"We want players to spend their time actually enjoying the content they're passionate about" – Honkai: Star Rail Developers Discuss the Future, Potential Switch 2 Port, Himeko’s Coffee, and More
Honkai: Star Rail is celebrating its third anniversary this week. Ahead of it and the recent Version 4.2 "So Laughed the Masses" update, I had a chance to chat with the development team about the state of the game, how the team approaches designing a new playable Path, what to expect from Honkai: Star Rail's music this year, a potential Trails in the Sky collaboration, the possibility of a Switch 2 and Steam release, and Himeko's coffee.
RPG Site: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what you do at HoYoverse.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We are the development team behind Honkai: Star Rail. The development and long-term operations of this title are far from a one-man show. Rather, they rely heavily on the fantastic chemistry across our various departments. The Screenwriter & IP team is responsible for crafting an incredibly deep foundational worldview and a thrilling narrative.
The art team utilizes cutting-edge rendering technology and exceptionally high aesthetic standards to establish the game's visual benchmark, and the design team is tasked with packaging that narrative and art into a solid, engaging gameplay system. We are absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity to share the ins and outs of developing and running this game with our players!
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We are the development team behind Honkai: Star Rail. The development and long-term operations of this title are far from a one-man show. Rather, they rely heavily on the fantastic chemistry across our various departments. The Screenwriter & IP team is responsible for crafting an incredibly deep foundational worldview and a thrilling narrative.
The art team utilizes cutting-edge rendering technology and exceptionally high aesthetic standards to establish the game's visual benchmark, and the design team is tasked with packaging that narrative and art into a solid, engaging gameplay system. We are absolutely thrilled to have this opportunity to share the ins and outs of developing and running this game with our players!
RPG Site: When creating a new playable Path in Honkai: Star Rail, do you design it based where the story is right now, or mechanics right from the beginning?
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Actually, it's more of a constant back-and-forth polishing process between the two. The story usually provides a direction and a tonal restraint, such as what kind of philosophy this Path represents and its place in the world. Meanwhile, the gameplay needs to build on this foundation to find an implementation that is both viable and expressive.
Throughout this process, we also constantly verify: Does this gameplay truly "belong" to this Path, or is it just a mechanic that could be swapped out at will? We genuinely hope that when players experience it, they naturally feel that this combat style and its corresponding Path are unified, rather than disconnected.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Actually, it's more of a constant back-and-forth polishing process between the two. The story usually provides a direction and a tonal restraint, such as what kind of philosophy this Path represents and its place in the world. Meanwhile, the gameplay needs to build on this foundation to find an implementation that is both viable and expressive.
Throughout this process, we also constantly verify: Does this gameplay truly "belong" to this Path, or is it just a mechanic that could be swapped out at will? We genuinely hope that when players experience it, they naturally feel that this combat style and its corresponding Path are unified, rather than disconnected.
RPG Site: For each major update bringing in new playable characters, how do you choose what mechanics to demonstrate in the initial set of characters?
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Whenever we introduce new playable characters in a major version update, we generally trace things back to one root question: What is the "core change" we want players to feel this time around?
If an update rolls out with new mechanics or gameplay features, we need to make sure they are clearly understood and perceived with clarity. This means keeping the character designs relatively focused, letting players build up their intuition quickly instead of being bogged down and deterred by overly complicated changes.
Building on that, we also think about the pacing and division of roles within a team. For instance, can different characters pull off natural synergies together? We want players to get a real feel for where a new mechanic fits into the overall system while they're test-driving it.
Another big thing on our radar is "room for expansion." The first wave of characters isn't just there to flex the current gameplay. They need to leave the door open for future characters to grow and shake things up. This paves the way for pulling off totally fresh synergies, letting everyone discover even more team setups as they play.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Whenever we introduce new playable characters in a major version update, we generally trace things back to one root question: What is the "core change" we want players to feel this time around?
If an update rolls out with new mechanics or gameplay features, we need to make sure they are clearly understood and perceived with clarity. This means keeping the character designs relatively focused, letting players build up their intuition quickly instead of being bogged down and deterred by overly complicated changes.
