to change ahead of the official release. Version 5.3 should not take too long to arrive, as it’s predicted for January 1, 2025, with the Genshin Impact 5.3 livestream anticipated for mid-December this year.

Source: Reddit