HoYoverse recently announced that Version 4.4 of Honkai: Star Rail launches on July 15, bringing with it the return of HSR’s Fate/stay night collab.
This new HSR version update is titled “In Ravages Does the Whistle Sound,” and it will continue the story as Planarcadia faces a major crisis. Here, players will confront the Lord Ravager Asat Pramad. For most players, though, the highlight of this version is the second phase, which will bring back the Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] collaboration, this time with two new fan-favorite Fate characters.
The update’s new story is described by HoYoverse as:
At the end of the previous chapter, the Lord Ravager Asat Pramad unveiled his disguise to reveal his true self and shattered the peace that had been sustained for fifteen years in Planarcadia. After the conflict broke out, Himeko vanished during her confrontation with Asat Pramad. Before she disappeared, she left behind a hidden clue related to the Express. In this version’s story, the Trailblazer tracks down and deciphers the clue to locate Himeko. Asat Pramad’s obsession with Himeko’s identity and the truth from fifteen years ago may just be the key to unraveling his motive. Ultimately, the Trailblazer will face Asat Pramad in battle. Will Planarcadia survive this game of destruction threatening its existence?
As the initial HSR x Fate collab introduced Saber and Archer, the crossover’s return fittingly brings Rin Tohsaka and Gilgamesh as new playable characters. These two will play key roles in the special Fate/stay night chapter, which will begin on July 24.
When it comes to gameplay, Rin Tohsaka is a 5-star Quantum-Type character following the Path of Erudition. She uses gems in combat, a nd she gains a set amount of “Gem Energy” and deals multiple additional instances of DMG to a random target by consuming the Gem Energy she has. As Rin consumes more Gem Energy, she can deal additional DMG. Plus, when teammates get Skill Points, CRIT DMG also increases.
As for Gilgamesh, he is a 5-star Lightning-Type character following the Path of Destruction. In battle, each ally unit taking action can accumulate “Interest” for Gilgamesh. This enables him to regenerate Energy and increases the DMG of his Ultimate. Then, when the Interest reaches its threshold, Gilgamesh unlocks his signature skill, Gate of Babylon. As in the Fate series, Gate of Babylon deals damage to multiple enemies courtesy of a rain of weapons. As for his Ultimate, Gilgamesh uses Enuma Elish for even more DMG.
Players will be able to claim Gilgamesh or Archer as one of the free limited 5-star characters starting July 24 until Version 4.6 ends.
While Rin and Gilgamesh are the highlight additions, Version 4.4 will also feature the new form of Himeko – Himeko • Nova. She is a Fire-Type character following the Path of Erudition, who deploys a Territory and summons the mech “Starblazer” in combat. When using her ultimate, Himeko • Nova leads her allies to pilot Starblazer to attack enemies. Plus, when using her Technique during overworld exploration, Himeko • Nova can pilot her mech and attack enemies from the sky.
Finally, the collab event Fate/Star Rail Night will take place this month. Here, players will help track down the king’s treasures with Rin, and then unravel the truth behind the Imagenae: Holy Grail War.
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.4 launches on all platforms on July 15, 2026.
In related news, HoYoverse has teamed up with UGREEN for a new HSR tech collab, featuring mobile accessories with designs inspired by Yao Guang.