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Join Yunli, Jiaoqiu, and March 7th in the Thrilling Wardance Ceremony on July 31
July 19, 2024
[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Game Developer and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press]
HoYoverse :
Singapore, July 19, 2024 — The global interactive entertainment brand HoYoverse announced today that Honkai: Star Rail's new Version 2.4 update "Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue" will arrive on July 31. As the Penaconian vacation has drawn to a close, the crew of the Astral Express heads to a familiar destination — the Xianzhou Luofu. Here, they will reunite with old friends and meet new ones at the Wardance ceremony. This update also introduces two new five-star characters, Yunli and Jiaoqiu, along with an uncharted map filled with buried secrets of this silkpunk flagship. Additionally, the beloved character March 7th will embark on her own martial arts journey. Lastly, the special program made an exciting announcement that will captivate fans worldwide: Honkai: Star Rail will be officially collaborating with the Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] anime, with this collaboration set to unfold in Q3 2025.
Click to view the latest trailer:
https://youtu.be/Iv0CA4L-Jtg
Check to obtain the media kit with the press release and visual assets:
https://hoyoverse.box.com/s/m17z1rfqg9h9m4tzcu0tzie3hmjt1cls
In the new version update, the captivating story of the Wardance ceremony will unfold. While the Ambrosial Arbor crisis has been resolved, the Trailblazers remain crucial witnesses to Xianzhou Luofu's ongoing saga. The Wardance festival commemorates the Reighbow Arbiter and the Cloud Knight's victory against the Abominations of Abundance. This year's Wardance aims to uplift the spirits of Luofu residents after the recent crisis and arrives as an invitation to allies and friends in a gesture of peace and hospitality. Trailblazers will reunite with familiar faces such as Yanqing and meet significant figures such as the Merlin's Claw — General Feixiao of Xianzhou Yaoqing — and the Flaming Heart — General Huaiyan of Xianzhou Zhuming.
Version 2.4 also introduces a new map: The Shackling Prison. Overseen by the Ten-Lords Commission, this formidable facility is where Xueyi and Hanya perform their duties. The Shackling Prison detains the realm's most notorious criminals, and its cold, imposing entrance lies hidden beneath the waters of Scalegorge Waterscape, adding an extra layer of mystery. As Trailblazers pass through the Sea-Stilling Gate, they arrive at the dispatch hub. Below the hub, the prison floors descend into darkness, their true depth unknown. Moreover, The Shackling Prison is inhabited by wolflike monsters called Borisin, notorious for their ruthless nature and innate Moon Rage.
In addition to the new map for players to explore, Yunli, a five-star character, will debut in the upcoming version by participating in the Wardance ceremony as a delegate from Xianzhou Zhuming. Yunli is a straightforward sword hunter and the beloved granddaughter of "Flaming Heart" General Huaiyan. She has practiced swordsmanship and forging under Huaiyan's profound guidance since childhood, making her the second-youngest prodigy swordmaster of the Flamewheel Octet. As a Physical-Type character following the Path of Destruction, Yunli sets herself apart in combat with her unique Counter ability. When attacked, she immediately Counters, dealing damage to the target and adjacent enemies. More, after using her Ultimate, Yunli acquires the Parry state, reducing damage taken and Taunting all enemies. Most importantly, under this state, Yunli's CRIT DMG will be drastically increased, and her ordinary Counter is upgraded to a Powerful Counter, dealing higher damage. Additionally, in the Version 2.4 storyline, a dispute emerges between Yanqing and Yunli over their prowess in swordsmanship, causing them both to end up instructing March 7th in swordplay together.
