Today, HoYoverse announced that Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6, titled “Dance With the Beast Before Moonrise,” will launch on September 28, 2026.
Honkai: Star Rail “Dance With the Beast Before Moonrise follows the conclusion of the previous story in Version 4.5, where Nihilux has revealed her true identity as Aha, the Aeon of Elation. The Trailblazer will now also join forces with her and Pearl to investigate the Life Sciences Institute in Astropolis and uncover the truth behind a dangerous plan to “weaponize the husk.”
In Version 4.6, the Life Sciences Institute serves as the source of all imagenae in Astropolis and was established under Madam Yabuli, head of the IPC’s Technology Department. Yabuli is now pursuing a scheme that could put every life in Planarcadia at risk, while her suspected connections to a mysterious faction devoted to the Voracity add another layer to the unfolding conspiracy.
Pearl plans to use the recovery of Leviathan Essence as a cover for a coordinated investigation, sending Kuchiba and Ashveil into the institute alongside the Trailblazer and Nihilux. In Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6, Pearl becomes a playable five-star Ice character following the Path of Elation. As the CEO of Planarcadia, she is known for her powerful computational abilities and rational decision-making, having remained behind to oversee the encanvasing ritual after arranging for Planarcadia’s residents to evacuate aboard the Astral Express when the Voracity threat emerged.
Her combat abilities reflect her analytical approach, allowing her to consume “Certified Banger” to offset a portion of the damage dealt to all allies. Pearl can also enter the “Deep Learning” state to analyze a designated teammate’s combat data and gain a corresponding Enhanced ATK, with additional effects available when that teammate follows the Path of Elation.
If the entire team consists of Elation characters, the designated teammate can gain an extra turn while also receiving a substantial amount of Punchline and Certified Banger. Pearl’s limited five-star character banner and the five-star Light Cone “Colors for Tomorrow” will both receive boosted drop rates during the update.
Evanescia will also return in the first half, while Mortenax Blade will receive a rerun during the second half. Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6 will also introduce several new activities, including “Love, Ghosts & Robots,” where the Trailblazer helps the resurrected Skott operate a mechatron workshop. Players will assemble and sell mechatrons while working to develop the workshop into a five-star project, while the combat-focused “Interastral Peace Gala: One Take” event will offer another major challenge.
A new gameplay feature called “Astral Imagea” will also debut, allowing players to obtain multiple Astral Imageas to accompany them on their adventures. Players can additionally team up with friends to take on the “Astral Slammers Squad!” challenge.
New outfits for Hyacine and Evanescia will also arrive through the Outfit Show Window, including “Warm Cotton Skies” and “Lunar Blossoming,” respectively.
HoYoverse has also announced a collaboration between Honkai: Star Rail and Razer, with a Silver Wolf LV.999-themed gaming chair, keyboard, mouse, and headset planned for release across multiple regions. Speaking of crossovers, Ellen and Astra Yao from Zenless Zone Zero will be joining the cosmic adventure as part of Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.8, with more information to follow closer to release.
Honkai: Star Rail is available on PC, iOS, Android, the Epic Games Store, and PlayStation 5, and has surpassed 150 million total downloads across all platforms.
Since its 2023 launch, the space-fantasy RPG has received numerous awards, including Apple’s App Store iPhone Game of the Year, Google Play’s Best Game, and The Game Awards’ Best Mobile Game. For more information on this and other HoYoverse titles, be sure to check back to Simulation Daily for updates.
