Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.4 brings Himeko Nova and Fate/stay night crossover this July
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HoYoverse has confirmed that Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.4, titled “In Ravages Does the Whistle Sound,” will launch on July 15, bringing a major new story chapter, a fresh form for Himeko, and the next phase of the game’s Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] collaboration.
Version 4.4 continues the ongoing Planarcadia storyline, with the Trailblazer drawn into a crisis that threatens the survival of the world itself. Following the events of the previous chapter, Lord Ravager Asat Pramad has revealed his true identity, shattered the peace that Planarcadia had maintained for 15 years, and left Himeko missing after their confrontation.
In the new story content, players will follow a hidden clue left behind by Himeko before her disappearance, with the Express Crew attempting to track her down and uncover the truth behind Asat Pramad’s motives. His fixation on Himeko’s identity, as well as the mystery of what happened 15 years earlier, appears to sit at the heart of the new chapter, which will eventually lead the Trailblazer into a direct battle with the Lord Ravager.
The headline addition is Himeko • Nova, a new 5-star version of Himeko who will be available throughout the whole of Version 4.4. Himeko • Nova is a Fire-Type Erudition character who fights alongside a mech called Starblazer.
When combat begins, Himeko • Nova immediately deploys a Territory and summons Starblazer to assist the team. Her Ultimate allows her allies to pilot the mech and attack enemies, while the Territory also gives teammates access to an Assist Skill that can call Starblazer into battle. Express Crew members will gain additional special effects, giving her kit some obvious synergy with familiar faces from the Astral Express.
She also gets a bit of flair outside combat, as her Technique lets her pilot Starblazer during overworld exploration and attack enemies from above.
Version 4.4 will also mark the second phase of the Honkai: Star Rail x Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] crossover, which officially begins on July 24. This new special chapter sees Rin Tohsaka arrive in Planarcadia after the Fifth Holy Grail War, where she ends up borrowing the Holy Grail from the Star Rail FEST collection showcase in an attempt to summon a Servant and escape this new world.
Naturally, because this is Honkai: Star Rail, things do not stay simple for long. The overflowing Wishpower in Planarcadia restores the Holy Grail, while Gilgamesh’s treasures are scattered across the arcadia, causing enough chaos for the Department of Aberration Defense to get involved. The Trailblazer will then work with Rin to hunt down the treasures and uncover the truth behind the Imagenae: Holy Grail War.
Both Rin Tohsaka and Gilgamesh will become playable 5-star characters as part of the crossover.
Rin is a Quantum-Type Erudition character who uses gems in battle. Her kit revolves around building and spending Gem Energy, which allows her to deal multiple extra hits of damage to random targets. She also benefits when teammates use or recover Skill Points, with CRIT DMG increasing and Rin gaining more Gem Energy as the fight develops.
Gilgamesh, meanwhile, is a Lightning-Type Destruction character. During battle, allies taking actions help Gilgamesh accumulate Interest, restore Energy, and increase the damage of his Ultimate. Once enough Interest has been gained, he can unleash Gate of Babylon, firing weapons from his treasury at enemies. His Ultimate summons Enuma Elish to deal heavy damage to all enemies.
From the start of the collaboration on July 24 until before Version 4.6 ends, players will also be able to log in and claim either Gilgamesh or Archer as a free limited 5-star collaboration character, along with some upgrade materials. HoYoverse has also confirmed that the collaboration characters and Light Cones will remain available long-term, with shared guarantee counts between both phases of the Collaboration Character Warps and Light Cone Warps.
Version 4.4 will also see the return of several limited 5-star characters. Sparxie, Dan Heng • Permansor Terrae, and Evernight will return in the first half of the update, while Cerydra, Anaxa, and Aventurine will return in the second half. Sparxie will also receive a new outfit, Candy-Coated Waves.
Elsewhere, players can expect a new pet called Pentaflavor Emoti, the Fan-Made Lygus Trailblaze Fashion item, a 10-pull login reward when the version goes live, and new events including Fate/Star Rail Night and Antigraft Brickbuster. The permanent mode Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game will also be expanded and updated.
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.4 launches on July 15 for PC, iOS, Android, Epic Games Store, and PS5.
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