The Game Before the Gate is a Weekly Boss in Mondstadt released in Genshin Impact Version 5.6. Check out how to unlock the domain, how to beat it, its boss drops, and all known information about here!

The Game Before the Gate Guides
How to Beat	Domain & Drops

The Game Before the Gate Boss Fight Location

East of Windrise In Mondstadt

Location	Falcon Coast, Mondstadt

The Game Before the Gate can be found just east of the Windrise tree in Mondstadt, near the cliffs. You will only be able to access it after completing its related Archon Quest, then proceeding to the Hexenzirkel's tea party rock.

How to Unlock The Game Before the Gate Boss Fight

Complete Interlude Act 4 Quest

You can unlock and fight the The Game Before the Gate Trounce Domain by completing the Archon Quest Interlude Act 4: Paralogism.

Paralogism Quest Guide

Quick Challenge from the Adventurer Handbook

Alternatively, you can challenge the The Game Before the Gate directly by going to the Adventurer Handbook, going to the Domains Tab and selecting Trounce Domains, and then pressing quick challenge once unlocked!

Adventurer Handbook Guide

How to Beat The Game Before the Gate Boss

Bait The King Onto The Pawns

One of the King's attacks during the first Phase is to summon three Pawns that function like towers, shooting the player on the square they are standing on. While this is happening, the King will be rolling around on a Rook from one end of the battlefield to the other.

To beat this, position yourself in a way where the King bumps himself against the Pawns and destroys them. Do this three times and the King will be thrown off-balanced and staggered for a time.

Apply Cryo or Pyro Onto The Bishop

One of the King's phases is to hover on top of a Bishop while it navigates the field, dealing damage in an X shape wherever it goes.

Simply overwhelm it with Cryo or Pyro to force the King off and stagger him.

Defeat The Queen Piece

As the King is about to take Lethal damage, the Queen will take his place and fight you. She is not much more of a threat than the King was, so she can be brute-forced and defeated.

Once the Queen goes down, the King will reappear, staggered, allowing you to hit it to proceed to Phase 2.

Freeze The King's Lethal Blow

At some point after the initial attacks, the King and Queen will gather together in the center where the King will raise his sword and charge up a huge attack.

Apply Hydro and Cryo to the King to stack Freeze on him until he comes Frozen. This will promptly abort its attack and deal heavy Physical damage onto it.

What Happens If You Ignore It

The King unleashes an arena-wide sword slam, instantly killing the on-field character. This cannot be i-framed by the Elemental Bursts of the party.

Freeze The Queen's Lethal Blow in Phase 2

Further into the fight, the King will jump to the edge and start charging at the player while the Queen prepares an arena-wide Lethal Blow.

The gimmick here is to Freeze the Queen and bait the King into bumping into the Queen. In most cases this will kill the Queen and allow you to finish the King off.

What Happens If You Ignore It

Similar to the King's Lethal Blow, this is a oneshot and cannot be nullified by i-frames.

Best Teams for The Game Before the Gate

Recommended Parties Against The Game Before the Gate

Best Parties for The Game Before the Gate
Wriothesley	Furina	Shenhe	Escoffier
Ayaka	Shenhe	Kazuha	Kokomi
Kaeya	Diona	Xingqiu	Sucrose

Due to the boss having mechanics that is heavily centered around Freeze, you want to run a functioning Freeze team as much as possible as that alone can already soften up the boss by countering their mechanics.

This will especially be prevalent in Phase 2, where you need to continuously Freeze the enemy on two occasions to stop them from unleashing two separate powerful attacks.

Frozen Reaction Guide

Defeat The Game Before the Gate in Co-Op Mode

Are you missing specific characters, or have you not built a full party yet? Teaming up with others from our Co-Op boards is a great way to quickly beat the The Game Before the Gate and other bosses!

