Honkai Star Rail Might Get A Major Character Return for its 3rd Anniversary Next Year, and We Might Know Who It Is
If you’ve been playing Honkai Star Rail as of late, you’d know that the story has been pretty good as we’re getting some good character development on March 7th after so long. If you’ve also played Honkai Impact, you might be wondering if we’ll see more from that universe aside from Welt Yang or expys like Phainon. Now, it looks like a major character’s return is being planned for the game’s 3rd anniversary.
Yae Sakura Might Be Coming to Honkai Star Rail
A new leak indicates that Honkai Star Rail will introduce Yae Sakura as part of the game’s 3rd anniversary celebration in 2026. The turn-based RPG from HoYoverse has steadily expanded its roster since launch, with recent updates adding characters such as Hysilens in Version 3.5 and Cerydra scheduled to arrive later in the same patch.
The leak, shared by Anon Leaks, claims Yae Sakura will debut in Version 4.2, which is expected to launch in April 2026. She is rumored to join as an Ice Elation character, with HoYoverse reportedly planning an “Elation Battleship” team composition around her. Version 4.2 is also said to introduce the Elation Path, a new playable Path tied to the game’s 5th world, with additional characters including a Trailblazer variant and a new version of Sparkle.
Honkai Star Rail has often drawn from Honkai Impact 3rd, featuring alternate versions of characters like Bronya, Seele, and Acheron, while Welt Yang directly connects both games. Seeing Yae Sakura in the game will certainly make a whole lot of fans happy, while also making Hoyoverse a ton of money.
Players will not need to wait until the anniversary for new content. Version 3.6 is set to expand the roster with Evernight, an Ice Remembrance character linked to March 7th, and Dan Heng’s new form “Permansor Terrae,” a Physical Preservation unit. With several updates already planned, Honkai Star Rail looks set for major roster growth ahead of its 3rd anniversary. For now, do take the information on Yae Sakura with a grain of salt as anything can change from now until the 3rd anniversary. Stay tuned for further updates.
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