Honkai: Star Rail‘s latest Version 1.6 update will go live next week on 27 December, and Hoyoverse is quite generous. Not only will three new playable characters be added – Ruan Mei, Dr. Ratio, and Xueyi as we’ve previously reported – Dr. Ratio will also be given for free to all players!

As long as players have unlocked the mail feature in Star Rail, they will receive Dr. Ratio for free. He is a 5-star Imaginary Hunt character, and he will be claimable once his Event Warp goes live after Ruan Mei’s (5-star Ice Harmony) and Xueyi’s (4-star Quantum Destruction) banners, which will be available once Version 1.6 is live.

It’s worth noting that Blade and Kafka will have their reruns too. Blade’s Event Warp will be offered first alongside Ruan Mei and Xueyi’s banners, while Kafka’s Event Warp will run alongside Dr. Ratio’s banner.

Beyond the new characters, Version 1.6 of Star Rail will also bring players back to the Herta Space Station for the new Seclusion Zone area. This looks to be the location for the update’s new storyline, and Ruan Mei looks to play quite a prominent role in the plot.

The Simulated Universe is also getting yet another update in the form of a “DLC,” Gold and Gears. It will introduce the Path of Erudition to the game mode, along with new Dice Face effects – six can be equipped at a time – which are unlocked by collecting Trailblaze Secrets.

Honkai: Star Rail 1.6 will go live next week on 27 December. To recap, Ruan Mei’s, Xueyi’s, and Blade’s Event Warps will be offered first once the update drops, followed by Dr. Ratio’s and Kafka’s banners at a later date.