Honkai: Star Rail
News, coverage and analysis tracking Honkai: Star Rail across the outlets.
Latest coverage
Honkai Star Rail 5.0 -5.7 Leaks Provide Roadmap
Recent leaks for Honkai: Star Rail, originating from sources like Star Rail Universe, HXG, and FullStopChan, suggest a roadmap of new characters from Update 5.0 to 5.7, potentially spanning into late 2027. The leaks indicate alternate forms for Firefly, March 7th, and Misha, and introduce characters like Polka Kakamond and Stephen Lloyd. Players are advised to treat these details with caution until official confirmation from HoYoverse.
Honkai: Star Rail 5.0-5.4 Leak Details
A leak from Full Stop Chan suggests that Honkai: Star Rail's updates from version 5.0 to 5.4 will introduce alternate versions of characters like Firefly, Misha, Kafka, Dan Heng, and March 7th. New characters Polka Kakamond and Obsidian are also rumored to be introduced, potentially shaking up the game's meta.
HSR Super Break Mechanics & Damage Formula Guide (Math & Stats)
This guide breaks down the Super Break damage formula in Honkai: Star Rail, explaining how factors like Break Effect, Level 80 scaling, DEF Ignore, and Weakness Break Efficiency contribute to overall damage calculations.
Honkai: Star Rail Speed Breakpoints Guide (134, 143, 160 SPD)
This guide explains the importance of Master Action Value and Speed breakpoints in Honkai: Star Rail, specifically focusing on the values of 134, 143, and 160 SPD. These breakpoints are crucial for optimizing performance in game modes like Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow.
Honkai: Star Rail — Apocalyptic Shadow Guide: Dominance of Oblivion
This guide for Honkai: Star Rail's Apocalyptic Shadow: Dominance of Oblivion event provides optimal team compositions, stage buff selections, and precise DPS stat requirements for achieving a 3-star clear.
Free-to-play playtime is broadly flat as gacha RPGs drive PC growth, says Newzoo
A Newzoo report indicates that free-to-play (F2P) playtime remains stable, despite a slight decrease in its market share, driven by growth in gacha RPGs on PC. While overall F2P playtime is flat, PC F2P playtime has grown, with gacha games showing significant increases in engagement. RPG remains the only F2P genre gaining share on both PC and console.
Featuring a host of our favorite games from this year and 2 of our favorite gaming devices, you can now place your votes for the best in gaming in the Golden Joystick Awards 2026
The nominations for the 44th annual Golden Joystick Awards 2026 have been announced, with games like Resident Evil Requiem, Big Walk, and 007 First Light receiving multiple nods across 21 categories. Voting is open until October 23, and the winners will be revealed on November 11. This year's nominations are noted for their diversity, featuring both indie hits and AAA blockbusters.
Bedah Patch Baru Genshin Impact & Honkai: Star Rail: Karakter Bintang 5 Baru, Ekspansi Wilayah, & Fitur QoL 2026
HoYoverse has released a major update for Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, introducing new 5-star characters, expanded exploration areas, and significant Quality of Life improvements. The update, slated for 2026, also includes adjustments to game mechanics and endgame content, aiming to enhance player experience and streamline resource management.
Nodusfall Team Doesn’t Want Difficulty to Be an Obstacle For New Players
HoYoverse's upcoming mythology-themed action game, Nodusfall, is designed to be accessible to new players, with the studio aiming to avoid difficulty being a barrier. While featuring challenging boss fights and co-op gameplay, the game will also offer story elements blending various mythologies and social activities. Nodusfall is currently targeting a PC release and will not feature a gacha system for character unlocks.
Genshin Impact dev HoYoverse wins $112,000 in court after AI company stole 63 of its characters' voices
HoYoverse has been awarded approximately $112,000 in a Shanghai court after an unnamed AI service provider was found to have wrongfully reproduced 63 Genshin Impact characters' voices and used modified character images to promote its AI voice packs. The court ruled this constituted copyright infringement and unjust competition, ordering the AI company to cease its infringing behaviors. The AI company has withdrawn its appeal, making the payment inevitable.