Building on that, we also think about the pacing and division of roles within a team. For instance, can different characters pull off natural synergies together? We want players to get a real feel for where a new mechanic fits into the overall system while they're test-driving it.
Another big thing on our radar is "room for expansion." The first wave of characters isn't just there to flex the current gameplay. They need to leave the door open for future characters to grow and shake things up. This paves the way for pulling off totally fresh synergies, letting everyone discover even more team setups as they play.
RPG Site: Planarcadia's mini-games feature various homages to mechanics from and specific games like some puzzles in Fez, Mario-like timed challenges and warp pipes. Were these chosen for gameplay reasons mainly or because folks on the development team wanted to pay tribute to them?
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: When designing the related gameplay, our primary focus is the overall experience itself: Whether it fits the world-building, and whether it introduces a natural shift to the pacing of the stages. Mini-games act more like a palate cleanser between main narratives. We want them to be relaxing and intuitive, while still adding some rhythm to the pacing of the playthrough.
With this in mind, we selected mechanics that are relatively easy to understand, such as puzzles with a stronger spatial focus, challenges with tighter pacing, or movement methods with clear guidance. These elements inherently possess clear gameplay logic, allowing the player to get into the zone much faster.
For us, what's more important is whether they are applied appropriately here. When players don't have to spend too much effort understanding the rules, they can focus more on the immediate experience itself. This is something we've consistently cared about during the design process.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: When designing the related gameplay, our primary focus is the overall experience itself: Whether it fits the world-building, and whether it introduces a natural shift to the pacing of the stages. Mini-games act more like a palate cleanser between main narratives. We want them to be relaxing and intuitive, while still adding some rhythm to the pacing of the playthrough.
With this in mind, we selected mechanics that are relatively easy to understand, such as puzzles with a stronger spatial focus, challenges with tighter pacing, or movement methods with clear guidance. These elements inherently possess clear gameplay logic, allowing the player to get into the zone much faster.
For us, what's more important is whether they are applied appropriately here. When players don't have to spend too much effort understanding the rules, they can focus more on the immediate experience itself. This is something we've consistently cared about during the design process.
RPG Site: One of the highlights of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail over the years for me has been the music. I enjoy digging into it with a friend of mine who is classically trained. With so much music behind Honkai: Star Rail already, what sort of direction do you hope to take the game when it comes to music for its 4th year?
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: First of all, we are deeply honored that our music has been recognized by you and your friends in the field. We couldn't have built such a massive and diverse music library for Honkai: Star Rail without the ongoing feedback and support of our players.
Our music creation philosophy is closely tied to the development of the game's story. During the creative process, we constantly reflect on this: when players face a formidable foe, when the plot direction reaches a climax, or when a character reveals their true feelings, what kind of melody will instantly strike a chord in everyone's hearts? In the future, whether utilizing classical orchestral arrangements or experimenting with new instruments, we will focus even more on ensuring the music aligns perfectly with the natural ebb and flow of the in-game performances.
We hope that in the years to come, whenever you close your eyes and listen to a certain melody, you won't just marvel at the beauty of the music itself, but will instantly recall the memory of the laughter and tears you shared with your companions on that planet. This is the direction we will always continue to strive toward.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: First of all, we are deeply honored that our music has been recognized by you and your friends in the field. We couldn't have built such a massive and diverse music library for Honkai: Star Rail without the ongoing feedback and support of our players.
Our music creation philosophy is closely tied to the development of the game's story. During the creative process, we constantly reflect on this: when players face a formidable foe, when the plot direction reaches a climax, or when a character reveals their true feelings, what kind of melody will instantly strike a chord in everyone's hearts? In the future, whether utilizing classical orchestral arrangements or experimenting with new instruments, we will focus even more on ensuring the music aligns perfectly with the natural ebb and flow of the in-game performances.
We hope that in the years to come, whenever you close your eyes and listen to a certain melody, you won't just marvel at the beauty of the music itself, but will instantly recall the memory of the laughter and tears you shared with your companions on that planet. This is the direction we will always continue to strive toward.
