Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 Arrives 13 February with Planarcadia, Yao Guang and Sparxie

HoYoverse has officially announced that Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0, “No Aha at Full Moon,” will launch on 13 February. In this update, Trailblazers will arrive at Planarcadia, a brand-new world where clout rules above all else and society has turned entertainment into its core identity. New companions Yao Guang and Sparxie will be joining trailblazers on this interstellar journey.

Upon the Astral Express crew’s arrival to Planarcadia, they are welcomed by Madam Pearl, one of the Strategic Investment Department’s Ten Stonehearts. Beyond the spectacle, Planarcadia carries deeper significance, serving as Navigator Himeko’s homeland and the very place where the Astral Express reignited its journey fifteen years ago.

After their initial encounters with the IPC, Trailblazers will make their way to Duomension City, where they encounter the world’s unique lifeforms known as imagenae. These creatures exist in symbiosis with the local population and have long been integrated into daily life.

At the heart of Planarcadia’s spectacle are the Phantasmoon Games, the most eye-catching and unhinged attraction in the city. As the games approach, various factions quietly converge, including the Astral Express, the Masked Fools, the IPC, and the Xianzhou Alliance. Even the Stellaron Hunters make an appearance, with Silver Wolf and Blade seemingly already carrying out their own operations behind the scenes.

Combat in Planarcadia also takes on a distinctly Elation-driven twist. When characters on the Path of Elation are added to the team or when fighting certain enemies, players will accumulate Punchlines. As Punchlines build and Aha’s interest peaks, an “Aha Instant” is triggered, during which Aha personally takes the stage and leads Elation characters to unleash their skills in sequence. The more Punchlines gathered, the stronger the resulting effects. Once the Aha Instant concludes, all Elation characters receive their own Certified Banger buffs, adding additional layers of strategy to combat encounters.

Version 4.0 introduces two new 5-star characters joining the roster. The first is Yao Guang, a Physical character on the Path of Elation and the Seer Strategist from the Xianzhou Alliance’s Yuque. Previously heard only as a voice during the storyline, Yao Guang finally makes her official debut. As Fu Xuan’s senior soror, she serves as the Alliance’s key divination advisor during critical moments.

In battle, Yao Guang uses Weal and Woe Lots to influence the flow of combat, generating Punchlines, restoring Skill Points, and amplifying team damage. Her Ultimate not only supplies additional Punchlines but also immediately triggers an extra Aha Instant, granting increased All-Type RES PEN to all allies.

Joining her is Sparxie, a mysterious 5-star Fire-type character on the Path of Elation and the hottest streamer in Planarcadia. Bearing a striking resemblance to Sparkle, Sparxie turns combat into a livestream showdown. By consuming Skill Points, players can send random Gifts to Sparxie, restoring Skill Points or generating Punchlines.

The more Skill Points consumed, the greater the final damage output. During an Aha Instant, Sparxie launches a chaotic lucky draw that deals massive damage to all enemies, while her Certified Banger state adds further Elation damage through each Gift triggered.

Limited 5-star characters Black Swan, Evernight, and Hysilens, along with Sparkle, Cerydra, and Rappa, will appear in Warp events across the first and second halves of the update, with Black Swan and Sparkle also receiving enhancements. Players logging in after the version launches will receive a 20-pull reward and can claim Ruan Mei’s new outfit for free. Additional rewards include 1,600 Stellar Jades from the Yao Guang fortune event, alongside new Trailblaze outfits, headwear, and a free 5-star character selector.

Version 4.0 will also introduce a range of new events and gameplay experiences. In Cosmicon Collective, Trailblazers will face powerful enemies through card-based battles, while Furbobo Weekly places players in the role of magazine editors, offering a lighter management-focused experience alongside the main story content.