Honkai: Nexus Anima could be the free-to-play Pokémon killer
Hoyoverse's upcoming free-to-play creature collector, Honkai: Nexus Anima, was previewed at Gamescom 2026. The game features auto-battles and unique creature designs with abstract 'Aspects' like Love and Reality, differentiating it from traditional creature collectors. Concerns exist around its gacha mechanics and monetization, though the game is set to release on PC, iOS, and Android.
Future imperfect: Five predictions for the next decade | Opinion
This opinion piece predicts five key trends for the next decade in the game industry, including slowing budget growth, the impact of AI on user-generated content, a shift in the industry's center of gravity towards Asia and emerging markets, increasing market concentration, and larger indie breakouts. The author acknowledges current industry apprehension but distinguishes it from past crashes, emphasizing the medium's established status.
Genshin Impact devs' new action game Nodusfall feels like Elden Ring Nightreign at home, but don't write it…
HoYoverse's new PvE action game, Nodusfall, offers a darker aesthetic compared to Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, drawing heavy comparisons to Elden Ring with its mechanics. While it features familiar elements like a steed and bonfire-like rests, Nodusfall aims for a more accessible difficulty and includes dedicated healer roles, making it appealing to a broader audience.
Nodusfall is Free-to-Play, Will Not Use Gacha for Character Unlocks
HoYoverse has revealed that their upcoming game Nodusfall will be free-to-play and will not use gacha mechanics for character unlocks, instead allowing players to obtain them through continued play. The game features a photorealistic art style distinct from the studio's previous anime-inspired titles and draws inspiration from various real-world mythologies for its dark fantasy setting. While platforms and a release date are unconfirmed, the visuals suggest a PC and home console target.
Mihoyo CEO says Monster Hunter-like Nodusfall is very "un-Mihoyo," and in a perfect world that means less…
HoYoverse CEO Liu Wei acknowledges that Nodusfall, their upcoming realistic fantasy online game, is a departure from the company's typical style, drawing comparisons to Monster Hunter with its focus on large-scale boss battles and co-op. The article discusses concerns about the potential implementation of gacha mechanics in Nodusfall, given HoYoverse's history with games like Genshin Impact, and expresses hope that the game will adopt a less aggressive monetization strategy.
Gamescom 2026: Hoyoverse sets a winter release for Petit Planet, unveils co-op action RPG Nodusfall
HoYoverse announced a winter release window for its life RPG Petit Planet and revealed a new co-op action RPG titled Nodusfall during Gamescom 2026. Petit Planet will feature social activities and critter friends, while Nodusfall focuses on players banding together as Weavers to defeat massive legendary creatures in co-op combat. Petit Planet is currently accepting sign-ups for a final beta test on September 20th.
Ananta Release Date Leaks & Later Confirmed at Gamesom
The free-to-play open-world RPG Ananta, developed by NetEase Games and Naked Rain, had its release date confirmed at Gamescom for January 15, 2027, after an earlier leak. Players will navigate an influencer-driven world, building a social media following to complete missions and save the world. Pre-registration is now open for Android, iOS, PC, and PlayStation.
Evening Reading - August 25, 2026
This article reports on the passing of country music legend Dolly Parton, highlighting her philanthropic work, particularly her Imagination Library initiative that promotes childhood literacy. It also includes various gaming news announcements from Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, such as new bundles for Nintendo Switch, the announcement of Rollercoaster Tycoon Wonderworks, and release dates for games like Mewgenics and Path of Exile 2.
Here are Some of the Biggest Game Reveals from Gamescom ONL 2026
Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 showcased numerous game reveals and updates, including Mega Man: Dual Override, HoYoverse's new co-op title Nodus Fall, and Ubisoft's Rainbow Six Tactics. Other highlights included Tides of Annihilation, Warlock: Dungeons & Dragons, a Snoop Dogg collaboration for Hitman: World of Assassination, Metro 2039, Heroes of Might and Magic 3 Remake, Zoopunk, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Songs of the Past. Many of these titles are slated for release in 2027.
Nodusfall looks more like Monster Hunter and Elden Ring than the usual games from creator and Genshin Impact studio…
HoYoverse revealed Nodusfall, a new co-op action game showcased at Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026. The game features teams of four players battling divine beasts and appears to draw inspiration from titles like Monster Hunter and Elden Ring, with a more realistic art style than the studio's previous games such as Genshin Impact.