RPG Site: Honkai: Star Rail debuted on iOS, Android, and PC. I've enjoyed playing HoYoverse games mainly on modern iOS devices, but I also love the PS5 features like haptic feedback. I feel like the turn-based gameplay is a perfect fit for portable play, but I also appreciate the amazing visuals when I play it on my PS5. Are there any plans to bring Honkai: Star Rail to Nintendo consoles (Switch 1/2) and Steam in the future for Steam Deck play natively?
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We've always wanted to let more players embark on their Honkai: Star Rail adventure in a way that feels familiar and comfortable. That's why, ever since the game's launch, we've been keeping a close eye on the experience and potential for adaptation across different platforms.
When it comes to adding new platforms, we generally conduct comprehensive evaluations from multiple angles, including device performance, control adaptation, the maintenance efficiency of future product versions, and update stability over long-term operations. As for expanding to even more platforms, we ask that players please stay tuned for our upcoming official announcements.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We've always wanted to let more players embark on their Honkai: Star Rail adventure in a way that feels familiar and comfortable. That's why, ever since the game's launch, we've been keeping a close eye on the experience and potential for adaptation across different platforms.
When it comes to adding new platforms, we generally conduct comprehensive evaluations from multiple angles, including device performance, control adaptation, the maintenance efficiency of future product versions, and update stability over long-term operations. As for expanding to even more platforms, we ask that players please stay tuned for our upcoming official announcements.
RPG Site: Three years later, I'm curious how the team plans out future updates and content drops because people have less time these days and a few friends of mine have struggled keeping up with Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero, and Genshin Impact causing them to drop one or two of them for a bit to focus on another game. I know you have a cadence of reveal to release for patches, but I'm curious how you feel about people not having enough time to play all these games.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Thank you for the question. This is absolutely something we've prioritized throughout our long-term operation phase. We completely understand that many players' time is becoming increasingly fragmented nowadays. It's a reality that any live-service game must face head-on. As far as we're concerned, players are totally free to allocate their playtime according to their own preferences and the pace of their life. There's no need to dive into every single version or every piece of content with the exact same intensity.
Some players are all about the main storyline, while others might prefer focusing on events or character building — and these are all perfectly normal choices. Meanwhile, our team is committed to further optimizing quality of life and the overall gameplay flow. This includes streamlining high-frequency actions, reducing the grind for character building, and integrating various features. We want players to spend their time actually enjoying the content they're passionate about, rather than consuming it on tedious tasks.
When designing each version, we try our best to balance the needs of different player types: not only providing deep, immersive main storylines and character progression, but also including relatively lightweight events and gameplay that you can select to engage with at your own pace. We really don't want players feeling pressured to "keep up." Instead, we'd much rather everyone simply enjoy this cosmic fantasy adventure whenever the time feels right for them. Ultimately, to us, long-term companionship means a whole lot more than short-term grinding.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Thank you for the question. This is absolutely something we've prioritized throughout our long-term operation phase. We completely understand that many players' time is becoming increasingly fragmented nowadays. It's a reality that any live-service game must face head-on. As far as we're concerned, players are totally free to allocate their playtime according to their own preferences and the pace of their life. There's no need to dive into every single version or every piece of content with the exact same intensity.
Some players are all about the main storyline, while others might prefer focusing on events or character building — and these are all perfectly normal choices. Meanwhile, our team is committed to further optimizing quality of life and the overall gameplay flow. This includes streamlining high-frequency actions, reducing the grind for character building, and integrating various features. We want players to spend their time actually enjoying the content they're passionate about, rather than consuming it on tedious tasks.
When designing each version, we try our best to balance the needs of different player types: not only providing deep, immersive main storylines and character progression, but also including relatively lightweight events and gameplay that you can select to engage with at your own pace. We really don't want players feeling pressured to "keep up." Instead, we'd much rather everyone simply enjoy this cosmic fantasy adventure whenever the time feels right for them. Ultimately, to us, long-term companionship means a whole lot more than short-term grinding.
