HoYoverse has confirmed that Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6 will be launching on all supported platforms starting 28 September 2026. Titled “Dance With the Beast Before Moonrise”, the update will take the Trailblazer into Astropolis’ Life Sciences Institute, alongside new events, character reruns and companion gameplay. HoYoverse has also revealed collaborations with Razer and Zenless Zone Zero, with the latter set to bring Ellen and Astra Yao into Honkai: Star Rail in Version 4.8.
The story picks up after Nihilux’s revelation that she is Aha, the Aeon of Elation. Together with the Trailblazer and with Pearl’s assistance, she will investigate a scheme to “weaponize the husk” within the Life Sciences Institute. Built under Madam Yabuli, head of the IPC’s Technology Department, the institute is the source of all imagenae in Astropolis. Yabuli’s plan threatens every life in Planarcadia, and she is suspected of having connections to a mysterious faction in Astropolis that worships the Voracity. Pearl intends to use the recovery of Leviathan Essence as cover for the investigation, sending Kuchiba and Ashveil into the institute to coordinate with the Trailblazer and Nihilux. The storyline will also explore the relationship between Preservation and Art through Pearl and the Trailblazer. Known for her computational power and rational decision-making, Planarcadia’s CEO previously organised the evacuation of residents aboard the Astral Express during the Voracity threat, staying behind to oversee the encanvasing ritual.
As a 5-star Ice character following the Path of Elation, the newly introduced character, Pearl, combines protection for her allies with attacks informed by a teammate’s combat data. She can consume “Certified Banger” to offset a portion of the damage received by all allied characters, while her “Deep Learning” state lets her study a designated teammate and gain a corresponding Enhanced ATK. Choosing an Elation teammate allows that Enhanced ATK to deal additional Elation damage. With a full team of Elation characters, the designated teammate also receives an extra turn, along with a large amount of “Punchline” and “Certified Banger”. Pearl and the limited 5-star Light Cone “Colors for Tomorrow” will have boosted drop rates throughout Version 4.6. Evanescia’s limited 5-star character rerun will appear in the first half of the update, followed by Mortenax Blade in the second half.
Away from the investigation, “Love, Ghosts & Robots” will put the Trailblazer to work alongside the resurrected Skott. Players will assemble and sell mechatrons at his workshop, working towards a five-star rating. Another event, “Interastral Peace Gala: One Take,” will centre on a large combat reality show. Version 4.6 will also introduce “Astral Imagea” gameplay. Players can obtain multiple Astral Imageas to accompany them on their adventures and team up with friends for the “Astral Slammers Squad!” challenge. The Outfit Show Window will add Hyacine’s “Warm Cotton Skies” and Evanescia’s “Lunar Blossoming” outfits.
For the Razer collaboration, HoYoverse has announced a Silver Wolf LV.999-themed gaming chair, keyboard, mouse and headset. The peripherals are planned for simultaneous release across multiple regions worldwide, with further details still to come. Ellen and Astra Yao’s arrival through the Zenless Zone Zero collaboration is scheduled for the later Version 4.8 update.
Honkai: Star Rail is available on PC, including through the Epic Games Store, as well as iOS, Android and PlayStation 5.
