Summary
Honkai: Star Raillead game designer Chengnan An has shared that the RPG has not reached its full potential yet, and it will take years to achieve this. As one of HoYoverse’s most popular games,Honkai: Star Railcontinues to draw in millions of dollars in revenue with every update as it releases new characters and content.
When the turn-based RPGHonkai: Star Railfirst launched in April 2023, it quickly became a massive hit with 20 million downloads in one day. It is part of HoYoverse’sHonkaiseries, which also includes some of the studio’s earliest titles, likeFlyMe2TheMoon,Houkai Gakuen,andHonkai Impact 3rd. The latter is the direct predecessor toHonkai: Star Rail, though the Astral Express' story is a brand-new adventure.Honkai: Star Railwill soon launch its 3.3 update, wrapping up its anniversary patch in the process. Now, the game’s lead designer has commented on the RPG’s future plans.
In an interview withIGN,Honkai: Star Raillead game designer Chengnan An said that there is still a lot in store for the gacha title. “Honkai: Star Railpresents an incredibly vast and intricate galaxy to explore,” said An when asked about the game’s fate. “To be honest, to fully realize its potential is a long-term endeavor that extends far beyond just a few years.” He also revealed that the current Amphoreus story arc will spread across eight versions until the 3.7 update. According to An, the development team usually begins working on a playable world more than a year in advance, which would mean thatHonkai: StarRail’s next explorable planetis already in production. On the other hand, when asked about the game’s potential release on more platforms, the game designer did not confirm an Xbox or Nintendo Switch launch.
Aside fromHonkai: Star Rail’s future plans, An also commented on the game’s trajectory. He shared that while the RPG was launched in 2023, its development actually started in 2019. The developer revealed that the creation ofHonkai: Star Railwas “a natural evolution” for theHonkaiseries, combining the saga’s already established “strong storytelling, deep character interactions, and engaging combat” with turn-based gameplay mechanics. However, he added thatHonkai: Star Railis HoYoverse’s first attempt at exploring science-fiction concepts.
The lead game designer did not confirm whether theHonkaiseries could release another title in the future, butHoYoverse did announce a newPokemon-like gameearlier in May. Its latest trailer featured characters from bothHonkai: Star RailandHonkai Impact 3rd, and previous rumors teased that it might be calledNexus Anima. While fans wait for more information about the mysterious game, they can look forward toHonkai: Star RailVersion 3.3 on May 21, which will add the fan-favorite characters Cypher and Hyacine to the playable roster.
Honkai: Star Rail
WHERE TO PLAY
Board the Astral Express and roam the universe in search of myths and legends. From global interactive entertainment brand HoYoverse comes a new space fantasy RPG. Harness the spirirt of the Trailblaze in a cel-shaded space fantasy adventure where you’ll embark on an unforgettable intergalactic odyssey. You and your fellow Astral Express passengers will hop from world to world, resolve conflicts, form friendships and uncover a wealth of mysteries. In this exciting new free-to-play game, you’ll journey through immense worlds of the unknown and bond with a series of memorable characters. Choose your companions and arrange the ultimate four-person combat team to help you take down a looming threat to the universe.