RPG Site: While I was happy to see a retail Honkai: Star Rail PS5 disc release for the bonus merchandise and in-game content, I want to know if it did well enough for you to do another one for Honkai: Star Rail, and also if there are plans to expand the retail presence to release vinyl soundtracks in the West for specific patch songs and the main soundtrack.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We are thrilled to see players so passionate about the PS5 physical disc edition and its accompanying merchandise. For us, these physical products are more than just a simple release format, they are a way to extend the memories of your in-game journey into real life. Whether it's the packaging design, the included goodies, or its collectible value, we hope it can hold a special memory of the bond between players and Honkai: Star Rail.
As for whether the market response to this physical edition will pave the way for more similar products in the future, and whether we'll be bringing offline retail, vinyl records, and physical soundtracks to more overseas regions, we will continue to evaluate based on player feedback, regional demand, and our overall future plans. Regardless, we definitely want to bring the charm of our characters, music, and world to our global players in more diverse ways. For specific formats and release schedules, please keep an eye out for future official information.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We are thrilled to see players so passionate about the PS5 physical disc edition and its accompanying merchandise. For us, these physical products are more than just a simple release format, they are a way to extend the memories of your in-game journey into real life. Whether it's the packaging design, the included goodies, or its collectible value, we hope it can hold a special memory of the bond between players and Honkai: Star Rail.
As for whether the market response to this physical edition will pave the way for more similar products in the future, and whether we'll be bringing offline retail, vinyl records, and physical soundtracks to more overseas regions, we will continue to evaluate based on player feedback, regional demand, and our overall future plans. Regardless, we definitely want to bring the charm of our characters, music, and world to our global players in more diverse ways. For specific formats and release schedules, please keep an eye out for future official information.
RPG Site: Now that we had a Fate/Stay Night collaboration and I know David Jiang is a fan of it, I'm curious if you can comment on the possibility of a Falcom collaboration with Trails in the Sky 2nd Chapter releasing this year.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We have always deeply respected and admired diverse creators and outstanding works, and we are incredibly excited to launch a collaboration with Fate/stay night [UBW] that will leave many players pleasantly surprised. For us, the true meaning of a collaboration goes beyond simply being "encounters between famous properties." What matters more is whether both sides can spark a genuinely fascinating chemical reaction in terms of tone, theme, and player emotions.
As for whether we will team up with more classic or incredible works in the future, we will carefully evaluate this from multiple angles, such as thematic synergy, the way characters are portrayed, the format of the collaboration, and whether we can deliver an experience that feels sufficiently fresh and sincere for the players. We don't have any concrete plans to announce right now, but these kinds of cross-franchise exchanges remain very much on our radar. If the right opportunity arises in the future, we hope to bring you even more content that leaves you pleasantly surprised.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: We have always deeply respected and admired diverse creators and outstanding works, and we are incredibly excited to launch a collaboration with Fate/stay night [UBW] that will leave many players pleasantly surprised. For us, the true meaning of a collaboration goes beyond simply being "encounters between famous properties." What matters more is whether both sides can spark a genuinely fascinating chemical reaction in terms of tone, theme, and player emotions.
As for whether we will team up with more classic or incredible works in the future, we will carefully evaluate this from multiple angles, such as thematic synergy, the way characters are portrayed, the format of the collaboration, and whether we can deliver an experience that feels sufficiently fresh and sincere for the players. We don't have any concrete plans to announce right now, but these kinds of cross-franchise exchanges remain very much on our radar. If the right opportunity arises in the future, we hope to bring you even more content that leaves you pleasantly surprised.
RPG Site: How do you like your coffee? Go into as much detail as possible.
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Coffee just like Navigator Himeko's hand-brewed coffee! Haha, just kidding, we love all kinds of coffee! But seriously, we really want to try Himeko's hand-brewed coffee. Even though the rest of the Express Crew seems to think her taste is a bit "unique," there's no way the elegant and sophisticated boss lady of the Astral Express, who totally stole the show in Planarcadia, could actually have bad taste!
Honkai: Star Rail Development Team: Coffee just like Navigator Himeko's hand-brewed coffee! Haha, just kidding, we love all kinds of coffee! But seriously, we really want to try Himeko's hand-brewed coffee. Even though the rest of the Express Crew seems to think her taste is a bit "unique," there's no way the elegant and sophisticated boss lady of the Astral Express, who totally stole the show in Planarcadia, could actually have bad taste!