Honkai Star Rail's Yukong looks sad as as she looks up toward the sky.
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Bruno Yonezawa
Published 7 minutes ago
Bruno Yonezawa is a Gaming Senior Writer for Screen Rant. He's been practicing professional journalism for over 10 years, and is also a communications specialist. He's played games all his life and turned that passionate hobby into a passionate career, in an industry where he's worked as a writer, editor, analyst, and more.
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Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 may be delayed for up to eight weeks based on predictions that stem from leaks and rumors. The turn-based RPG created by HoYoverse is currently in Version 3.7 and will soon head into Version 3.8, expected to be the final update before Version 4.0 and the arrival of a brand-new destination. In fact, the Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 livestream should happen later this week if there aren’t delays to its contents.
While there has been a plethora of leaks regarding Version 3.8, such as the abilities of the upcoming character, The Dahlia, and the new boss in Honkai: Star Rail 3.8, the information about Version 4.0 has been a lot more scarce. It’s assumed that Version 4.0 will introduce players to the Edo Star, a destination that is rumored to be designed based on a cyberpunk take on Japan.
Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 May Have Been Delayed
The Next Yearly Patch May Be Pushed Back By Nearly Two Months
Himeko has a gentle expression on the Astral Express in Honkai: Star Rail.
If HoYoverse were to follow the regular six-week schedule between updates, Version 4.0 would be released on January 28, kicking off a brand-new year of content in early 2026. However, there are rumors that the Version 4.0 beta tests may be delayed by up to eight weeks, according to speculation raised by the leaker known as HXG. Their comments were shared in a post on Reddit.
HXG mentions that the test servers may have been delayed, but that the eight-week prediction is a placeholder; this means that it could be more or less than that, too. HXG does not mention why this would happen in this post, but there have been a series of rumors about HoYoverse having to change details about its next destination.
In a previous post, which was also shared on Reddit, HXG says that the next destination in the game will no longer be Benzaitengoku, a reference to the Edo Star. They say that the change is “due to political reasons.” Despite the lack of more information, this is a reference to the diplomatic tensions between China, the country from which Honkai: Star Rail is, and Japan, the country that would inspire Edo Star, after Japan’s position on Taiwan.
Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 Rumors Hint At Massive Changes For The Next Destination
Edo Star May Be Cleared Of Its Japanese Inspirations
Honkai Impact 3rd's Yae Sakura is ready to draw her sword.Custom Image by Bruno Yonezawa
If the speculation is accurate, it’s unclear what this means for the game. Usually, HoYoverse plans years in advance, so it feels unlikely that the company will completely discard Edo Star entirely and bring a brand-new destination from the ground up in around eight weeks. Instead, comments in the Reddit posts highlight what is most likely to happen: the removal of Japan-associated elements from the upcoming destination.
As such, the foundation for the story on Edo Star could continue, though drained of its Japanese inspirations. This prompts some questions, however. If this were to happen, the destination and all of its locations would have to see a name change. Moreover, characters like the rumored Yae Sakura expy in Honkai: Star Rail would also suffer some type of consequence.
It’s unclear if their name and designs would change, or if the characters would be pushed back until the crisis is resolved, giving way for other new characters that aren’t inspired by Japanese culture. If this were to happen, however, players would also likely have to say goodbye to the dream of Himeko’s secondary path in Honkai: Star Rail, as it would likely be inspired by the very country that inspires her name.
It’s unclear if this is truly the cause of any potential changes that HoYoverse is making to the upcoming destination for Version 4.0, as the company does not commonly disclose or discuss such issues publicly. However, we may know that this happened depending on how Edo Star, if it is even named that, presents itself with the release of Honkai: Star Rail 4.0, possibly in late March or April 2026.
10/10
9/10
Honkai: Star Rail
10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed RPG Turn-Based RPG Systems
OpenCritic Reviews
Top Critic Avg:
83/100
Critics Rec:
90%
Released
April 26, 2023
ESRB
Teen / Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
Developer(s)
HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Publisher(s)
HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
Engine
Unity
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Genre(s)
RPG, Turn-Based RPG
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