HoYoverse has announced that Version 4.3 of Honkai: Star Rail, titled The Lethe Below the Living, is scheduled to launch on 1 June 2026. This upcoming update will continue the ongoing Planarcadia storyline, introduce a new 5-star character, and implement changes to the game’s challenge modes.
The narrative update follows the Trailblazer and Mortenax Blade as they navigate the World in Canvas. The storyline centres on Blade’s confrontation with his fate, complicated by the shadow of Lord Ravager Asat Pramad and the seal of the Aeon Voracity. Seeking out the divine husk of the Voracity, an entity governing desire and devouring, Blade aims to harness its power to melt away the flesh of Shuhu and break his enduring curse. The consequences of this choice remain unwritten in Elio’s script, leaving the outcome to be witnessed by the player.
Players will also visit Inkford Hermitage, a location acting as the boundary between the living world and the World in Canvas. Here, the Trailblazer will deliver a warning about Asat Pramad to Graphia. Known as the Mother of Imagenesis, Graphia is a thousand-year-old ancestor of the Murata family. The storyline details that in Amber Era 2148, she painted Ahatopia to repel the Demons From Beyond, which resulted in the Weathering Curse afflicting subsequent generations of her family. Her introduction to the story is expected to shed light on the Graphia family, Phantasmoon Games, and the mysteries surrounding your long-time companion, Himeko.
Version 4.3 adds Mortenax Blade to the playable roster as a 5-star Fire-Type character on the Path of Nihility. His combat kit features the Ultimate ability “Fornax Ex Corpore”, which creates a Bounded Field that increases the damage taken by all enemies. Activating this field puts him into an enhanced state, unlocking a Sword Formation Skill for increased damage output and granting him an upgraded Ultimate. Additionally, ally attacks will inflict debuffs on targeted enemies and build a special Charge for Mortenax Blade. When this Charge is full, he automatically uses his Skill and recovers extra Energy.
To coincide with his release, the “Gift of Tempered Blade” event will be available. Players who successfully obtain Mortenax Blade from the Warp can claim a free Trailblaze Outfit piece called “Karmic Fire of the Distant Shore”. The version’s Warp schedule will feature a rerun of Yao Guang in the first half, with limited returns for Cyrene and Phainon scheduled for the second half.
For in-game activities, players will take on the role of Chief Planner in the “Wispae Amusement Park” event, located within the World in Canvas. The objective is to map out routes and place themed rides to attract visiting wispae. The update also expands the end-game challenge modes. A new “Starward Mode” will be integrated into Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, and Apocalyptic Shadow. This system requires players to assemble three separate teams to tackle three distinct stages. Clearing each mode with full stars provides an extra 100 Stellar Jades per phase, allowing players to earn a total of 300 additional Stellar Jades across the three phases.
Outside of the game, HoYoverse confirmed an official collaboration with UGREEN, which will bring co-branded merchandise and various online and offline events to multiple regions. Furthermore, the developer teased the return of the Holy Grail War, which is slated to take place very soon. This includes confirming two new collaboration characters – Gilgamesh and Rin Tohsaka, and a log-in bonus during the event where players can opt for either a Gilgamesh or Archer for free. This does pose a conundrum however… do you receive a brand new character, or (potentially) get an extra copy of one of the strongest collaboration characters in any HoYoverse game.
