Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact stüdyosu miHoYo'nun açık dünya uzay RPG'si.
Honkai Star Rail version 4.5, titled "To Roll the Stars in Astropolis," launched on August 26, 2026. This HSR update adds two new 5-star characters, three explorable areas, a racing minigame, and enough free pulls to make your wallet breathe easier. If you've been waiting for a reason to jump back into the Astral Express, this is one of the bigger content drops of the year.
New Characters in Honkai Star Rail 4.5
Two new 5-star characters join the roster this version, and both fill distinct team roles that open up new composition options for players who've been running the same teams since launch.
Aventurine • Waveflair is a Quantum Elation main DPS. His kit revolves around building Fervor stacks through his own skills and teammate attacks. Once Fervor hits its threshold, he converts it into a burst of Quantum damage that hits hard against single targets. If you've been running an Elation-focused team comp, he slots right in as your primary damage dealer. His kit rewards aggressive, fast-attacking teams that generate frequent hits, since each ally attack contributes to his Fervor gauge and speeds up his damage cycle considerably.
Robin • Summeretto is a Wind Remembrance support with a twist. She builds Vibes through frequent ally attacks, and once she enters Fever state, she stops taking turns entirely. That might sound like a drawback at first. It's not. In Fever, Robin provides massive offensive buffs to the team, ignores enemy DEF, and adds extra damage through her Summer Songbirds mechanic that triggers on ally attacks. She turns your whole team into a damage powerhouse for the duration of her Fever window, which can last several turns if you keep the attacks flowing.
Both characters run on separate banners across the version's two phases. Phase 1 includes Aventurine alongside the Hyacine rerun. Phase 2 brings Robin with the Ashveil rerun.
| Character | Element | Path | Rarity | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aventurine • Waveflair | Quantum | Elation | 5-star | Main DPS |
| Robin • Summeretto | Wind | Remembrance | 5-star | Support |
Explore Astropolis: New Areas in Star Rail 4.5
The HSR 4.5 update adds three new locations under the Astropolis umbrella, and each one ties into the version's central storyline about a mysterious space station orbiting a distant star.
Astropolis itself is the central hub for this version's story and events. It's a sprawling space station with distinct districts, each tied to different questlines and activities that unfold as you progress through the main narrative.
Lodestar Tower is where you'll find the main story content. It's a multi-floor structure with combat encounters and story beats tied to the version's narrative arc. The tower introduces the new Lighthouse enemy type, which you'll face throughout your ascent. Each floor adds a new wrinkle to the combat encounters, so you can't just brute-force your way through with one team comp.
Skycall Aery rounds out the new areas as an exploration zone with environmental puzzles and resource nodes. If you liked the exploration mechanics in previous version updates, Skycall Aery follows a similar pattern with its own visual identity and collectibles that reward thorough exploration.
All three areas unlock once you progress past the version's introductory quest.
New Events and Free Rewards in HSR 4.5
This HSR update packs three events, and the rewards are genuinely worth your time. Free-to-play players in particular will want to clear all three.
Gift of Odyssey is a 7-day login event. Log in each day and you'll walk away with 10 Special Star Rail Passes. That's ten pulls on the limited banner for free. No combat, no grinding, no minigames. Just show up.
Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix is the headline event. It's a racing minigame with its own mechanics and tracks, and it's a fun break from the usual turn-based combat loop that HSR players know well. The rewards include a free 4-star Light Cone, level-up materials, and Stellar Jades. You'll get the most out of it by completing all track tiers, and the difficulty curve is gentle enough that most players should clear everything without much frustration.
Minuscule Great Adventure is a combat-focused event with Stellar Jade rewards. It throws enemy waves at you with modified rules, and you need to clear them under specific conditions to maximize rewards. If you've played previous combat events in HSR, the format will feel familiar. Build a team that can handle multiple enemy types and you'll clear it without much trouble.
Between the login passes and event rewards, free-to-play players can grab a solid number of pulls this version without spending anything.
| Event | Type | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Gift of Odyssey | 7-day login | 10 Special Star Rail Passes |
| Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix | Racing minigame | 4-star Light Cone, Stellar Jades, level-up materials |
| Minuscule Great Adventure | Combat | Stellar Jades |
New Enemies in Star Rail Version 4.5
Two new enemy types debut with this update, and both are tied to the Astropolis storyline.
Lighthouse appears throughout the Lodestar Tower content. It's a structural enemy type, meaning it has mechanics tied to its environment rather than just being a stat block with a big health pool. You'll encounter it in story quests and tower progression, and its behavior changes depending on the floor you're on.
Astropolis Sentinel is the version's boss encounter. It's the capstone challenge for the Astropolis storyline, and it has multiple phases with shifting weaknesses, so you'll want a flexible team comp that can adapt mid-fight. Based on what was shown in the version livestream, the Sentinel cycles between physical and elemental resistance states, which means you'll need at least two damage types in your team to clear it efficiently.
Both enemies scale with your Trailblaze Level, so there's no need to rush if you're not caught up on progression.
Rerun Banners and Phase Schedule
Honkai Star Rail 4.5 runs for 35 days total, split into two 17-day phases with a 1-day gap between them. If you've played HSR before, you know the drill. Each phase has one new character banner and one rerun banner running simultaneously.
Phase 1 (August 26 to September 12) has Aventurine • Waveflair as the new 5-star banner, with Hyacine on rerun. If you missed Hyacine's first run, this is your chance to pick her up without waiting for the next cycle.
Phase 2 (September 12 to September 29) switches to Robin • Summeretto as the new 5-star, with Ashveil returning on rerun. Ashveil last appeared in version 4.3, so the gap isn't huge. But if you skipped then, here's another shot.
Plan your pulls accordingly. You won't get another shot at these characters until their next rerun cycle, and that could be several months away.
| Phase | Dates | New Banner | Rerun |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 26 to Sep 12 | Aventurine • Waveflair | Hyacine |
| 2 | Sep 12 to Sep 29 | Robin • Summeretto | Ashveil |
HSR x Zenless Zone Zero Collaboration and What Comes Next
HoYoverse confirmed a collaboration between Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero for Winter 2026. Details are thin right now. No character crossover reveals, no event format, no specific date. Just the confirmation that it's happening.
Cross-game collaborations in HoYoverse titles tend to be substantial. The Genshin Impact crossover events in the past brought full event chains with unique story content and free characters. If the ZZZ collaboration follows that pattern, expect something more involved than a simple login bonus. We'll know more as we get closer to the winter window.
For now, version 4.5 gives you plenty to do while you wait.
What This HSR Update Means for Players
This version is a content-heavy drop. Two new characters means new team comps to build and test. Three new areas means hours of exploration and story content. Three events means a steady stream of rewards for the next five weeks.
If you're a meta-focused player, Aventurine and Robin both introduce mechanics that could shift how you think about team building. Aventurine's Fervor system rewards fast-attacking teams that generate lots of hits per turn. Robin's Fever state redefines what a support character can do by trading her own turns for team-wide damage amplification that scales with how often your team attacks. Both kits feel like they're pushing the game's combat system in new directions, and players who like theorycrafting will have plenty to experiment with.
For free-to-play players, the Gift of Odyssey event alone gives you 10 free pulls. Add the Stellar Jades from the other two events and you're looking at a meaningful chunk of the version's gacha currency without spending a dime. Your account security stays intact since you can earn everything through normal play without any third-party tools.
If you've been on a break from the game, version 4.5 is a good time to come back. The new content is approachable for returning players, and the reward structure is generous enough that you won't feel like you're starting from zero.
Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact stüdyosu miHoYo'nun açık dünya uzay RPG'si.