GamingHonkai Star Rail

Honkai Star Rail: Release date, gameplay, characters, livestream, more

James Busby
Honkai Star Rail characters in combatHoYoverse

Honkai Star Rail is an upcoming free-to-play turn-based RPG that aims to wow fans with its flashy combat and beautiful anime-inspired world. Here’s everything we know so far about HoYoverse’s upcoming intergalactic adventure, from its release date, gameplay, characters, platforms, and more.

The Honkai Star Rail livestream has finally revealed details on when the turn-based gacha game will release. While both Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact continue to prove incredibly popular amongst anime and action game fans, many players are looking forward to starting their intergalactic adventure. 

With plenty of flashy abilities, colorful characters, and beautiful environments – Honkai Star Rail aims to deliver plenty of action and memorable moments. So, without further ado, here’s everything we know so far about Honkai Star Rail, including its release date, gameplay, characters, and platforms.

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Honkai Star Rail release date

Honkai Star Rail charactersHoYoverse
Honkai Star Rail’s release date is highly anticipated.

Honkai Star Rail will release on April 26, 2023, and players can preload the game on April 23, 2023 This news comes directly from the Honkai Star Rail livestream, which outlined a number of exciting details for the free to play gacha game. So, players won’t have to wait too much longer before they can delve into the space-faring adventure.

Honkai Star Rail livestream

The Honkai Star Rail livestream took place on March 24 at 07:30 PM (UTC+8). During the livestream, HoYoverse’s CEO, Dawei, introduced the game’s pre-installation and official release date. Players were also shown a number of gameplay features and events.

You can watch the full Honkai Star Rail livestream on the official YouTube stream embedded above, so be sure to check out all the latest gameplay for yourself.

Honkai Star Rail platforms

March 7th waving in Honkai: Star RailHoYoverse
Honkai Star Rail is the latest title to be released by HoYoverse.

Honkai Star Rail will release on PC, Android, iOS devices, and PlayStation in the near future. There is currently no news on whether the game will launch on Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S. 

It’s important to note that Genshin Impact is currently available on mobile, PC, and console, so there is certainly hope that Honkai Star Rail could follow a similar pattern.

While more devices could be added in the future, HoYoverse will likely reveal further news as we get nearer to the game’s release. 

What is Honkai Star Rail?

March 7th firing an arrow in Honkai Star RailHoYoverse
Honkai Star Rail takes a different approach to combat.

Honkai Star Rail is a free-to-play turn-based RPG that uses original characters and familiar units from HoYoverse’s other beloved title – Honkai Impact. However, unlike Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact, Star Rail purely focuses on turn-based action.

While the player can freely control their character when trekking through the game’s overworld, combat takes on a more strategic role. Up to four characters are utilized in battle, with each unit specializing in unique abilities and attacks. 

Honkai Star Rail gameplay

HoYoverse released official gameplay during the “Next Stop, the Stars!” reveal trailer. The footage gives players a sneak peek into the game’s turn-based combat system, showcasing a number of flashy ultimate abilities and attacks. 

The gameplay trailer also revealed a key location from the game, giving us a glimpse of a sprawling metropolis. This place appears to be filled with narrow streets, towering buildings, and gigantic cogs that provide power to the buildings around them.

While the anime aesthetic will be familiar to fans of Honkai Impact and Genshin Impact, the turn-based combat will provide a twist to enemy encounters. 

Honkai Star Rail Summer Game Fest trailer

During the Summer Game Fest online event, viewers were treated to a fresh Honkai Star Rail cinematic. The trailer featured numerous companions with unique battle styles and explosive combo skills that players will be utilizing during their journey through the stars.

HoYoverse also provided a glimpse of the location –Xianzhou Luofu, an exotic realm that will be explorable in the near future.

Honkai Star Rail characters

Honkai Star Rail currently features a total of 28 characters, which are categorized into the following seven elements: Lightning, Ice, Fire, Wind, Imaginary, Quantum, and Physical. We have listed every Honkai Star Rail character in the articles below: 

It’s important to note, that Honkai Star Rail includes returning characters from Honkai Impact, as well as some new, yet familiar ones. As a result, those familiar with the action anime game will notice a lot of crossovers.

While the characters may be familiar, Honkai Star Rail is set in a separate universe. This ultimately enables the developers to create new stories without having to tie them into the events of Honkai Impact. 

Honkai Star Rail character trailers

In the lead-up to Honkai Star Rail’s release, HoYoverse has been sharing individual character trailers which give fans some insight into each hero’s personality and combat abilities.

You can check out all the character trailers below:

March 7th Trailer

Yangqing Trailer

Bailu Trailer

Himeko Trailer

Gepard Trailer

Honkai Star Rail final closed beta

Honkai Star Rail gameplayHoYoverse
The Honkai Star Rail closed beta is in full swing.

The Honkai Star Rail final closed beta went live on February 10th, 2022, and ended on March 24, 2023. The first Honkai Star Rail closed beta began on 27th October 2021 and ended on 1st November 2021. For more information and updates, make sure to visit the official site or follow @HonkaiStarRail on Twitter.

So, there you have it, everything we know about Honkai Star Rail. Make sure you check back here for all the latest updates.

Is Honkai Star Rail free to play? | Is Honkai Star Rail open world? | Is Honkai Star Rail coming to Nintendo Switch? | Honkai Star Rail hub | How to sign up for the Honkai Star Rail beta? | Honkai Stair Rail PC and mobile requirements | All Quantum characters in Honkai Star Rail | All Honkai Star Rail Ice characters | All Honkai Star Rail Wind characters | All Honkai Star Rail Fire characters | Honkai Star Rail voice actors | Honkai Star Rail Twitch drops | Are there redeem codes in Honkai Star Rail

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