Interview: Honkai Star Rail lead designer talks epic Aeons and lasting memories aboard the Astral Express
Only good things to come for Trailblazers out there
If you haven't been keeping up with the latest, you should know that Honkai: Star Rail's recently launched update is massive in more ways than one. The RPG has been making waves since it launched, and for good reason - one of the main ones is the fact that its narrative is, as my own brother puts it, "just so, so good".
Obviously, it's not just him who's enamoured with the deep lore of Honkai: Star Rail, as HoYoverse's space fantasy adventure is happily enjoying over 10 million downloads on Google Play alone. It's hard to believe it's been three years since it launched - I still fondly remember how much I enjoyed giving it a go in its early access phase way back when.
Now, with its Planarcadia arc drawing to a close, it's only fitting that we peek behind the curtain to see the inner workings of this epic tale - something we luckily got the chance to do over at the HoYoverse Media Tour 2026 in Seoul (answers have been edited for clarity and brevity).
During the roundtable interview with ChengNan An, Lead Game Designer of Honkai: Star Rail, we learned more about Version 4.7 - particularly Aha, the God of all Elations, which is also what ChengNan An says he is most excited for. For the uninitiated, Aeons are the Ultimate Beings here, and with the arrival of Aha, everyone will finally get the very first playable Aeon.
Apart from that, there are also more exciting things to look forward to over the horizon. "We started a new design to break free from the limit of the 4-character team to bring players a fresh experience. This allows you to create different team combinations, strategies, and options in battle, providing a sense of novelty."
It was nice to hear how the team is continuously improving on the combat elements too, especially since Honkai: Star Rail has such a robust turn-based battle system (which I really appreciate!). "Looking at the history of turn-based games, we see that it's already been well-loved by players for a long time. The team is a big fan of turn-based games, so we learned from the classics of the genre and realised that there's room for expansion there. We also created something more story-driven but still builds upon the action of Honkai Impact 3rd. We're so glad that players are rediscovering the charm of turn-based combat, and we're happy to be a part of it!"
Major updates for the latest version include reward stages as well, and with all these new additions, the notion of keeping things balanced for newbies and veterans remains the same. "In the future, we will also look for more ways to reduce our players' burdens while playing," he says.
That's actually something I've always been curious about - live service games are a huge challenge, so how can the team give HSR lasting power and yet make sure it stays accessible to new players who might be intimidated by the RPG and its deep lore?
"Ever since Honkai: Star Rail's launch, we have been continuously looking into how to provide our players with fresh experiences while keeping the barrier to entry low. Shortly after the launch, we already added some quality-of-life designs to help our players have more flexible options," he explains. "We also have features that help players get into the storyline more easily, or they can accelerate the dialogue if they want to. They can also get into the latest content without worrying too much about the prerequisite quests. More importantly, we always need to introduce something new for our players, such as Aha and the new gameplay modes."
This goes hand-in-hand with the entire planning process that also takes into consideration all kinds of player feedback. "We always try to balance long-term planning and instant changes too," he adds.
Obviously, this includes improvements not just within the game itself but also in how it runs, particularly with mobile devices getting far more advanced as the years go by (and file sizes getting bigger and bigger). I did have to bring up the inevitability of the iPhone Duo, which they're already on top of. "We keep improving our game to adapt to modern platforms, and in terms of the iPhone Duo, we already received the requirements for adaptation, so stay tuned for more info on that!"
Based on everything I learned at the interview, at the end of the day, what keeps the fire burning for Honkai: Star Rail, in my opinion, is the fervent passion that the entire team has for bringing emotional stories to players - true to the Honkai brand. ChengNan An echoes this.
"We work together to give our players lasting memories, so what I enjoy most is when, after all our efforts, we finally see the highlights of the storyline or the characters in-game, and that moment is what I enjoy most, along with seeing players react to how they've been impacted by the game. The characters give them a new perspective on how to tackle difficulties in the real world. They find a way to live a better life, and that's the most touching moment."
And before we wrap up, he shares his wishes for the community moving forward. "Honkai: Star Rail is a journey that continues throughout different planets, and for our development team, it is also a journey of exploration. We strive to keep giving players surprises through stories, characters, and game modes," he concludes. "We want to give players lots of memories to look back on, so that years down the line, they'll recall that one person or that one moment they experienced, and that will bring them joy."
It's safe to say that things are only going to get better from here, especially with such a dedicated and inspiring team giving the RPG their all. So, full steam ahead for the Astral Express!
