Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4 Releases 2 July With Fate/stay night Collaboration, Phainon, Saber, and Archer

Honkai: Star Rail’s Version 3.4 update, For the Sun is Set to Die, arrives on 2 July. In this update, Phainon and the Trailblazer stand at the brink of a new era, preparing to take a fateful step that could ignite the dawn of the long-anticipated Era Nova. The update also introduces three new playable characters: Phainon, Saber, and Archer, kicking off the much anticipated crossover with Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works].

In the next chapter of the main story, players will explore Aedes Elysiae alongside Phainon, who finally joins the Trailblazer’s team as a major ally. The story follows Phainon’s personal journey, tracing his rise from a determined warrior, to his place among the Flame-Chase, and ultimately the force he has become in the present day.

Phainon’s kit is just as dramatic as his story. In combat, he generates “Coreflames” through a variety of actions. Once a threshold is reached, he can unleash his Ultimate to enter a transformed state, conjuring a powerful Territory and pushing all allies off the field temporarily. While transformed, Phainon gains new abilities that draw on the powers of Origination, Calamity, and the Foundation Titans.

Additionally, having Phainon in your team raises the maximum Technique Point cap. His Technique also lets him instantly eliminate regular enemies on the field without entering combat, streamlining exploration and world traversal.

Back in Penacony, another story begins to unfold. The Trailblazer receives a mysterious letter from Old Oti, head of the Alfalfa Family, inviting them to a special event titled Sweet Dreams and the Holy Grail War. This competition brings together seven summoned “Masters,” each paired with a historical Heroic Spirit from Penacony to compete for victory.

Three of those spirits are instantly familiar: Saber, Archer, and Lancer. The Holy Grail War is at the center of a new special collaboration with Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]. The limited story Sweet Dreams and the Holy Grail and the Fate/stay night collaboration event both launch 11 July.

As part of this crossover, Saber joins the roster as a limited 5-star Wind character following the Path of Destruction. Her Ultimate, “Excalibur,” dishes out powerful Wind DMG to all enemies and enhances her Basic ATK into an AoE version. Saber builds up a resource called Core Resonance through her Technique, Basic ATKs, or allies using their Ultimates. Once full, she gains an extra action immediately. If her Skill is used at this point, all accumulated Core Resonance is consumed to boost the Skill’s damage and she instantly regains enough Energy to use her Ultimate again.

Archer is another 5-star crossover character and joins the battle as a Quantum unit who follows the Path of the Hunt. He thrives in single-target DPS situations and can chain his Skill repeatedly in the “Circuit Connection” state without ending his turn, burning through Skill Points for increasingly potent damage. His Ultimate summons Unlimited Blade Works, delivering a massive hit to a single enemy while also gaining Special Charge. Every time an ally attacks, Archer can expend Charge to perform a Follow-up ATK and restore a Skill Point for the team.

Archer will be free for all players who log in during the event from 11 July until the end of Version 3.6. Additionally, both Saber and Archer, along with their unique Light Cones, will be added to the permanent lineup after the collaboration begins.

As for the Version 3.4 banner lineup, the first half will feature limited 5-stars Tribbie, Sunday, and Sparkle. In the second half, Firefly, Jingliu, and Blade will return. Several long-awaited character buffs will also go live: Silver Wolf, Blade, Kafka, and Jingliu will receive notable adjustments to their battle mechanics and Eidolon effects, aiming to bring them more in line with the game’s current balance. Players will also be able to switch freely between classic and enhanced combat modes, letting them tailor gameplay to their preferred pacing and difficulty. On top of that, Firefly’s new outfit, Spring Missive, will be making its debut this version.

Finally, a highly requested quality-of-life update arrives in Version 3.4. The new “skip dialogue” feature will allow players to breeze through story sequences at their own pace, a welcome addition for those looking to re-run content or simply skip past wall of texts.

Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.4 launches on 2 July, with the Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] collaboration beginning 11 July. The HoYoverse title is available on PC, iOS, Android, Epic Games Store, and PS5, and has exceeded 150 million total downloads across all platforms.