Alongside Yunli arrives Jiaoqiu, representing the Xianzhou Yaoqing delegates. Born into a distinguished Alchemy Commission family, Jiaoqiu is a foxian healer and counselor. Though he often greets others with a warm smile, beneath this facade lies a cunning nature. Jiaoqiu's mastery of alchemical prescriptions, particularly those that view food as medicine, is unparalleled. His true skill exists in discovering meals that inspire the senses and bring about unique recipes rich with spices. As a Fire-Type character on the Path of Nihility, Jiaoqiu's abilities are unique and formidable. Any attack Jiaoqiu lands has a possibility to inflict Ashen Roast debuff. When the enemy is inflicted with Ashen Roast, they effectively suffer from the Burn state. As Ashen Roast stacks grow, the amount of damage enemies suffer will also increase. When Jiaoqiu activates his Ultimate, the battlefield transforms into an enormous yuanyang hot pot, compounding the effects of Ashen Roast for enemies already afflicted, in line with the current highest number of stacks. This also creates a field lasting for several turns, where enemies sustain increased Ultimate DMG and may receive additional stacks of Ashen Roast during their actions. This debuff helps teammates like Acheron acquire Ultimate charges faster, enhancing their combat effectiveness.
Meanwhile, upon returning to Xianzhou Luofu, March 7th is also filled with excitement for the upcoming Wardance and eagerly seeks to participate, beginning her journey as a swordmaster apprentice under Yunli and Yanqing. During combat, when using her Skill, March 7th designates a teammate as her Shifu and gives them a special beverage to increase their SPD. As a promising young student, March 7th adjusts her style according to her Shifu's actions. When her Shifu takes a specific action, March 7th acquires Charges. When Charges reach a set number of stacks, she immediately takes action again and obtains an Enhanced Basic ATK. Additionally, depending on her Shifu's Path, her attacks gain additional effects. For example, Shifus on the Paths of Destruction, Erudition, or The Hunt can enhance specific attacks to deal Additional DMG, while those on the Paths of Nihility, Harmony, Preservation, or Abundance can increase the Toughness Reduction of specific attacks.
It's worth noting that the limited 5-star characters — Huohuo and Sparkle — will make their appearances in the Warps during the first and second halves of Version 2.4, respectively. Their formidable strength ensures they will remain powerful allies in your future adventures. Finally, please stay tuned for the upcoming Honkai: Star Rail x Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] animation collaboration.
Honkai: Star Rail is now available on PC, iOS, Android, Epic Games Store, and PS5. In 2023, the game won Apple's App Store Game of the Year, Google Play's Best Game, and BEST MOBILE GAME by The Game Awards. The game has been rated Teen by the ESRB and is also classified as PEGI 12.
For more details and updates, please visit https://hoyo.link/18zDCBAd and follow @HonkaiStarRail on X (Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
About Honkai: Star Rail
Honkai: Star Rail is a space fantasy RPG title with a journey through immense worlds of the unknown. The player takes on the role of "Trailblazer," a courageous individual implanted with a powerful artifact, the Stellaron, and bearing the determination to unravel the mysteries surrounding the fabled "Cancer of All Worlds" and Aeons. The game features fantasy elements with myths and legends integrated into the space sci-fi story. Combined with the intuitive turn-based combat system, diverse and distinctive companions, and immersive storylines that together compose an interstellar melody filled with captivating worlds, each brimming with unique cultures, awe-inspiring landscapes, and mythical wonders to explore.
About HoYoverse
HoYoverse is committed to providing immersive virtual world experiences to players around the world. We have brought fans popular games including Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, Tears of Themis, and Zenless Zone Zero, as well as a wide range of entertainment content.
Community is at the heart of everything we do. We are devoted to engaging fans and fostering an enthusiastic and inclusive global community that provides access and encouragement for people to share their passion for ACG (Animation, Comics, and Games) through their own creativity and skills.
Pushing the boundaries of imagination, we consistently explore cutting-edge game development technologies, and have accumulated leading technical capabilities in cel shading, cloud gaming, and other fields.
In the future, we will continue to expand our content production, technology research, and publishing duties through operations in offices in Singapore, Montreal, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Seoul, and other areas.
Media Contact:
Muyang Lin: [email protected]
Amos Yeo Kaizong: [email protected] (SEA)
Steve Ruygrok: [email protected] (North America)
Yifei Yang: [email protected] (Japan)
Eric Portnoy: [email protected] (LATAM)
Natacha Concoredel: [email protected] (Europe)
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