2021 has been a banner year for Chinese developer MiHoYo across both of its flagship franchises.Honkai Impact 3rdheld a major collaboration earlier this year with iconic anime franchiseNeon Genesis Evangelion,andGenshin Impacthas exploded in popularitysince its release last September. MiHoYo recently announced the developer’s next title would be a new venture into theHonkaiuniverse, officially revealing the upcomingHonkai: Star Rail.
Honkai Impact 3rdputs the player in command of a team of “Valkyries” tasked with fighting off evil creatures threatening to eradicate the Earth’s population.MiHoYoandHonkai Impact 3rdhave featured multiple collaborations throughout 2021, partnering with the previously-mentioned Evangelion and even partnering with the company’s other flagship title inGenshin Impact. Now, theHonkaiuniverse will be receiving a new title with a different style from its predecessor.
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The official reveal trailer from Thursday shows off the first look players will have at the characters and story ofHonkai: Star Rail. The trailer features a variety of different environments and seems to imply that the game will feature open exploration similar toGenshin Impact. The promotional website forHonkai: Star Railreveals that the title will stray from MiHoYo’s other games and will have turn-based combat instead of theaction RPG combat ofGenshinandHonkai Impact 3rd. Returning players fromHonkai Impact 3rdwill recognize some familiar faces in the game’s cast, like Himeko and Welt.
The trailer also announced open sign-ups for the game’s ongoing closed beta testing, which began yesterday. Players looking to get in on the ground floor of MiHoYo’s newest space adventure will be given a brief survey that asks questions related to the players' experience with other mobile games and intended playing device. Some of the titles mentioned in the survey include titles likeGenshin Impact,Arknights, andFire Emblem: Heroes, with theheavy emphasis on gacha gamesseeming to imply thatHonkai: Star Railwill feature a gacha system.
MiHoYo has come under fire from fans ofGenshin Impactin recent weeks for the game’s lackluster first anniversary rewards and the company’s response. Incensed fans of the popular RPG used the outrage to express discontent with some of the game’s features and the lack of a response from MiHoYo to these criticisms. Some of the game’sangrier fans even review-bombedGenshin Impactand other apps, ranging from MiHoYo’s other titles to completely unrelated ones likeLeague of Legends: Wild Riftand evenGoogle Classroom. Despite this, 2021 has been a wildly lucrative year for MiHoYo, and the company hopesHonkai: Star Railwill continue its streak of success.
Honkai: Star Railis in development for mobile devices and PC.
