Honkai: Star Rail

Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.5, titled "To Roll the Stars in Astropolis," is scheduled to launch on August 26, 2026. The update will take the Trailblazer to Astropolis, an important Interastral Peace Corporation stronghold and luxury vacation destination. It will also introduce Robin · Summeretto and Aventurine · Waveflair as new playable characters, alongside new events, story content, Light Cones, and a Divergent Universe update. HoYoverse's official Version 4.5 trailer and the official Special Program summary provide the main confirmed details.

With only a short time remaining before launch, players should focus on resources that will remain useful regardless of their banner choices. This guide explains what to finish, what to save, and how to prepare your account without relying on unconfirmed material requirements or leaks.

Players planning to pull for the upcoming characters may also choose to Top Up HSR Oneiric Shard at Z2U.com, but they should first review their current pity, guarantee status, and available Stellar Jade to avoid unnecessary spending.

Version 4.5 Preparation Checklist

1. Confirm the Release Date and Finish Version 4.4

Version 4.5 is scheduled for August 26, 2026. The official Version 4.4 update notice states that Version 4.4 runs until August 26 at 06:00 UTC+8, after which the new update is expected to arrive following maintenance. Players should check the in-game Notices menu for the exact maintenance schedule and regional conversion before launch. The Version 4.4 update notice remains the best reference for the current version's duration.

Before maintenance begins, prioritize content with an expiration timer. Permanent content can wait, but limited rewards generally cannot be recovered after their associated event ends.

Your final Version 4.4 checklist should include:

• Claim all completed event rewards. 

• Finish limited event objectives that offer Stellar Jade. 

• Collect rewards from the current Nameless Honor period. 

• Complete daily training before maintenance. 

• Use assignments and claim their materials. 

• Check the Simulated Universe or Divergent Universe weekly reward track. 

• Complete available Memory of Chaos, Pure Fiction, or Apocalyptic Shadow stages. 

• Review the current Warp banners before they close. 

• Claim any uncollected mail and web-event rewards. 

Do not spend several hours chasing a minor reward if you cannot reasonably finish the entire event. Prioritize Stellar Jade, Tracks of Destiny, Self-Modeling Resin, character materials, and other limited high-value items.

2. Choose Between Robin · Summeretto and Aventurine · Waveflair

The most important preparation decision is deciding which banner phase matters more to your account.

According to the Version 4.5 announcement, Robin · Summeretto is a five-star Wind character following the Path of Remembrance. She will appear during the first half of the update. Her teammates' actions accumulate Vibes, and her abilities can bring the team into a Fever Pitch state that provides stronger buffs as allies act more frequently. Her Ultimate allows a selected teammate to act immediately and restores that character's Energy.

The first-half banners will include:

• Robin · Summeretto 

• Her five-star Light Cone, Rise and Sing

• A rerun of Hyacine 

• The new four-star Light Cone, A Little Getaway

Aventurine · Waveflair arrives in the second half beginning September 12. He is a five-star Quantum character on the Path of Elation. His abilities and teammate actions accumulate Punchline and Fervor. Once enough Fervor is accumulated, he can trigger an extra Elation Skill that attacks all enemies while also dealing random single-target damage.

The second-half banners will include:

• Aventurine · Waveflair 

• His five-star Light Cone, Summer Rides the Surf

• A rerun of Ashveil 

Before selecting a target, consider the following questions:

• Does your account need another support or a new damage dealer? 

• Do you already have teammates that take frequent actions? 

• Would the new character improve multiple teams or only one specialized lineup? 

• Are you interested in a rerun character more than either new unit? 

• Can you guarantee the character, or would you be depending on an early five-star pull? 

• Is the signature Light Cone necessary for your goal, or would a character provide more value? 

Players interested in Aventurine · Waveflair have additional saving time because his banner begins in the second half. Avoid spending on the first phase simply because the new update has arrived.

3. Calculate Your Warp Budget

Open the Warp menu and review your recent history. You need to know three things:

• Your approximate pity count 

• Whether your next five-star character is guaranteed to be the featured unit 

• How many Stellar Jades and Star Rail Special Passes you currently own 

A limited character pull costs 160 Stellar Jade. Therefore, 50 pulls require 8,000 Jade, while 90 pulls require 14,400 Jade. However, reaching a five-star does not always mean obtaining the featured character unless your next result is guaranteed.

Use this simple planning table:

Do not convert Stellar Jade into passes until you are ready to pull. Keeping Jade unconverted reduces the risk of purchasing the wrong pass type.

4. Farm Universal Resources Instead of Unconfirmed Materials

Exact character ascension and Trace requirements should be verified through official character previews or the in-game material guide. Until those details are available, farming alleged requirements from unofficial lists creates unnecessary risk.

