It’s 2026, and the dust has long settled around the release of Roccia in Wuthering Waves. When she first pirouetted onto the scene, she was hailed as a top-tier sub-DPS—fast, flashy, and with the best enemy grouping in the game. Yet, over a year later, the question still lingers in the minds of both new and returning players: does she bring enough value to your account to justify those hard-earned Astrites? The answer isn’t a simple yes or no, and it’s more about where the game’s meta has drifted.

Let’s start with what made Roccia special. She’s undeniably the best-in-slot partner for Camellya and Havoc Rover, two of the hardest-hitting damage dealers around. Her Concerto rotation is so snappy it feels like she’s breaking the rules of engagement, and when it comes to vacuuming up scattered mobs, no other character can touch her. Seriously, watching her fling enemies into a neat little pile is almost therapeutic. But here’s where the real talk begins: being the best at something doesn’t always mean you’re the must-pull everyone thinks you are.

Enter Sanhua. This frosty 4-star has been a silent giant since launch—she’s free, she’s everywhere, and she honestly stole a lot of Roccia’s thunder. Sanhua probably has the fastest Concerto buildup in the entire game, which smoothly feeds Intro Skills for burst windows. Her Basic Attack buff, when paired with the Moonlit Echo set, is actually larger than Roccia’s, and it works on a much wider roster. While Roccia’s Havoc-focused buffs lock her into Camellya or Havoc Rover teams, Sanhua can waltz into virtually any comp and make it better. When you line up the two, it becomes a classic case of “Why pull for the 5-star when I already have a powerhouse that cost zero pulls?” That sentiment didn’t fade—it only got louder as more characters joined the fray.

But what about that magnificent grouping ability? At launch, the endgame was mostly single-target boss rushes—Tower of Adversity and Tactical Holograms didn’t care one bit about AoE. In 2026, the landscape has… shifted, but only by a degree. New Whimpering Wastes and certain co-op events have introduced waves of tanky mobs where grouping finally flexes its value. Roccia’s stock has risen somewhat, yet it’s still a niche. For the majority of weekly resets, you’re facing down towering bullet sponges, and there the extra Concerto speed of Sanhua often translates to faster clears than Roccia’s crowd-control tricks. It’s a bit like owning a sports car in a city with only straight flat roads—you appreciate the engineering, but you rarely get to open the throttle.

“But hey, she does way more personal damage than Sanhua!” Absolutely true. Roccia brings notable AoE burst and can clean up trash mobs by herself, something Sanhua simply can’t match. And if you love her playstyle—the reckless dash, the whimsical animations—then nobody should tell you to bench her. Pulling for favorites is a sacred rule in any gacha, and honestly, she’s just plain fun to juggle enemies with. That said, account resources are finite. Echo farming still involves soul-crushing RNG, and Weekly Boss materials are a drip feed. Investing in a limited 5-star takes a toll on your long-term planning.

Now, consider the broader roster changes. Since 2025, we’ve seen Phoebe claim her spot as a versatile support, and whispers of future Havoc carriers keep players guessing. If Camellya is already your crown jewel, Roccia remains an incredible luxury upgrade—your clears will look smoother and feel more explosive. But if your account is still finding its footing, allocating those Astrites toward a powerhouse like a new Sentinel Resonator or an upcoming rerun might patch more holes in your lineup. The meta has taught us that horizontal investment often ages better than vertical hyper-investment into a single niche.

So, is Roccia a strong character in 2026? Without a doubt. Is she a must-pull? Probably not—unless the game suddenly decides to fill every endgame floor with scattered, high-HP mobs and makes grouping the only route to victory. Right now, she sits in that comfortable “pull if you simp, skip if you plan” territory. She’ll be there when you’re ready to spoil your Camellya, but she’ll also understand if you pass her by for the next shiny banner. After all, Roccia is a performer—she only thrives when the stage is set just right.