Honkai: Star Rail’s Version 2.6 update is coming to a close at the beginning of December, and with that comes the finale of the Penacony arc for our beloved Astral Express. Dubbed “A New Venture on the Eighth Dawn”, Version 2.7 has Trailblazers taking one last lap through Penacony before departing on a new story and journey to the mysterious realm of Amphoreus, the Eternal Land. Get ready to embark on the last journey through Penacony on December 4th.
Two new playable characters will be joining us on this conclusion, and I think it’s safe to say fans have been long awaiting these two. Joining the playable roster are Sunday, previous leader of the leading family of Penacony, and Fugue Tingyun, seemingly the real version of the Tingyun we previously saw pass away in front of us on the Xianzhou Luofu. Sunday is a 5-Star Imaginary Harmony unit with a focus on buffing your units, advancing their actions (and summons), granting a CRIT DMG buff to teammates, and regenerating energy. Fugue, on the other hand, is a 5-Star Fire Nihilty character excelling in assisting teammates’ ability to break weaknesses gauges regardless of weakness types. She’ll also allow all characters to deal bonus Super Break DMG on all weakness broken targets. 2.7 is shaping up to have some wickedly strong characters, and they’re seemingly like excellent additions to any Trailblazer’s repertoire.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a set of banners without reruns of characters returning. Running alongside Sunday in the first half of Version 2.7 is the General of the Luofu, Jing Yuan. Of course he had to run with Sunday, because Lightning Lord benefits from all these new action forwards and buffs. Hand-in-hand with Fugue we’ll be seeing the Stellaron Hunter Firefly. Naturally, HoYoverse couldn’t miss an opportunity to pair the best Break unit (she’s a mecha girl, she’s the best Break character) with the new Break supporter. Hope you’ve got your Stellar Jades handy, because this is gonna be a bountiful patch for bolstering your team options.
Where will those Jades come from you might wonder? Don’t worry, 2.7 is full of new story beats and events to sink your teeth into, so don’t think HoYoverse wants your Jade wallet to go hungry. We’ll see Sunday step down from the head of the Oak family as he desires to see what the world is truly like outside of his typical position in life. Sporting a fresh robe and hood, he’ll be concealing his identity for his last dance in the “Planet of Festivities”.
The Astral Express itself is getting a fresh upgrade this update, as we’ll see the introduction of the Party Car. Blending elegance with a sense of nostalgia, we’ll see a spacious reception area with a sleek bar area and bartending robot. Enjoy a drink with the Astral Express crew as you admire the Cosmos or quietly reflect by the window, inspiring your thoughts. You’ll also have the Trailblazer’s personal quarters showing up. In the event “Cosmic Home Decor Guide”, we’ll be transforming an empty storage unit into our own personal cozy haven by adding things like bedrooms and bathrooms. By spending Express Funds earned from tasks, we’ll gather furniture piece by piece, crafting a space reflecting our journey throughout the Cosmos.
As the game prepares for its major 3.0 update, some new changes will be coming. HoYoverse is introducing the Path of Remembrance, similar to how Genshin Impact introduced the Dendro element later on in its own Version 3.0. Remembrance characters will have unique summons known as “Memosprites”, with each unique Memosprite having unique abilities and enhancing strategic depth within every encounter. For the QoL changes, we’ve seen that the Relic system is getting a change. By spending a new type of resin, Wishful Resin, alongside the preexisting Self-Modeling Resin, players will be able to choose both the main stat of a Relic piece and the sub stats. This aims to help slim down on time spent in Relic calyxes and let players get desired pieces better. Sadly, HoYoverse can’t help you if your luck doesn’t want to roll into the desired stats.
Lastly, coming in Version 2.7 but lasting through the end of Version 3.2, HoYoverse wants to give back to Trailblazers and give you the opportunity to select a standard 5-Star character of your choice. Still missing someone? Or do you just need that one more Eidolon of a character? Don’t worry, because through use of the new “Gift of the Express”, the choice is yours.
With all of this new content being added, combined with preparation for Version 3.0, what will you do with all your time this update? Version 2.7 of Honkai: Star Rail releases on December 4th, 2024, and will be available on PC, iOS, Android, PS5, and the Epic Games Store. If you haven’t already given Star Rail a try, there’s no better time than now. It won Best Mobile Game of the Year in 2023 for a reason, after all.
Version 2.7 Trailer — “A New Venture on the Eighth Dawn” | Honkai: Star Rail
