In an exciting announcement during their latest livestream, HoYoverse revealed plans to revamp some beloved characters in Honkai Star Rail with the upcoming HSR 3.4 update. Set for release around early July 2025, this update promises to breathe new life into fan-favorites like Kafka, Silver Wolf, Blade, and Jingliu. While developers didn’t specify the exact nature of these changes, they confirmed these updates respond to fan feedback, aiming to restore these characters’ former glory.
Back in 2023, these characters were powerhouses in the game, particularly Kafka, who saw a resurgence in 2024 with Acheron’s arrival. However, over time, their effectiveness has dwindled. Players investing heavily in Jingliu, for instance, find her damage output lacking compared to her peers. Kafka, meanwhile, hasn’t had a fresh lineup of damage-over-time allies, and Mydei’s introduction makes him feel more like Blade’s successor rather than a unique addition.
“Powercreep” is a common challenge in gacha games like Honkai Star Rail, yet HoYoverse’s titles don’t usually see their characters become obsolete so swiftly. Unlike Honkai Star Rail, games like Genshin Impact have managed to keep their early standout characters valuable across years. Players still rely on these characters to navigate endgame hurdles. Similarly, Zenless Zone Zero allows players to take on formidable foes with the same trio available at the game’s start, showing that changes haven’t overshadowed character viability.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear that Bailu, Yanqing, Natasha, Hook, and Welt will receive similar updates anytime soon. These characters seem to be left behind with no clear intention from HoYoverse to revitalize them in the near future.
On a brighter note, with the launch of version 3.2, players can look forward to choosing a free 5-star character—either Ruan Mei or Luocha. It’s a nice gesture that offers some exciting new gameplay options as the game evolves.
