- Honkai: Star Rail Version 40 launches on February 13
- The update adds a new planet, new characters, a CCG and new events
- Plus, the chance to get a free limited five-star rating and 1,600 Stellar Jade
Oh no, they’ve done it now: a trading card game is coming Honkai Star Rail in the upcoming 4.0 update.
Sure, there are two new playable characters, a handful of new or expanded events, a generous amount of freebies and a whole new planet to explore – but I know where I am really by losing all my game time.
Before I get lost in the excitement of yet another digital trading card collecting game, let me cover the real key updates coming to Version 4.0, ‘No Aha At Full Moon’, when it launches on February 13th.
That is, the characters. Joining the game when the update launches is Yao Guang, a five-star physical character on the new path to elation. As a support, she causes allies to deal Elation damage and is all about causing additional triggers of the new Aha Instants mechanic that causes other Elation characters to activate specific skills. A pretty vital piece, then, if you’re building a team around the new path.
She will be followed at the start of March by Sparxie, a five-star Fire character who is also on the elation path. As a damage dealer, she is the perfect partner for Yao Guang, with the ability to boost your team’s critical damage and unleash a flurry of elation damage by consuming skill points.
Of the two, I’m more drawn to Yao Guang simply because we’ve seen how powerful supports can be throughout the life cycle of Honkai Star Rail. However, without a proper Elation damage dealer to go with her, she may be harder to fit into teams without a Sparxie by her side – but perhaps patch 4.1 will help with that by providing more options.
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Of course, spending your saved currency to get new characters is only part of the fun of a new update. Especially when it’s a flagship update that will add a massive new planet named Planarcadia to explore.
You visit the vibrant metropolis of Duomension City with the primary goal of participating in the Phantasmoon Games, where the top prize is an audience with a god and the chance to become an Aeon for one minute. I’m not deep into Honkai Star Rail lore, but that sounds like a pretty powerful boon to me.
What catches my attention is one of the many new events coming in 4.0. Yes, I’m back on the CCG again. Named ‘Cosmicon Collective’, it looks like you can go around the world, challenge others to unlock new cards and build your deck with characters, monsters and iconic characters from around the game. That’s what I’m about.
Other events revealed in today’s livestream include a magazine management game (perhaps a bit too much like a busman’s holiday for me), a 2D side-scrolling platformer which should be a fun change of pace from all the turn-based combat, and an expansion to the much-loved Currency Wars mode.
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Considering it’s a big 4.0 update, Hoyoverse is also going big on freebies for this patch. The headline is that you can claim one of seven five-star characters from the pool of Jing Yuan, Kafka, Dan Heng – Imbibitor Lunae, Jinglui, Sparkle, Acheron and Aventurine.
Also giving out a free outfit for Ruan Mei, 20 Star Rail Special Passes and 1,600 Stellar Jade. With the latter, there is a 0.01% chance that you will also get 100 Star Rail Special Pass. I don’t hold out much hope for it myself, given my luck on the gacha banners so far, but maybe the tide is turning.
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 will be launched on February 13. The free-to-play RPG is available now on PC, mobile and PlayStation 5.
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