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Honkai Star Rail: Release Date, News, Characters, Leaks & More

Honkai Star Rail is the highly-anticipated turn-based RPG from Genshin Impact developer, HoYoverse. Here's everything you need to know about this upcoming title.
Honkai Star Rail: Release Date, News, Characters, Leaks & More

Honkai Star Rail is generating a lot of buzz, not only because of the company and the IP it is attached to but because the early release footage and beta gameplay look incredibly exciting. Unlike the popular title Genshin Impact, Honkai Star Rail does away with the open-world real-time-action combat style.

Instead, the game opts for a turn-based gameplay style and is described as "what if Genshin Impact was Epic Seven?" Several closed betas, release trailers, and pre-release footage have been revealed to the public, and this is only getting players more hyped up to play the game.

So, if you plan to go all out on Honkai Star Rail when it eventually releases, here's everything you need to know about the content revealed.

Update on 2 May 2023: We've updated this article with the latest news on 'Honkai Star Rail', including known characters and gameplay.

Latest Honkai Star Rail News & Leaks

2 May 2023: Honkai Star Rail is out now. Enjoy our guides!

Check out our ever-growing Honkai Star Rail section filled with guides.

3 April 2023: Honkai Star Rail pre-install now available

Pre-install Honkai Star Rail now ahead of its 26 April 2023 release.

1 March 2023: Learn about Honkai Star Rail character progression

Find everything you need to know about character progression in Honkai Star Rail with our guide.

2 February 2023: Don't forget to pre-register for Honkai Star Rail

Read our step-by-step guide to pre-registering for Honkai Star Rail.

4 January 2023: Happy new year!
8 December: Watch The Game Awards 2022 live!

There is about a 20% chance of Honkai Star Rail showing up at The Game Awards 2022.

Tune in the watch The Game Awards 2022 via the YouTube stream embedded below. It kicks off on 8 December at 7:30 PM ET / 4:30 PM PT and 9 December at 00:30 GMT.

Honkai Star Rail Release Date

March 7th Honkai Star Rail
Could March 7th's name be a hint of the release date? (Picture: HoYoverse)

Unfortunately, Honkai Star Rail does not have a confirmed release date. There is also no news about whether the game will have a third closed beta.

Considering Genshin Impact had three closed betas before it was released, it is likely to expect this for Honkai Star Rail. The second closed beta for Honkai Star Rail ended on June 15, and after several trailers (including a spot at Summer Game Fest 2022), we still have no news.

Fans have been speculating that if the game decides to forego a third closed beta, Honkai Star Rail could see a release sometime before 2023. However, if the game does not come out before January, it will most likely be released on March 7th to coincide with one of the characters of the same name. 

Honkai Star Rail Gameplay

Asta Ultimate
Honkai Star Rail will take more of a traditional RPG approach to combat (Picture: HoYoverse)

As mentioned, Honkai Star Rail is a turn-based game with open-world elements. Players will still control their characters and be able to explore different areas (as opposed to tapping through menus), but the main combat will be akin to that of a traditional RPG.

Players will enter combat with several characters, each of which has its abilities and ultimate. Additionally, characters will have unique element types consisting of:

  • Physical
  • Fire
  • Ice
  • Lightning
  • Wind
  • Imaginary
  • Quantum

Honkai Star Rail Story & Characters

Honkai Star Rail himeko
Honkai Star Rail's character designs are out of this world - literally! (Picture: HoYoverse)

While a working knowledge of the Honkai universe is not required to play this game, it does help. Without spoiling too much of either game, the plot of Honkai Star Rail sees a prolific character from Honkai Impact 3rd traveling to a parallel universe and embarking on his journey. 

This journey will take players across space on a fantastical train that can travel through the stars. 

As of now, 23 characters have been confirmed to be playable in Honkai Star Rail. These include:

  • Dan Heng
  • Himeko
  • March 7th
  • Trailblazer (player character)
  • Welt
  • Bronya
  • Clara
  • Gepard
  • Hook
  • Natasha
  • Pela
  • Sampo
  • Seele
  • Serval
  • Arlan
  • Asta
  • Herta
  • Blade
  • Kafka
  • Silver Wolf
  • Jing Yuan
  • Luocha
  • Sushang

Additionally, several recent trailers have revealed new characters, such as Fu Xuan in the Tokyo Game Show Trailer.

Honkai Star Rail Leaks

Honkai Star Rail
There is still so much content yet to be revealed for Honkai Star Rail (Picture: HoYoverse)

Popular Genshin Impact leaker "UBatcha" is also becoming the go-to source for information on Honkai Star Rail. Not only are they revealing interesting lore about characters, the story, and the world of Honkai Star Rail, but in some cases, they are showcasing brand-new characters yet to be officially released.

For consistent and trustworthy leaks about Honkai Star Rail, follow UBatcha's Twitter account.

Honkai Star Rail is scheduled to release on Android, iOS, and PC for free, with the game hopefully coming to home consoles at a later date. Considering the massive success of Genshin Impact on PlayStation consoles, Honkai Star Rail will likely receive the same kind of treatment.