The Honkai Star Rail 4.2 update, titled “So Laughed the Masses,” will roll out globally on April 22, 2026 (North American players can access it on the evening of April 21 due to time zone differences). As the game‘s third anniversary patch, it brings a generous set of rewards and new content. Here’s everything you need to know.
Anniversary Rewards Overview
Version 4.2 offers over 30 free pulls and a free 5-star character through a combination of login events and in-game mail.
7-Day Login: 20 Star Rail Special Passes
Participate in the “Gift of Odyssey” login event after the update. Logging in for seven days will net you a total of 20 Star Rail Special Passes.
Anniversary Mail: 1600 Stellar Jade + 10 Fuel
On April 26, 2026, check your in-game mailbox for a special anniversary delivery containing 1600 Stellar Jade and 10 Fuel. This is equivalent to an additional 10 pulls, bringing the guaranteed free pull count to at least 30.
Free 5-Star Character Selector
Complete the “Companion Spirit” event to earn a token that can be exchanged for one of two 5-star characters: Huohuo or Robin. Both are strong support units that fit into a wide variety of teams.
Additional Perks
- First-time top-up bonuses for Stellar Jade will be reset.
- HoYoverse is distributing 240 million physical art books, with the majority obtainable through in-game tasks.
New Characters and Banner Schedule
Silver Wolf LV.999 (5-Star · Imaginary · Elation)
This is an SP variant of Silver Wolf designed as a main DPS. She accumulates “Laughter Points” that convert into “Hidden Score,” which in turn boosts CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG. Activating her Ultimate pulls enemies into a special state where she deals enhanced damage. When allies use Skill Points, she has a chance to trigger an assist attack or refund a Skill Point. Her Technique instantly defeats normal enemies in the overworld and grants the team crowd control immunity.
Evanescia (5-Star · Physical · Elation)
A main DPS whose kit revolves around converting Energy into “Encore” stacks and vice versa. Her Ultimate deals AoE Physical damage, and she launches a follow-up attack after accumulating a certain amount of Energy. Her recommended team includes Trailblazer (Elation), Sunday, and Huohuo.
Trailblazer (Elation) · 5-Star · Lightning · Elation
The main character unlocks the Elation Path as a support. Their Ultimate grants “Encore” stacks to an ally and triggers that ally’s Elation skill immediately. The Skill deals AoE damage and also applies stacks.
Banner Phases
| Phase | New Character | Rerun Characters |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Silver Wolf LV.999 (Imaginary·Elation) | Acheron, Castorice, Firefly |
| Phase 2 | Evanescia (Physical·Elation) | Tribbie, Sunday, Feixiao |
Character Buffs
Four older characters receive adjustments in 4.2:
- Firefly: Breaking an enemy extends her “Complete Combustion” state.
- Huohuo: Increased survivability; her Ultimate provides more healing stacks.
- Seele: Her Skill can now auto-trigger on low-HP enemies and activate “Resurgence.”
- Welt: His Ultimate now applies DEF reduction and increases damage taken by enemies.
Enhanced Returner Event
The “Starlight Homecoming” event has been extended to 21 days. Players who haven’t logged in for over 90 days will receive double Stellar Jade from select activities (up to an extra 1600 Jade). Returning players can also borrow a fully built support team and instantly equip one of their own characters with a full set of max-level 5-star Relics.
New Content and Collaborations
- Main Story: “So Laughed the Masses”
- New Areas: Kaiyuan City, Kaiyuan TV Tower
- New Enemy: “Ultimate Reversal”
- Castorice‘s Outfit: “Dreamlike Flutter” available at a launch discount.
- Galaxy Signal Roaming: Anniversary combat event rewarding the 4-star Light Cone “Future, We’re In This Together (Elation).”
- Phantasmoon Web Event: Starts April 23, offering up to 800 Stellar Jade.
- Triple Drops: Planar Fissure, Calyx (Golden), and Relic domains will feature 3x drop rates.
- Collaborations: Chapanda tea collaboration (Yao Guang and Jing Yuan) launches April 25. A Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra gift box featuring Acheron‘s previous form is available in Korea.
MAPPA Original Animation PV
The livestream concluded with a concept PV titled “Death in the Afternoon” , produced in partnership with MAPPA. The short features high-quality animation of the Astral Express crew and Stellaron Hunters. Details regarding a full series or film have not yet been announced.
*Information sourced from official HoYoverse announcements and the 4.2 livestream. All game visuals, character designs, and related assets are the property of HoYoverse / miHoYo. For copyright inquiries, please contact yomiqo@126.com. This article is original content by yomiqo. You may repost it with proper attribution.*
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