In an exciting move announced during the latest Honkai Star Rail (HSR) livestream, HoYoverse revealed plans to revamp several fan-favorite characters in the upcoming HSR 3.4 update. Kafka, Silver Wolf, Blade, and Jingliu are set to receive some much-anticipated reworks to bring them back into the spotlight. While the developers haven’t yet shared specific details about the changes, it’s clear they’re responding to the community’s requests for these characters to regain their former glory.
Provided there aren’t any setbacks, we can expect HSR 3.4 to roll out by early July 2025, right on schedule.
When they originally launched in 2023, these four characters were regarded as top-tier choices in the game. Kafka even saw a resurgence in 2024 with Acheron’s introduction. But over time, their abilities have waned in comparison to newer characters. Jingliu, for instance, demands significant investment yet struggles to match the damage output of similar heroes. Kafka has seen hardly any synergy with recent characters, and the newcomer Mydei is essentially just a revamped version of Blade.
The issue of “powercreep” isn’t unfamiliar territory for gacha games like Honkai Star Rail. However, it’s somewhat surprising for a HoYoverse game, given that titles like Genshin Impact still boast powerful characters from the game’s early days, maintaining their positions on tier lists and capable of tackling endgame challenges. Meanwhile, in Zenless Zone Zero, players often rely on the original trio of free characters to conquer bosses and tough opponents without problems. These games have adapted without discarding the viability of their roster.
As it stands, HoYoverse hasn’t indicated similar overhauls for other characters like Bailu, Yanqing, Natasha, Hook, and Welt. There’s no indication right now that this will change any time soon.
For those interested in older characters, version 3.2 will soon offer players an exciting choice: the opportunity to select one of two free 5-star characters, either Ruan Mei or Luocha, adding another layer of strategy and choice to the game.
