HoYoverse released Version 4.7, “Now, the Stars Are Enveloped in Laughter,” for the space fantasy RPG *Honkai: Star Rail* on November 11, 2026.In this update, the story of “The Biphasic Paradise” reaches its climax, and the game’s first playable Star God, “Star God ★ Ahha,” is introduced.
During the “HoYoverse Media Tour 2026,” held in South Korea starting November 3, a joint interview with Japanese media was conducted with Chengnan An (hereinafter referred to without honorifics), the game’s Chief Designer.
In this interview, we discussed a variety of topics, including the creative vision behind “Two-Phase Paradise”—a world vastly different from previous ones—the reasons for choosing Ahha as the first playable Star God, the character design of the Great Lord of Extinction “Gijaku,” and future game operation policies.
*The content of the joint interview has been edited for readability while maintaining the order of the remarks.
■ What “Two-Phase Paradise” sought to depict was the true nature of joy. The reason for making the Star God Ahha the first playable character is also revealed
――First, could you tell us about user reception of “Two-Phase Paradise” as a whole? This story features many depictions that resonate with modern society. Compared to previous worlds, were there any changes in your story creation approach or philosophy?
Chengnan An (hereinafter An): In the early stages of designing each world, we establish several keywords to define that world’s theme.
For example, the immortal vessel “Luofu” took up the age-old theme of seeking eternal youth and immortality. From there, we depict the conflict between the fates of “Abundance” and “Patrol,” as well as the relationships among various factions.
In Pinocony, the themes are “dreams” and “metropolises.” We felt this setting, where various factions converge, was well-suited for depicting the relationships between them.
On the other hand, Onparos is a world of data, but on the surface, it is inspired by ancient Greece and Rome. We believe it is exceptionally well-suited for depicting epic narratives featuring heroes.
As for Nisō Rakuen, from the very beginning, we wanted to explore themes such as “What is entertainment?”
To express this theme, we adopted a relatively modern worldview for the Biphasic Paradise. We’ve also incorporated a number of slightly quirky elements, internet culture, and various memes.
――I think the biggest highlight of this update is the addition of the Star God “Aha.” In the *Honkai: Star Rail* project, was it planned from the very beginning that Star Gods would be playable, and that Aha would be the first playable Star God?
An: It wasn’t so much that we decided from the start to make Star Gods playable, but rather that as we developed the game, the idea arose: “Wouldn’t it be interesting if Star Gods could participate in combat?”
At that point, we felt that Ahha was the most suitable Star God to introduce first.
This is because Ahha is the Star God of “Joy” and is a particularly human-like presence among the Star Gods.
In our interpretation, “Delight” is deeply connected to human emotions. Furthermore, Ahha actively interacts with people who walk the path of Delight. For this reason, we felt Ahha was exceptionally well-suited to expressing how gods and humans relate to one another and what kinds of interactions arise between them.
Furthermore, Ahha is not an omniscient, omnipotent deity. She is, after all, the Star God of “Delight,” and her design allows her to enjoy fighting alongside other characters while pursuing what she finds entertaining. Additionally, Ahha has a backstory in which she “pushed her humanity to the absolute limit to become a god, mastered the path of a god, and then returned to being human.”
We view *Honkai: Star Rail* as a work that, above all, centers on humans and tells human stories. Acha’s backstory aligns very well with the overall theme of the series.
――In the story so far, I think the focus has often been on conflicts between humans and various factions. Now that Aha is making her full-fledged debut, can we expect the stories involving the Star Gods to be explored in greater depth moving forward?
An: We don’t explicitly separate the story into “human stories” and “Stellar God stories.” In *Honkai: Star Rail*, we’ve wanted to convey the worldview surrounding the Stellar Gods to players since the game’s launch.
We’ve released promotional videos about the Star Gods in the past, and we’ve gradually unfolded that worldview through Onparos’s story. The new promotional video about the Star Gods that we recently released also contains foreshadowing that will tie into future story developments.
However, as I mentioned earlier, *Honkai: Star Rail* is, above all, a story about humans.
Even when depicting stories about the Star Gods, what we want to express are the fates of the people that emerge through their existence, as well as the problems humans face.
