September 28th in Genshin Impact has an interesting calendar history: it’s both Kamisato Ayaka’s birthday and the game’s birthday. Ayaka isn’t just a random character the developers assigned a beautiful autumnal date to. Her story begins with September 28th even before the game’s release, and certain details of her birthday greetings gradually transform this date into a kind of marker for Ayaka’s relationship with the Traveler.

Why is Ayaka’s birthday on September 28th?

Ayaka’s official birthday is September 28th. Genshin Impact was released on the same day, September 28th, 2020. Interestingly, Ayaka was a character who had been revealed to the public even before Genshin’s launch, and her in-game birthday ended up being the same day that millions of players began their journey.

It’s easy to forget today how long Ayaka has been a part of Genshin Impact’s development history. She was first officially revealed to Japanese audiences at Tokyo Game Show 2019. In the official Genshin trailer from that time, Ayaka was already featured among the characters, and her Japanese voice actress, Saori Hayami, was also announced.

Ayaka wasn’t in the game’s release. Its full release didn’t take place until version 2.0 on July 21, 2021. This means that about ten months passed between the launch of Genshin and Ayaka’s appearance as a playable character. So, the game was still in its infancy, players hadn’t even had time to figure out where the jump button was yet, and Ayaka was already celebrating her birthday. And she wasn’t even available as a character yet.

Ayaka’s congratulations are gradually turning into one big story

The most interesting Easter egg isn’t hidden in the date itself, but in how HoYoverse uses it each year. In 2021, Ayaka invites the Traveler to meet under the cherry blossoms and admire the moon. A year later, she says traveling has changed her view of her own birthday. Previously, she found the day monotonous, but now, thanks to the Traveler, new experiences and memories have entered her life.

In 2023, she shows the Traveler’s saved letters and reveals that she even dried the padisara sent from Sumeru to preserve its beauty. In 2024, the story shifts to Fontaine: Ayaka recalls the trip, Fontanalia, and photographs from the past. And in 2025, she again speaks of fireworks and her desire to continue seeing the Traveler.

In the official illustration for her 2026 birthday, Ayaka is shown with her hair down for the first time in a while. In the text, she herself says that she usually tries to tidy herself up before a meeting, but with the Traveler, she lets herself go. The reason for her delay turns out to be a small, furry culprit—a cat.

There is one more beautiful detail

The meaning of September 28th in Japanese traditions can vary depending on the source, but among the most commonly cited options is the September lilac, for which meanings such as:

• “Memories”.
• “Do not forget me”.
• “Thinking about a person from afar.”

And this fits suspiciously well with Ayaka’s themes. Her letters constantly feature memories of travels, saved letters, photographs, flowers, moonlit encounters, and the desire not to lose precious moments.