The safest resources to stockpile are:

• Credits 

• Traveler's Guides 

• Refined Aether 

• Tracks of Destiny 

• Tears of Dreams 

• Relic Remains 

• Lost Crystals and other Relic EXP materials 

• Fuel 

• Reserved Trailblaze Power 

Credits disappear quickly when raising a new character, upgrading Traces, leveling a Light Cone, and enhancing Relics at the same time. Character EXP and Light Cone EXP are equally reliable investments because they are not tied to one specific unit.

Save some Fuel rather than spending all of it before the update. If Robin · Summeretto or Aventurine · Waveflair uses a newly introduced material, saved Fuel will let you begin farming immediately after Version 4.5 launches.

5. Prepare Relics Conservatively

Players can prepare provisional Relic pieces, but they should avoid overinvesting before reviewing the final in-game kit.

The official descriptions indicate that Robin · Summeretto benefits teams that act frequently, while Aventurine · Waveflair's damage also scales with team activity. Nevertheless, these descriptions do not provide enough information to confirm ideal Relic sets, main stats, speed breakpoints, or team rotations.

A safe Relic strategy is to:

• Lock promising pieces with Speed, CRIT, ATK, Energy Regeneration, or other broadly useful stats. 

• Keep flexible two-piece combinations. 

• Save Self-Modeling Resin until the preferred main stats are confirmed. 

• Retain potentially useful Planar Ornaments rather than immediately salvaging them. 

• Avoid enhancing several speculative pieces to Level 15. 

• Wait for the official in-game kit before committing rare resources. 

Preparing flexible equipment is useful. Building an entire set around an unofficial calculation is not.

6. Prepare Teams, Not Just Individual Characters

Both new five-star characters interact with teammate actions, making roster preparation especially important. Review characters that can advance turns, attack frequently, launch follow-up attacks, or support high-action rotations.

You do not need to build every possible partner before launch. Instead, identify two or three existing characters that are already close to completion. Upgrade their levels, Light Cones, and important Traces first. A fully functional team is more valuable than one newly maxed character surrounded by unfinished supports.

Also review your sustain options. If your preferred team requires unusually frequent Skill usage, check whether its Skill Point economy remains stable. Test your current rotation in endgame content and note whether Energy, survivability, or Skill Points are the main limitation.

7. Leave Trailblaze Power Available for New Content

Version 4.5 introduces Astropolis, new story content, events, and a Divergent Universe gameplay update. The confirmed events include:

• Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix, a racing event in which the Trailblazer acts as a team principal 

• Minuscule Great Adventure, featuring lighter stage-based challenges 

• Planar Fissure, offering double Planar Ornament drops 

• Realm of the Strange, offering double Cavern Relic drops 

• A new Trailblaze Fashion item called "Aw, Look Up Here"

Because double-drop events have collection limits, players should use their available attempts while the events are active. However, there is no need to maintain a permanently full Power bar before launch. Natural regeneration stops once the normal limit is reached, so excessive hoarding can reduce total account progression.

A practical approach is to enter maintenance with enough flexibility to farm new materials soon after logging in, while avoiding several days of capped Power.

8. Prepare Your Device and Account

Large version updates can cause storage or download problems, especially on mobile devices. Before August 26:

• Free additional storage space. 

• Update your operating system if necessary. 

• Confirm that your HoYoverse account is properly linked. 

• Record or verify your login method. 

• Enable available account security features. 

• Download pre-installation resources when HoYoverse makes them available. 

• Avoid uninstalling the game unless storage problems require it. 

Version 4.5 will also add an option to speed up story dialogue. The feature can be turned on or off during dialogue, so players who want to experience the Astropolis story normally will not be forced to use it.

Final Priority Order

If you have limited playtime before Version 4.5, complete these tasks in order:

1. Claim expiring Version 4.4 rewards. 

2. Finish weekly and endgame reward cycles. 

3. Check pity, guarantee, and available pulls. 

4. Select one primary banner target. 

5. Stockpile Credits and universal EXP materials. 

6. Save Fuel and rare crafting resources. 

7. Prepare flexible Relics and existing teammates. 

8. Free device storage and watch for pre-installation. 

The best preparation for Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.5 is not farming every rumored material. It is entering Astropolis with a clear Warp plan, a reserve of universal resources, expiring rewards already claimed, and enough flexibility to respond to the final in-game requirements. If you have limited time to complete unfinished objectives, you can Buy Honkai: Star Rail Boosting Service from Z2U platform. This approach can help players begin Version 4.5 with fewer unfinished tasks and more time for the new story and events.