Honkai: Star Rail, launched in 2023, was an on the spot hit for writer HoYoVerse, reaching 20 million downloads in just a few days and pulling in a whole bunch of thousands and thousands of {dollars} within the following years. Globally, many who hopped on board the Astral Categorical did so within the wake of having fun with one other HoYoVerse-published sport: Genshin Affect. However Honkai’s origins, and the roots of its international success, go a lot additional again than that.
The Honkai collection has truly existed since 2011, when the tiny crew at miHoYo launched FlyMe2TheMoon on iOS. The studio has since exploded in notoriety and crew members, together with Honkai: Star Rail lead sport designer Chengnan An. An joined the Honkai crew for Honkai Affect third, which launched in 2016 and immediately preceded Star Rail. Having now been with the corporate throughout a number of generations of Honkai video games and a decade of improvement, An has a lot to share in regards to the philosophy of the collection and why it took off the best way it did with the discharge of Star Rail in 2023, after so a few years remaining comparatively unknown within the West. We spoke to An within the wake of the Recreation Builders’ Convention (GDC) 2025 to get his perspective on Honkai as a complete, Honkai: Star Rail, and the place the Astral Categorical is headed within the coming years.
IGN: Are you able to inform me a bit about your position in Honkai’s origins? When did you be part of the crew engaged on Honkai, and the way have you ever seen Honkai evolve as a collection because you got here on board? What is the distinction between Honkai within the early days (FlyMe2TheMoon, and so forth) and Honkai now (Star Rail)?
Chengnan An: I first joined the Honkai Affect third crew because the Lead Fight Designer, specializing in refining the sport’s motion mechanics. It was an thrilling time — we have been consistently pushing the boundaries of what a fast-paced motion sport may really feel like. Seeing gamers benefit from the fight we designed was extremely rewarding, and it formed how I take into consideration sport design even now.
Round 2019, I transitioned into a extra strategic position because the Lead Recreation Designer of Honkai: Star Rail, which gave me a broader perspective on sport improvement past simply fight mechanics. On the time, we began considering: May we construct on our current experience and discover new gameplay instructions? Many people on the crew, myself included, are massive followers of turn-based video games, and by then, we had additionally gained a lot of expertise designing motion gameplay. That led to an fascinating problem—may we merge our data/expertise from motion video games with the depth and technique of turn-based fight to create one thing contemporary?
That’s how Honkai: Star Rail got here to be. It was a pure evolution, not only for the collection but in addition for us as builders. The core Honkai DNA — robust storytelling, deep character interactions, and fascinating fight — stays the identical.
Inform me in regards to the preliminary conception and creation of Honkai: Star Rail. What led the crew to make a third Honkai sport? Have been you taking classes or cues from Genshin Affect, or different Hoyo video games?
An: I can solely communicate on behalf of the Honkai: Star Rail crew. At HoYoverse, on the whole, every title is developed by a person crew. However in fact, we have now amassed worthwhile expertise by way of technical pipeline, venture improvement, content material output, localization, and so forth by way of the event of earlier titles, which all the time have, and all the time will probably be important through the improvement and additional amelioration of Honkai: Star Rail.
Moreover, I might like to elaborate on why Honkai: Star Rail is a area fantasy. That is our first try by HoYoverse to discover the science-fiction idea of an “interstellar journey,” which offers gamers with a grand journey as they traverse the galaxy, discover quite a few distinctive planets, and resolve conflicts with the assist of distinctive companions. On high of the science-fiction idea, we included fantasy and mythological parts [Aeon] and [Stellaron] to create an intensive and fatalistic narrative.
What’s the most important change between the unique conception of Honkai Star Rail and its last model? Are there options or concepts you wished you possibly can have used that have been left on the chopping room ground?
An: The fight system advanced a lot all through improvement — there have been many mechanics we experimented with, refined, and even scrapped solely earlier than touchdown on the ultimate model. One instance — one thing we talked about at GDC — is the evolution of “Weak spot Break QTE.”
At first, we had this concept the place breaking an enemy’s weak spot would let gamers manually select an motion, like an assault, heal, or assist transfer. On paper, it made sense, however in apply, it truly slowed down the move of fight.
So we refined it. As a substitute of requiring handbook enter each time, we launched automated triggers. This led to what we now name “Comply with-Up Assaults” — abilities that activate below totally different situations. For instance, Herta routinely assaults when an enemy’s HP drops under 50%, reasonably than ready for a weak spot break.
Even higher, follow-ups can chain collectively. Think about this: Herta assaults, dropping an enemy’s HP under half, which triggers her personal follow-up. That, in flip, breaks one other weak spot, activating her teammate Himeko’s follow-up. Just like that, one click on units off a highly effective sequence.
This shift made fight extra dynamic, intuitive, and rewarding, conserving battles partaking whereas permitting for deeper technique. And that’s simply one of many some ways the system modified over time.
Honkai: Star Rail is the third Honkai sport, however it blew up internationally in a manner that others didn’t. Why do you assume that’s? What’s particular about Honkai: Star Rail?
An: Truthfully, seeing how a lot love the sport has obtained has been each rewarding and a little surprising. We set out to create one thing straightforward to get into whereas providing depth, and it’s been wonderful to see each veteran followers and newcomers welcome it. The space-fantasy setting paired with turn-based fight offers a contemporary expertise, but nonetheless stays true to what makes the collection fulfilling.
