When is Honkai: Star Rail expected to release?
You might be able to sink into HoYoverse's latest anime-inspired RPG before too much longer
When can I play Honkai: Star Rail? Honkai: Star Rail is HoYoverse's hotly-anticipated follow-up to Genshin Impact. Switching out the studio's signature ARPG style for a more strategic (but still very roleplay-oriented) gameplay approach, Honkai: Star Rail promises a whimsical trip through a sci-fi galaxy aboard the titular space train.
If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, the good news is that you probably don't have long to wait before you can experience Honkai: Star Rail for yourself. On this page we'll keep you updated on the latest details about Star Rail's expected release date, how and why you should pre-register for the game, and more.
On this page:
- Honkai: Star Rail expected release date
- Honkai: Star Rail pre-registration
- Can I still sign up for Honkai: Star Rail's final beta?
- Does Honkai: Star Rail tie in to Genshin Impact?
Honkai: Star Rail expected release date
The expected release date for Honkai: Star Rail is April 26th, 2023. However, there's a caveat: officially there's no confirmed release date yet, but the Apple App Store recently listed April 26th as the launch date.
This feels plausible, both because the timing gels with expectations following the final beta, and because April 26th is March 7th by the lunar calendar — March 7th being the name of one of HSR's main characters, which fans have long been speculating was intended as a release date tease.
As with all leaked info that doesn't have the blessing of a game's developers or publishers, this could of course turn out to be false, and is likely still subject to change even if it's the current internal target for release.
Honkai: Star Rail pre-registration
It might be a few weeks yet before you can play Honkai: Star Rail for yourself, but you can pre-register now via the game's official website or the Epic Games Store for PC. You'll just need a HoYoverse account linked to an email address you use in order to do this.
Pre-registration brings with it a couple of benefits. First and foremost, you'll be alerted as soon as the game launches, allowing you to jump in and join the fun as quickly as possible.
As an added bonus, HoYoverse are throwing in a few nice little extras based on how many people pre-register before the game becomes available. So by registering now, you're helping to unlock the following stretch goals, the rewards for which will be delivered digitally to players on all platforms upon the game's release:
- 500,000 pre-registered players: Credit ×50,000
- 1,000,000 pre-registered players: Star Rail Pass ×3
- 2,000,000 pre-registered players: Avatar Trailblazer — Welcome ×1
- 3,500,000 pre-registered players: 4-star character Serval (Erudition: Lightning)
- 5,000,000 pre-registered players: Star Rail Pass ×15
- 2,500,000 followers on social media: Star Rail Pass ×2 and credit ×50,000
Can I still sign up for Honkai: Star Rail's final beta?
The third and final closed beta for the Honkai: Star Rail began on February 10th, 2023 and is ongoing at the time of writing. However, the sign-up window ended on February 2nd. This means that unfortunately, if you aren't already taking part, you'll need to wait until the global launch to play.
Does Honkai: Star Rail tie in to Genshin Impact?
HoYoverse have been making games since 2011, but their break-out hit (particularly among western players) was 2020's Genshin Impact. This high-fantasy ARPG is currently one of the most popular video games on the planet, receiving regular six-weekly updates and with a detailed content roadmap planned out into at least mid-2025. Honkai: Star Rail is HoYoverse's first new game since Genshin Impact launched, so you might well wonder if you need to know anything about their other games to enjoy Star Rail.
The short answer is good news: Honkai: Star Rail can be enjoyed entirely stand-alone, and you don't need to be familiar with any of HoYoverse's other games in order to play it.
The slightly more complex answer is that Genshin Impact exists in a sort of multiverse with many of HoYoverse's other games, including the Honkai Impact series, into which Honkai: Star Rail is technically the fourth entry. Players familiar with Honkai Impact 3rd will recognise a few familiar faces among Star Rail's cast, although (with one exception) these will be alternate-reality versions of those characters. Knowing their backstories will allow you to appreciate some easter eggs here and there, but still, a familiarity with older games in the series is far from essential to understanding Star Rail's plot.
If you still have unanswered questions about Honkai: Star Rail, be sure to check out our page on everything we know about Honkai: Star Rail, where we look at gameplay, story, monetisation, platform availability, and more in a lot more detail.
