The upcoming version update will see the Astral Express Crew make their return to the Xianzhou Luofu.
Honkai: Star Rail developer HoYoverse has revealed that the game's version 2.4 update, “Finest Duel Under the Pristine Blue”, will be released on July 31 and will feature two new 5-star characters in Yunli and Jiaoqiu, a new Hunt version of the 4-star character March 7th, a new area in the Xianzhou Luofu, and more.
Read on as we break down everything you need to know about Honkai: Star Rail's upcoming version:
New characters Yunli and Jiaoqiu plus new Hunt March 7th
Yunli
The first new 5-star character coming in version 2.4 will be Yunli, who will wield the Physical element and follow the Path of Destruction. Yunli's kit is very similar to that of Clara, as she focuses on drawing enemy attacks to unleash powerful counterattacks of her own.
When Yunli is attacked, she immediately Counters to deal damage to the target that attacked her and any adjacent enemies. After using her Ultimate, Yunli acquires the Parry state, which reduces the damage she takes while Taunting all enemies. When attacked while in the Parry state, Yunli's CRIT DMG will be drastically increased and her ordinary Counter is enhanced to deal higher damage.
Yunli's signature Light Cone “Dance at Sunset” will also be available during her debut run in the banner. She will also have her Companion Mission available to allow players to get to know her character better.
Jiaoqiu
The second 5-star character making their debut in version 2.4 will be Jiaoqiu, who will wield the Fire element and follow the Path of Nihility. His kit focuses on constantly inflicting enemies with the ‘Ashen Roast’ debuff, which should make him a good teammate for the top-tier Nihility DPS character Acheron.
Jiaoqiu inflicts the stacking Ashen Roast debuff on enemies hit by any of his attacks. Enemies inflicted with Ashen Roast effectively suffer from the Burn DoT and will take increased damage. When Jiaoqiu activates his Ultimate, he creates a field that compounds the effects of Ashen Roast for enemies already afflicted, in line with the current highest number of stacks. Additionally, enemies also sustain increased Ultimate DMG and may receive additional stacks of Ashen Roast during their actions.
Jiaoqiu's signature Light Cone “Those Many Springs” will also be available during his debut run in the banner.
Yunli will be available during the first half of version 2.4 alongside a rerun for the 5-star Wind Abundance character Huohuo. Meanwhile, the second half of the update will feature Jiaoqiu alongside a rerun for the 5-star Quantum Harmony character Sparkle.
Hunt March 7th
The third new character in version 2.4 will be the Hunt Path version of the 4-star character March 7th, who now earns the ability to switch between different Paths similar to the Trailblazer. Players can unlock the Hunt version of March 7th and her eidolons by playing through the version 2.4 main event.
March 7th's Hunt version will take on enabler and Sub DPS roles. When using her Skill, March 7th designates a teammate as her Shifu and
increases their SPD. When her Shifu attacks, March 7th acquires Charges. When Charges reach a set number of stacks, March 7th immediately takes action again and obtains an Enhanced Basic ATK.
March 7th adjusts her style depending on her Shifu's Path. Shifus on the Paths of Destruction, Erudition, or The Hunt lets March 7th deal more damage while those on the Paths of Nihility, Harmony, Preservation, or Abundance increases the Toughness Reduction of her attacks.
New Shackling Prison map with Borisin enemies
The upcoming version also adds a new area in the Xianzhou Luofu: the Shackling Prison. This cold, imposing prison lies underneath the Scalegorge Waterscape and detains the most notorious criminals captured by the Xianzhou Alliance. This area is also overseen by the Ten-Lords Commission and is where the sisters Xueyi and Hanya perform their duties.
The Shackling Prison is also inhabited by werewolf-like enemies called Borisin, a race that has long menaced the Xianzhou Alliance. The prison also houses the ‘Howling Casket’, a new boss enemy that seems to be the primary antagonist of the version 2.4 storyline.
New events
Honkai: Star Rail version 2.4's main event will be the “Saga of Primaveral Blade”, where the Trailblazer will assist March 7th as she participates in the Wardance Ceremony as a swordmaster apprentice under Yanqing and Yunli. The Trailblazer will help March 7th by assembling a training regimen for her to obtain rewards, including eidolons for March 7th's Hunt version, Self-replication Resin, Stellar Jade, and more.
Trashblazer enjoyers are also in for a treat in the upcoming version as it features two events, namely “Operation Memoria Snapshot” and “Trailblaze: Friendship Is Magic", where the Trailblazer's beloved Lordly Trashcans will play starring roles.
Version 2.4 will also feature reruns for the “Gift of Odyssey” log-in event to earn Star Rail Special Passes, “Planar Fissure” for double Planar Ornament relic rewards, and “Garden of Plenty” for double rewards while farming Calyxes.
For more details on what's to come in Honkai: Star Rail version 2.4, check out the full preview livestream here.
Honkai: Star Rail version 2.4 will run from July 31 to September 10. After that comes version 2.5, which will feature three more new characters in Feixiao, Lingsha, and Moze.