Genshin Co-Op Boards
Friend Request Board	Co-Op Board	Supporting Cast Board

The Game Before the Gate Attack Patterns

Phase 1 Attacks

Attack Pattern	Information
1-Square Slam	Lifts the King into the air before slamming down onto the player's current square. Highly telegraphed and can be dodged by moving out of the way.
AoE Slam	Slams in place, highlighting all squares around it for an AoE slam. Dodged by moving out of the way.
Bishop's Reach	The King will get lifted by a Bishop that will perform diagonal Electro attacks on every square it can reach. Dodged by moving laterally to avoid the X-strikes.
Cunning Gambit	The King will get lifted by a Rook and traverse around the field by rolling on it. Dodged by moving out of the column it is highlighting.
King's Assault	Sends two rooks and three knights to ransack the player's location. Dodged by moving to the sides to dodge the initial rook charge, then dodge in any direction to avoid the knights.
Queen's Cross	Performs a two-combo slam in either a plus or a cross formation for the adjacent circles. Will always perform both in any order and can be dodged by moving out of the highlighted squares.
Flaming Feathers	Charges up a flurry of feathers that will track and shoot at the player's location. Fast moving projectiles that will more likely be tanked than dodged.
Spinning Slashes	Extends two blades from its sides before performing a spinning slash in the player's direction. Dodged by moving out of the way.
Queen's Gambit	Will charge up an explosion that strikes the area around her and as far as her lateral and diagonal strikes can reach. The straight attacks will always explode first over the diagonals. Dodged by moving 2 squares away from her and evading the long-reach attacks.

Phase 2 Attacks

Attack Pattern	Information
King's Combo	Briefly charges up the King's sword before slamming down, belly dashing onto the player, and following up with a spinning strike. Avoided by dodging sideways or dodging back.
Knight's Leap	The King summons a Knight and hoists it on his back before leaping at the player and thrusting his sword down, following up by lifting his sword and creating a straight shockwave. Highly telegraphed.
Cannon Strike	Summons a Rook and uses it as a cannon to strike down at the player's location. Highly telegraphed, dodged by dashing away from the point of impact.
King's Lethal Blow	This attack is a one-shot and cannot be dodged. Charges up the King's sword to deliver an almighty strike. Countered by Freezing the King.
King and Queen	Dual combo that features a horizontal strike from the Queen, a leap from the King, then a combined ranged strike from the Queen's minigun and the King's cannon. Countered by dodging away from the strikes, then dodging to the side to avoid ranged attacks.
Queen's Pawns	Plunges Hydro-infused Pawns in an AoE around the Queen twice. Once in melee range and once for when you step back. Countered by dodging away from the first strike, then dodging into the Queen to avoid the second strike.
Queen's Flourish	Throws a few Electro feathers in front of the Queen before casting a telegraphed Hydro pawn plunge on the player's current location. Dodged by moving sideways for both attacks.
Queen's Lethal Blow	This attack is a one-shot and cannot be dodged. Charges up crashing waves that will engulf the whole arena. The King will be periodically performing ramming charges at the player. Countered by Freezing the Queen then baiting the King into bumping into her.

The Game Before the Gate Boss Drops

The Game Before the Gate Material Drops

List of The Game Before the Gate Weekly Boss Materials
Ascended Sample: Knight	Ascended Sample: Rook	Ascended Sample: Queen

Used for Character Talent Level Up

Weekly Boss Drop	Characters Who Use It
Ascended Sample: Rook
Ascended Sample: Knight	No characters yet.
Ascended Sample: Queen	No characters yet.

As of the most recent version, only Ifa is known to use The Game Before the Gate Boss drops to level up his Talents.

Characters in upcoming patches may also use the The Game Before the Gate's boss drops. We will update this section once more information has been released.

List of Character Ascension Materials

Information on The Game Before the Gate

The Game Before the Gate Boss Info and Rewards

Resin Cost	30 / 60 Original Resin
The Game Before the Gate Material Drops	Ascended Sample: Rook Ascended Sample: Knight Ascended Sample: Queen
Other Reward Drops
Reset Time	Every Monday at 4 AM, Server Time

Release Date in Version 5.6

Genshin Impact Version 5.6
Release Date	May 7, 2025

The Game Before the Gate was released among other new content at its release date on May 7, 2025 in Version 5.6!

Version 5.6 Release Date and Details

Genshin Impact Related Guides

All Boss Fight Guides

List of Bosses

Weekly Bosses

Stormterror Dvalin	Lupus Boreas	Childe
Azhdaha	La Signora	Raiden Shogun
Scaramouche Boss	Guardian of Apep's Oasis	All-Devouring Narwhal
The Knave - Arlecchino	Lord of Eroded Primal Fire	The Game Before the Gate