A long time has passed since the release of Honkai: Star Rail’s journey into the land of Amphoreus, encapsulating thrilling battles, heartbreaking backstories, and triumphs like no other for the Trailblaze. With the finale of Penacony now behind us, Irontomb defeated, and the story of Amphoreus wrapped, we now see the Astral Express and friends (depending on who you ask) setting off to the land of Planarcadia. Thanks to the latest Special Program from official Honkai: Star Rail channels, we now have the details hot off the press. In Version 4.0, “No Aha at Full Moon”, we’ll find ourselves in Aha’s own domain and participate in the “Phantasmoon Games”. Beyond just Planarcadia, the Express Crew will find themselves headed to the Interastral Peace Entertainment headquarters, “Astropolis”.
Legend has it that Planarcadia used to be nothing more than a painted canvas, but after the IPC took over, it awoke from the canvas, revived, and gradually transformed into the bustling city we see today. Upon arrival, the Astral Express crew will be met by Pearl of the Ten Stonehearts, who has decided to play host. Of course, there’s always more at play than what we see on the surface. Planarcadia is our very own Himeko’s homeworld and also the place where the Astral Express reignited its journey fifteen years back. With the return of the Express, the members find themselves in a spotlight of stardom as a hit comic based upon them becomes serialized.
After wrapping up with the IPC, the Trailblazer finds themself in “Duomension City” and will encounter the unique “imagenae” of the world. These creatures live in symbiosis with the locals, and have long since been integrated into the city’s daily life. Whether it’s the station master “Meowton”, the train-like “Bullet Wyrm”, the “thundercoil” looming over the city, or the “mechatron” beloved by Mr. Yang, they have all become indispensable parts of Duomension City. Unfortunately, the existence of these imagenae are all but guaranteed. They rely on the populus’ “Wishpower” to sustain themselves. Should they fail to attract attention and be forgotten, they will gradually fade away. As a result of these circumstances, entertainment facilities line every street and alley of Duomension City, and laughter never ceases. The city also hides all sorts of mysterious gateways. These entrances allow the Trailblazer to enter a marvelous Duomension world, peeking into another facet of this arcadia or being led to unexpected destinations–be it the brightly lit commercial district of Dovebrook, Himeko’s alma mater and world-renowned art school “Graphia Academy”, or even the secret gathering place of the Masked Fools: the Tavern of Elation. Rumors on the street say it’s quietly tucked away in some corner of the Dovebrook District…
Even in combat, Aha’s influence reigns, and you’re put under the gaze of The Laughter. When characters on the Path of Elation are added to the team, or when fighting special enemies, you will obtain “Punchlines”. As Punchlines accumulate, so will Aha’s interest in your battle. When Aha’s interest peaks, THEY will personally take the stage to initiate an “Aha Instant.” During this phase, Aha will lead the “Elation” characters in the team to unleash Elation Skills in turn. The more Punchline you’ve accumulated through the battle, the stronger the effects of his ability. After the “Aha Instant” concludes, all characters on the Path of Elation gain their own unique “Certified Banger” buffs, adding further layers and depth to combat strategies.
Naturally, a new path means new characters following that path. This time, in Version 4.0, we see the introduction of two new playable Elation characters. First up is the Seer Strategist of the Xianzhou Alliance, General Yao Guang. Previously, we only heard her as a voice during the storyline, but she’s finally making her official debut as a playable character. As the senior soror to the familiar face Fu Xuan, Yao Guang serves as the Alliance’s vital divination advisor when facing difficult predicaments. As a Physical character following the Path of Elation, Yao Guang specializes in using “Weal and Woe Lots” to control the flow of battle. Weal Lots increase ally Elation and grant the team “Punchline” stacks when Yao Guang uses her Skill. During an “Aha Instant”, Yao Guang casts Woe Lots, causing enemies to take extra damage while regenerating Skill Points for the team. Yao Guang’s “Certified Banger” buff allows teammates’ attacks to deal one additional instance of Elation damage. If that attack consumes a Skill Point, it further boosts the damage of that attack. Last but not least, her Ultimate not only provides “Punchline” for the team but also immediately triggers an extra “Aha Instant”, increasing All-Type RES PEN for all allies.
Running alongside Yao Guang in the second half of the update, the mysterious 5-star Fire-Type character also following the Path of Elation is Sparxie. She may look a little familiar to a certain Masked Fool you’re already aware of, but Sparxie is instead the hottest streamer in Planarcadia. In the storyline, Sparxie will debut alongside Sparkle, bringing a unique surprise to the Trailblazer. In combat, Sparxie acts as a streamer and opens a livestream room to engage in a live upvote showdown with the enemies. Players can continuously consume Skill Points to send random “Gifts” to Sparxie, regenerating various amounts of Skill Points or “Punchlines” stacks for the team. The more Skill Points you consume, the more Punchlines Sparxie will generate for the team, and of course this means higher damage dealt at the final settlement. During “Aha Instant”, Sparxie kicks off a boisterous lucky draw, dealing massive damage to all enemies with multiple bounces. While in the “Certified Banger” state, every Gift triggered during the live showdown will deal additional Elation DMG to a random enemy target upon settlement. Lastly, Sparxie’s ultimate will also deal additional Elation DMG.
Honkai: Star Rail’s Version 4.0 update brings much more than new characters, including some long-awaited rerun banners, a new skin, and more. For rerun banners, expect to see 5-star characters Black Swan (the recipient of a new Novaflare buff round), Evernight, and Hysilens. Additionally, Sparkle (also receiving a Novaflare buff), Rappa, and Hysilens will join the rerun banners on the second half of the patch. Black Swan will even further boost DoT team damage, where Sparkle will be able to boost the overall damage of Elation as well as what she could previously boost. These buffs are pretty powerful, so keep an eye out if they’re characters you had your eyes on even before these Novaflare changes. Additionally, if you log in during the update, you’ll receive a 20-pull reward and a new, free Ruan Mei outfit. Meanwhile, the Yao Guang fortune event will bring players 1,600 Stellar Jades in rewards. HoYoverse states there are plenty of rewards awaiting Trailblazers in this next chapter of the Trailblaze’s story, so if you’ve been on the fence, there’s never been a better time to start Honkai: Star Rail.
As an extra bonus surprise, there was a full reveal trailer for the Honkai: Star Rail x Fortnite collaboration event. Boarding the Battle Bus on February 26th, 2026, we’ll see Blade and Kafka make their way to Fortnite with unique back bling, pickaxes, and even some LEGO variants. Trust us, this was just as out of nowhere for us as it is for you, the reader. Either way, definitely interesting!
This upcoming Planarcadia update, Version 4.0, releases officially on February 13th, 2026. You’ll be able to play this update on all available platforms, including PC, iOS, Android, PS5, and the Epic Games Store.