HoYoverse’s upcoming Honkai: Star Rail has been highly anticipated for some time now. As the company’s first new game since their on-going smash hit Genshin Impact, expectations are soaring and the question on everyone’s minds is whether we’re in for another success.

Finally, Honkai: Star Rail’s official release date has been unveiled, and it’s not far away either; the space fantasy RPG is set to launch on 26 April 2023.

Shooting for the stars

Honkai: Star Rail is the fourth title in HoYoverse’s catalogue, following Honkai Impact 3rd, Tears of Themis and of course Genshin Impact. The final closed beta came on 10 February 2023, suggesting that the full game wasn’t far off completion. Now, with the release date revealed, this has been confirmed.

This new RPG is initially launching on Android, iOS, PC and the Epic Games Store. Development of a PlayStation version has also been confirmed, although a release date for this console iteration has yet to be announced.

Star Rail’s sci-fi story will be infused with fantasy elements, myths and legends. Its gameplay, meanwhile, involves map exploration, turn-based combat, mazes and more, composing "an interstellar melody" for the player.

40 Star Rail Passes and 1600 Stellar Jade will be given out to players via rewards and in-game bonuses for reaching certain Trailblaze Levels, useful in gearing players up early on so that they are well-prepared to play.

Footage has also been shown off featuring the development team, revealing the ideation of Xianzhou Luofu and uncovering Honkai: Star Rail’s other behind-the-scenes stories. The assimilation of sci-fi philosophies and eastern elements was also demonstrated to have been an important consideration.

Prior to Genshin Impact, HoYoverse (then known as miHoYo) was most famous for its ongoing Honkai series, but this is the first return to the franchise since Genshin Impact, an incredibly successful game which had already generated $2 billion on mobile alone by its first anniversary.