In the latest Honkai Star Rail livestream, HoYoverse revealed exciting news for fans of the RPG. They announced that a set of character reworks is on the horizon for the upcoming HSR 3.4 update. This refresh aims to breathe new life into some of the game’s beloved, albeit less potent, characters. Specifically, Kafka, Silver Wolf, Blade, and Jingliu will receive the much-requested overhauls. While HoYoverse didn’t spill the beans on the specific changes, the promise of revamping these characters is enough to stir anticipation.
Assuming everything goes as planned, players can expect the HSR 3.4 update to roll out in early July 2025.
When these four characters first made their appearance in 2023, they were considered powerhouses in Honkai Star Rail. Kafka even enjoyed a resurgence in 2024 with the introduction of the character Acheron. However, over time, their effectiveness and synergy with team compositions have waned. Jingliu, for instance, requires considerable investment yet still lags in damage compared to her peers. Meanwhile, Kafka has been left without new damage-over-time allies for months, and the latest character, Mydei, is essentially a Blade reboot.
This phenomenon, often referred to as “powercreep,” isn’t unfamiliar territory for gacha games like Honkai Star Rail. Interestingly, HoYoverse has typically managed to keep the characters in their modern games relevant longer. In Genshin Impact, many characters from the early days remain top-tier, successfully aiding players in tackling even the toughest endgame challenges. Similarly, in Zenless Zone Zero, players can confidently confront fierce bosses using the original three, complimentary characters. Despite updates, these games haven’t outpaced their characters.
Despite the news of these reworks, it’s unclear if similar plans are in place for other characters. Unfortunately, the likes of Bailu, Yanqing, Natasha, Hook, and Welt seem to have been left behind, with no apparent sign of revival on the horizon.
In a nod to nostalgia, players will soon have the opportunity to select one of two free 5-star characters, Ruan Mei or Luocha, as part of version 3.2’s release.