The story of the Two-Phase Paradise depicts the beginning of events leading up to the Starry Sky Train’s departure once again. In Version 4.7, we’ll delve even deeper into the story surrounding Akiviri. I hope you’ll keep an eye out for future developments regarding the Star Gods as well.
――The character “Kijaku,” the Lord of Extinction, left a very strong impression on me. With his backstory and unique appearance, he’s a truly compelling antagonist, and I get the sense that the development team put a great deal of effort into creating him. Could you tell us what your thoughts were regarding Kijaku’s design and backstory?
An: Kijaku is indeed one of the characters we put a great deal of effort into creating.
Although he is a Lord of Extinction, unlike the Lords of Extinction who have appeared so far, he possesses multiple identities, names, and a complex backstory. Kijaku has evolved his self-perception and stance from “Delight” to “Pioneering,” and finally to “Destruction.”
However, even after undergoing such profound changes, the spirit that seeks “Delight” still remains deep within him.
An: However, the Two-Phase Paradise was not a world that simply depicted “Delight” alone. While it is a world of Delight, there is a story about “Pioneering” in the background. And throughout the current universe, there exists a major threat known as “Destruction.” Kijaku was exceptionally well-suited to embodying these multiple destinies and worldviews as a single character.
The story of Nisō Rakuen is finally reaching its conclusion. I hope that through this conclusion, you’ll gain an even deeper understanding of the character Kijaku.
――As the story progresses, I think the world-building has become incredibly vast, encompassing the history of the universe and the Star Gods, the impact of Annihilation, and the settings of each planet. How does the development team organize and manage information regarding this world-building and these settings?
An: That’s a very complex question.
A dedicated IP team is in charge of managing the specific IP settings. Therefore, there are limits to what we can answer. As I may have mentioned in a previous interview, the IP team has its own management structure, with specific personnel in charge of each area and a manager overseeing the entire operation.
We work closely with the IP team whenever we create new worlds, advance the story, or introduce new characters. And the main story isn’t the only way we express the game’s world. For example, we utilize a variety of elements, such as side stories, NPC backstories, the atmosphere of maps, descriptions of shop items and food, and even promotional videos released outside the game.
Of course, the story is extremely important to us, but at the same time, we’re constantly thinking about “how to make the game more fun.” We aim to seamlessly integrate the game’s world with gameplay and provide players with new experiences in a variety of ways.
■ How Do We Address the Gap Between New and Veteran Players? Unexpected Ways to Play “Money Wars” Revealed
――It’s been some time since the service launched, and I imagine there are now significant differences among players in terms of the characters they own, their progression, and their understanding of the game. While I realize this situation is unavoidable in an ongoing game, what measures are you taking to ensure both new and long-time players can enjoy the game?
An: We’re tackling this from several main approaches.
First is how we deliver new content to players.
For example, during major updates that unlock new worlds, we ensure that both new players and long-time players can enjoy the new exploration experience while understanding the unique features of that world.
Also, for major milestones such as anniversary celebrations, we prepare rewards and perks to create an environment where even new players can easily get into the game. However, we don’t simply hand out rewards.
For example, in Version 4.7, we tied new content and perks to the game’s world through “gifts from Ahha.” By doing so, we believe players will accept them not as mere giveaways, but as part of the story.
Another aspect is the design of the gameplay itself.
We aim to design new content so that anyone can easily play it at first, while also allowing players to enjoy complex strategies as they delve deeper into the game.
For example, “Money Wars” features a system that allows players to reference recommended strategies and team compositions created by other players. Even without a deep understanding of the game mechanics, players can enjoy the mode relatively easily by following other players’ team compositions.
On the other hand, players with a deep understanding of the characters can rearrange their teams to suit their own style and pursue more flexible strategies. In this way, we aim for a design that both casual players and hardcore players can enjoy.
Over the past two years or so, we’ve also been making adjustments to allow for a more casual gaming experience. These include features to speed up game progression and systems that make it easier to access content in new worlds. Regarding character development, we’re also making adjustments to reduce the need for repetitive tasks, such as gathering materials.
