So, earlier today, Honkai: Star Rail did its big 3.4 livestream thing. Yep, right on the dot. These streams are like clockwork, I swear. Anyway, fans, myself included — guilty! — were all hyped about the new characters. Always the juicy part, isn’t it? And yep, they definitely delivered. We got a peek at what’s coming on this free-to-play ride.
But let’s get to the spicy stuff. The major scoop, like big BIG, is this Fate/stay night crossover event. Honestly, who saw this coming? Okay, everyone did. They announced it last August when Fate/stay night got its English do-over and shiny remaster. Classic. They hinted the crossover would take a while, and well, here we are, 10 months in. Wait almost over, folks.
Oh, and before I forget, we’re getting new character additions from the Fate series — whoop whoop! We got Saber, a 5-Star Wind/Destruction type. She’s getting her own banner in the gacha. Then there’s Archer, a 5-Star Quantum/Hunt character you can snag for free if you log in during the collab. They’re sticking around longer than usual, from Version 3.4 to almost the end of Version 3.6. Feels like a long-term relationship in game time, right?
Phainon’s joining the playable gang too. Finally. He’s been chilling as an NPC since the game hit Version 3.0. Dude was practically begging to be part of the lineup, with all these fellow Chrysos Heirs walking around. Anyway — oh, wait, was I drifting? — anyway, he’s a 5-Star with a Physical/Destruction setup.
And then we’ve got six rerun banners! Imagine that. Tribbie, Sunday, and Sparkle are making a brief comeback, just for kicks. Then, during Phase 2, Firefly, Jingliu, and Blade show up again. No new characters here, but hey, the lineup’s packed tighter than my old shoebox full of keepsakes.
Don’t forget, beloved Stellaron Hunters get spruced up too. New battle mechanics and Eidolon tweaks for Kafka, Silver Wolf, and Blade. Firefly gets a snazzy outfit makeover. Oh, and Jingliu’s getting her own kit boost. Maybe she’s joining Elio’s morally ambiguous crew? Could be awesome… or not. Depends on your vibe, I guess.
Mark your calendars, ’cause Honkai: Star Rail 3.4 goes live July 2nd, with the second banner phase changing things up by July 23rd. You can catch the lowdown on the entire program in the video linked below. Unless, you know, targeting cookies have other ideas!
Oh, I remember back in May, 3.3 shook things up with Hyacine joining the fray. The Herta popped back in too, for a quick cameo. Second phase kicked in last week and bam — hello, Cipher!
Bit of drama on the voice actor front, too. Recurring voices for the main characters — Stelle and Caelus — got swapped out after the actors joined the SAG-AFTRA solidarity action. They finally reached a tentative pact with the big studio names, but who knows what’s next for Dan Heng and Himeko’s actors? Guess we’ll stay tuned for more cliffhangers.
