HoYoverse has announced that Version 2.7 of Honkai: Star Rail, titled A New Venture on the Eighth Dawn, will launch on 4 December 2024. This update will close the current chapter in Penacony and set the stage for the Astral Express’s journey to the enigmatic realm of Amphoreus, the Eternal Land in the new year. The update introduces new storylines, characters, and gameplay experiences for players to enjoy.
The story will conclude its arc in Penacony with the Astral Express Crew preparing for their next adventure. The narrative highlights the Crew’s preparations and emotional reunions with old friends, set against the backdrop of the vibrant “Planet of Festivities”. This also serves as a quick reminder that a new bulk of content is on the horizon, and those who have been a bit behind in finishing off the main Penacony questline, may want to spend some time doing so in the coming weeks and months.
With a new update comes new 5-star characters, with two newcomers to be offered alongside reruns of General Jing Yuan and Firefly:
Sunday: As a 5-star Imaginary character, Sunday excels in providing combat support. His abilities include increasing teammates’ action speed and damage output. His Ultimate grants energy to teammates and enhances critical damage when paired with summons.
Fugue: Formerly known as Tingyun, Fugue is a 5-star Fire character. Her abilities focus on reducing enemy Toughness and amplifying the effects of Weakness Breaks for the team. Her Ultimate delivers Fire damage to all enemies while bypassing Weakness Types, further reducing their Toughness.
Version 2.7 introduces updates to the Astral Express, including a new Party Car with luxurious features like a marble bar and a bartending robot. Trailblazers will also gain access to personal quarters, customisable via the “Cosmic Home Décor Guide” event, allowing players to furnish a bedroom and bathroom using Express Funds earned in-game. Here’s hoping that this gets expanded in the future, perhaps letting us add party member quarters as well.
As a special bonus, between Versions 2.7 and 3.2, Trailblazers can claim the “Gift of the Express” bonus, allowing them to select a regular 5-star character of their choice. If there is a character you have been hoping for from the standard banner but been unable to pull for it (or like me and been blessed with seemingly infinite Bailu pulls), now is your chance to nab them.
Additionally, HoYoverse shared the teaser for Amphoreus, set to debut in Version 3.0.