There’s additionally one thing particular about how gamers join with the characters and the story. We’ve labored laborious to steadiness humor, emotion, and journey, and it’s humbling to see all of it come collectively. After all, the excessive manufacturing values, multi-platform assist, and a passionate crew have all performed a half, however on the finish of the day, it’s the gamers’ suggestions that really provides the whole lot its that means.
How far out do you intend/write the story? How do you deal with the challenges that come from telling a good story whereas consistently needing to broaden the world and characters?
An: To supply gamers with the higher expertise, we have now a well-structured pipeline in place for each story and gameplay improvement. We plan our storylines no less than a yr prematurely, considering forward to new planets and the tales we wish to inform. Honkai: Star Rail has been a ardour venture for the previous 5 years — an formidable effort pushed by our objective to redefine RPGs for a broader viewers. Proper now, we’re diving deeply into Amphoreus, a world we’ve devoted a lot of consideration to. From Model 3.0 to 3.7, this will probably be a story arc spanning throughout 8 variations. We hope gamers will get pleasure from this Flame-chase journey because it unfolds.
Beyond the Trailblaze Mission (the primary story), our Journey Mission function extra than simply aspect tales — they provide a totally different lens into every world, its folks, and their experiences. Amphoreus, for instance, was as soon as a assortment of city-states, however because the Black Tide encroached, these cultures have been pressured to merge within the final refuge, Okhema. By Journey Missions like The place Shall We Go? we discover not simply the historical past of Amphoreus but in addition the hopes, losses, and resilience of its folks. The tales deepen the world-building and, extra importantly, give gamers an emotional connection to the characters and civilizations they encounter.
How lengthy is it sustainable to hold constructing such a big world, story, and so many characters? Do you are concerned the sport ultimately turns into unwieldy or inaccessible to new folks?
An: Growing a new world, similar to Penacony or Amphorious, together with so many characters of that world, sometimes takes greater than a yr.
In the course of the Core Idea speech at GDC 2025, The Three Design Rules have been highlighted for Honkai: Star Rail, and two of them are Easy and Expandable. On the one hand, we emphasize simplicity. For instance, in our battle mechanics, the turn-based gameplay permits gamers to take their time in making choices. Now we have streamlined the collection of abilities out there to gamers, and moreover, there’s an choice to allow Auto Fight. This characteristic ensures that gamers will not be overwhelmed when beginning the sport or adapting to a new battle technique.
Then again, as a live-service title, we constantly broaden the Honkai: Star Rail universe by way of common updates. This strategy permits us to introduce new content material, together with new worlds (as beforehand talked about), characters, and gameplay parts. Nonetheless, the enlargement of content material doesn’t imply we goal to make Honkai: Star Rail overwhelmingly huge or inaccessible; we stay dedicated to our precept of simplicity. Now we have applied numerous mechanisms aimed toward simplification. For example, leveling up characters has change into extra accessible and stragihtword by way of our guiding system. Furthermore, we even provide faster entry to new content material: in model 3.0, gamers can head straight to Amphoreus and expertise the most recent Trailblaze Mission.
Are you wanting on the Swap 2 in any respect for Honkai: Star Rail? What about Xbox?
An: Now we have constantly aimed to entice extra gamers to our area fantasy RPG. That’s why we made this title out there on each PC and cell units from day considered one of its official launch. In model 1.4, we additionally added assist for PS5. Moreover, as a live-service title, we’re dedicated to offering ongoing alternatives for our gamers as time goes on. For the most recent updates, please keep tuned to our official web sites.
Do you see a rising development of Chinese language-developed video games succeeding on the worldwide stage? Is that impacting the way you strategy sport improvement in any respect?
An: This was my first time attending GDC, and I used to be thrilled to see builders from all over the world connecting, sharing their insights, and collaborating to improve the gaming trade. In the meantime, I had the chance to meet some followers who have been extremely obsessed with our title, which was actually an honor.
Throughout my preparation for the GDC 2025 Core Idea, I devoted important time to rigorously reviewing earlier improvement logs and participant’s suggestions. It was an enlightening expertise that not solely jogged my memory of the previous days that we have spent on this area fantasy, but in addition underscored the significance of constantly listening to our gamers. In the end, a live-service title isn’t solely about offering content material by way of updates; it additionally entails a long-term dedication to bettering and fulfilling our gamers’ expectations.
How lengthy do you anticipate to maintain Honkai: Star Rail? Will you ultimately make a fourth Honkai sport? What does this franchise seem like in ten years?
An: Honkai: Star Rail presents an extremely huge and complicated galaxy to discover. To be sincere, to absolutely understand its potential is a long-term endeavor that extends far past simply a few years.
What am I not asking you that you really want me to ask you?
An: How about asking how I really feel in regards to the title as of proper now?
We’re getting ready to celebrating the 2nd anniversary of Honkai: Star Rail alongside the upcoming launch of the Model 3.2. Though the sport formally launched on April 26, 2023, its improvement truly started again in 2019. From the attitude of a few of our improvement crew members, myself included, this implies we have now been passionately invested on this area fantasy RPG for roughly greater than 5 years.
I additionally need to emphasize that we have now all the time listened to and communicated with our gamers and can proceed to achieve this. Now we have many thrilling developments within the works — together with new content material and gameplay optimizations — prepared to be revealed to our gamers. A preview of a few of these was shared through the 3.2 Particular Program on March 28, and improvement and fine-tuning for future variations are progressing steadily. Keep tuned for extra updates and thanks in your continued assist!
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You’ll find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Received a story tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.