Honkai Star Rail release date and latest news
How to download and play today.
The much-anticipated new RPG from HoYoverse (of Genshin Impact fame) is out now! You can head online to download and play Honkai Star Rail right now on the platform of your choice thanks to us finally reaching its release date.
A departure from Genshin Impact, HoYoverse's new game is a more traditional RPG with turn-based tactical battles and everything. Elements of the open-world gameplay remain along with dungeon exploration, but the whole thing will likely be more linear.
Expect the development team to support this free-to-play game for the foreseeable future, too. If it's anything as popular as Genshin was, expect it to be inundated with updates, events, and new playable characters for a good number of years.
Read on to find out everything there is to know about Honkai Star Rail, including its release date, consoles and platform availability, how to download, and to watch a trailer.
When is the Honkai Star Rail release date?
The Honkai Star Rail release date was 26th April, 2023. That's right – the full game is available to download and play right now here in the UK!
Before the full version of the game was released, we were treated to three closed betas. The final closed beta was held on 10th February 2023. With over 10 million pre-registrations for the full game, it's safe to say these closed beta periods were popular.
By entering your details, you are agreeing to our terms and conditions and privacy policy. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Which consoles and platforms can play Honkai Star Rail?
Honkai Star Rail is available to download and play right now on PC, Android, and iOS.
The developer has also claimed that the game will eventually release on PlayStation. No sign of an Xbox or Nintendo Switch release, unfortunately.
Where can you download Honkai Star Rail?
You can download the game on Windows via the game's official website, Google Play Store, the App Store, and on the Epic Games Store.
Anyone who downloads now will be able to claim up to 80 pulls as a reward.
Honkai Star Rail story and gameplay details
Honkai Star Rail follows the story of crew members of the Astral Express after the events of Honkai Impact 3rd. Don't worry if you have no idea what Honkai Impact 3rd is, though, as Star Rail is telling its own self-contained story.
The plot sees you travelling across the game's universe on the Astral Express with your crew, in a search of answers over being implanted with a seed of ruin by the god of destruction. It's all very anime sci-fi/fantasy. Expect it to expand as the months and years go by as in other live-service titles.
While elements of open-world gameplay can be found, Honkai Star Rail is a far more linear experience compared to Genshin Impact. You'll be exploring locations across its semi-linear worlds, clearing out dungeons, and fighting in turn-based tactical battles.
Yes, this isn't a real-time action game like Genshin Impact. Combat in Honkai Star Rail is turn-based, with parties of four characters like many other traditional JRPGs. There will also be plenty of puzzles to solve.
As a free-to-play game, expect gacha mechanics, known here as the 'Warp system'. These will be entirely optional but if you're looking to earn new party members and stronger weapons more easily, it's where you'll be spending some time and money.
Honkai Star Rail characters
Nine characters have been named and described on the Honkai Star Rail website:
- Himeko: "An adventurous scientist who encountered the Astral Express as a child when it got stranded in her home world"
- Welt: "The wise and sophisticated former Anti-Entropy Sovereign [...] has saved Earth from annihilation time and time again"
- Danheng: "A cold and reserved young man who wields a spear known as Cloud-Piercer. He acts as the train's guard"
- March 7th: "A clever, quirky girl [...] was found in a piece of drifting eternal ice [...] she decided to name herself after the date of [her] salvation"
- Gepard: "An upright and noble captain of the Silvermane Guards who bears the name of the age-old Gepard family"
- Seele: "A spirited and valiant member of Wildfire who grew up in the perilous Underworld of Belobog"
- Clara: "A shy young girl with no home, Clara had no choice but to join the prospectors to survive"
- Asta: "The Lead Researcher of the Space Station brims with enthusiastic curiosity and boasts unimaginable achievement in the field of astronomy"
- Jing Yuan: "A truly masterful chess player has no brilliant moves. People clamor excitedly over displays of extreme cunning, forgetting to worry about the overall dangers of the situation."
Is there a Honkai Star Rail trailer?
Yes! There have been a number of trailers released and you can check out the official release trailer 'Interstellar Journey' below:
Subscribe to our free Gaming Newsletter for weekly insights, and visit our Gaming hub for all the latest news.
Looking for something to watch? Check out our TV Guide or Streaming Guide.
Try Radio Times magazine today and get 12 issues for only £1 with delivery to your home — subscribe now. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast
Authors
Rob Leane is the Gaming Editor at Radio Times, overseeing our coverage of the biggest games on PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, PC, mobile and VR. Rob works across our website, social media accounts and video channels, as well as producing our weekly gaming newsletter. He has previously worked at Den of Geek, Stealth Optional and Dennis Publishing.