As for characters, we’re exploring ways to make them easier to obtain than before. We’re not only adding new characters but also designing the game so that incorporating existing characters into new teams enables players to fight in ways they haven’t before.
We intend to continue making these adjustments so that both new players and long-time players can enjoy new content at roughly the same time.
――I’ve heard that in “Money Wars,” team compositions and playstyles emerged that the development team hadn’t anticipated. Could you give us a specific example of a team composition that actually surprised you?
An: There’s a common answer to both of those questions.
It’s Aglaia (laughs).
We had anticipated to some extent that equipment and team compositions that significantly boost Aglaia’s speed would emerge. However, we didn’t expect such team compositions to become so widespread among players.
An: I was particularly impressed that casual players, through Aglaia-based team compositions, came to understand the fun of “Money Wars” relatively early on and enjoyed the game.
This team composition sparked a wave of memes and fan creations among players, and it became a major talking point. The level of excitement it generated really exceeded our expectations.
In Version 4.7, a new season will begin in “Money Wars.”
This time, we’ve significantly overhauled the characters and team compositions, allowing players to enjoy new ways of fighting that differ from the setups they’ve grown accustomed to. We really hope you’ll try out various combinations.
――Let’s talk about “Mystical Star Souls,” the new system for enhancing existing characters. Why did you decide to strengthen them in this format rather than simply buffing their stats? And what was the reasoning behind selecting Yomi, DanhengYinyue, and Jingyuan for this update?
*“Mystical Star Souls” is a system where eligible characters unlock corresponding Star Souls to gain new additional skills and exclusive combat enhancements. In Ver. 4.7, the first three characters eligible are Yomi, DanhengYinyue, and Jingyuan.
An: Through numerous updates, *Honkai: Star Rail* has accumulated a large roster of characters who have accompanied players on their diverse journeys. We have always been thinking about how to ensure these characters can continue to showcase new charms in future storylines and gameplay, and have opportunities to remain part of players’ ongoing experiences.
We’ve already experimented with various approaches. For example, on the story front, we’ve brought characters who appeared in the past back to center stage to fill in the gaps of their untold stories.In terms of characters and gameplay, we’ve also experimented with enhancing existing characters. Of course, there are cases where older characters reappear in new forms—the new forms introduced for characters like Himeko, Aventurine, and Robin in the most recent version are precisely part of this effort.
“Mystical Star Souls” is one of the new approaches we’ve explored in Version 4.7. We want to offer players a fresh experience even with characters who haven’t appeared in new story content for a while.Therefore, through the “Mystical Star Souls” system, we’ve added new animation sequences, new exclusive illustrations, and new skill mechanics to these characters, enabling us to deliver a completely new experience to the players who love them. Keigen, Yomi, and DanhengYinyue are the first characters to benefit from this initiative.
Moving forward, we will continue to explore the best ways to bring each character back into the spotlight from the players’ perspective by combining story, character presentation, and gameplay experiences.
――I imagine that each version focuses on specific fates or parties—such as “Memory” in Onparos and “Delight” in the Two-Phase Paradise—but for parties that don’t fit into that trend, there are situations in current high-difficulty content where their combat effectiveness is lacking.How do you currently view the performance disparities between parties and among characters? Also, what is your plan for addressing these disparities moving forward?
An: First, we believe the turn-based RPG game system is exceptionally well-suited for expanding with new mechanics.
Every year, we set specific themes with the goal of bringing new possibilities to the turn-based RPG genre. Adding new Fates, such as “Memory” and “Delight,” is one way we do this. However, we do not design characters solely with these new Fates in mind.
In fact, we’ve introduced characters that don’t belong to any new Fates, and even characters with the same Fate may require different approaches to team composition. Furthermore, combining characters with different Fates can lead to new combat strategies.
When we implement new characters, our goal isn’t simply to make them deal more damage than before. By adding new characters and game systems, we aim to broaden the range of playstyles and strategies in turn-based battles and provide a more diverse range of enjoyment.
Regarding the content as a whole, we want both players who enjoy difficult challenges and those who prefer a more casual gaming experience to be able to find their own way to enjoy the game. We will continue to review and adjust this balance moving forward.
