If Everwinter Without Mercy is locked or does not appear in your Quest menu, you may be wondering whether you need to finish the previous Archon Quests first.
The good news is that the requirements for starting Snezhnaya’s first Archon Quest are relatively simple. You do not need to complete every previous Archon Quest before beginning Chapter VII.
Here is what you need to unlock Everwinter Without Mercy in Genshin Impact.
Everwinter Without Mercy Unlock Requirements
To unlock Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act I – Everwinter Without Mercy, you need to:
- Reach Adventure Rank 18 or higher
- Complete Archon Quest Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom
After meeting these requirements, travel to and explore Snezhnaya. The quest should then be automatically accepted.
How to Unlock Everwinter Without Mercy
First, make sure you have completed Song of the Dragon and Freedom, the final act of the Mondstadt Archon Quest storyline.
Completing this quest also automatically unlocks a Teleport Waypoint southwest of Volkodlak Tundra in Snezhnaya, giving eligible players a direct way to reach the region.
Once you meet the Adventure Rank requirement:
- Open the world map.
- Find the automatically unlocked Teleport Waypoint in Snezhnaya.
- Teleport to Snezhnaya.
- Begin exploring the region.
- Everwinter Without Mercy should be automatically accepted.
What Adventure Rank Do You Need for Everwinter Without Mercy?
You need to reach Adventure Rank 18 before you can start Everwinter Without Mercy.
If you have completed Song of the Dragon and Freedom but the quest remains unavailable, check your Adventure Rank first.
Once you reach AR 18 and meet the quest prerequisite, you should be eligible to begin Chapter VII: Act I.
What Quest Do You Need to Complete First?
The required prerequisite quest is:
Archon Quest Prologue: Act III – Song of the Dragon and Freedom
You do not need to complete all of the Archon Quests released between Mondstadt and Snezhnaya simply to unlock Everwinter Without Mercy.
This allows newer and returning players to begin the Snezhnaya storyline much earlier than they would if every previous Archon Quest were mandatory.
Do You Need to Finish Natlan First?
No.
Finishing the Natlan Archon Quest is not required to unlock Everwinter Without Mercy.
The official requirements are Adventure Rank 18 and completion of Song of the Dragon and Freedom.
However, completing earlier story content first may provide a better chronological story experience.
Do You Need to Finish the Previous Archon Quests?
No.
Players who meet the unlock requirements can begin Everwinter Without Mercy even without completing the preceding Archon Quests.
HoYoverse specifically notes that eligible Travelers can use the automatically unlocked Teleport Waypoint to reach Snezhnaya and begin Chapter VII: Act I even if earlier Archon Quest content has not been completed.
Why Is Chapter VII Still Locked?
If Chapter VII: Act I still appears locked, check the following:
- Is your account Adventure Rank 18 or higher?
- Have you completed Song of the Dragon and Freedom?
- Have you checked the map for the automatically unlocked Snezhnaya Teleport Waypoint?
- Have you actually traveled to and begun exploring Snezhnaya?
The last point is important because meeting the prerequisites alone does not mean the quest necessarily appears immediately while you remain elsewhere. The official instructions state that after meeting the prerequisites, you should explore Snezhnaya to automatically accept the quest.
Why Is Everwinter Without Mercy Not Showing?
If you meet the requirements but cannot find Everwinter Without Mercy, first travel to Snezhnaya using the automatically unlocked waypoint.
Then explore the region and check your Quest menu again.
Also make sure you are looking for:
Archon Quest Chapter VII: Act I – Everwinter Without Mercy
and not Chapter VII: Act II.
Act II, Wraith’s Nocturne, has a different requirement: you must first complete Everwinter Without Mercy.
Do You Need Song of the Welkin Moon: Act X?
No, not as an unlock requirement.
HoYoverse recommends completing Song of the Welkin Moon – Act X and the event quest Sunny Summer Fontinalia first for the best experience, but these are recommendations rather than the basic requirements for unlocking Everwinter Without Mercy.
The actual unlock requirements remain Adventure Rank 18 + Song of the Dragon and Freedom.
This distinction is important because a player may see the recommendation and assume the quests are mandatory.
Quick Solution
If Everwinter Without Mercy is locked or not showing, do the following:
- Reach Adventure Rank 18.
- Complete Song of the Dragon and Freedom.
- Open the world map.
- Use the automatically unlocked Teleport Waypoint to reach Snezhnaya.
- Explore the region to automatically accept Chapter VII: Act I – Everwinter Without Mercy.
You do not need to finish every previous Archon Quest, including the entire Natlan storyline, simply to unlock the quest.
