HoYoverse Announces Character Revamps for Kafka and Beloved Classics in Honkai Star Rail Version 3.4

Honkai Star Rail is shaking things up with some exciting character reworks in the upcoming HSR 3.4 update. During the latest livestream, HoYoverse revealed that fan-favorite characters—Kafka, Silver Wolf, Blade, and Jingliu—are set for a makeover. The aim is to bring these once top-tier characters back into the spotlight, responding to the community’s calls for revamps. While HoYoverse hasn’t shared specific details about the changes, anticipation is already building.

If everything goes as planned, we can expect the HSR 3.4 update to roll out in early July 2025. These four characters were quite the powerhouses when they first graced the game back in 2023. Kafka, for instance, found a renewed purpose when the Acheron addition reshuffled strategies in 2024. Over time, though, their effectiveness and synergy within various teams have waned. For instance, Jingliu, despite players pouring in resources, still falls short in damage output compared to her peers; Kafka hasn’t collaborated with new damage-over-time allies for quite a while, and the newcomer Mydei has been dubbed “Blade 2.0.”

The phenomenon of “powercreep,” where older characters gradually lose their edge, isn’t unusual in the world of gacha games like Honkai Star Rail. Typically, though, HoYoverse’s recent titles manage to keep their heroes relevant for longer periods. Just look at Genshin Impact—many of its early standout characters are still rocking the tier lists and helping players conquer challenges without breaking a sweat. Zenless Zone Zero also lets you take on formidable foes right from the get-go with the same three characters you start with. While both games have grown, they’ve done so without sidelining their original cast.

However, there doesn’t seem to be a similar plan for other Honkai Star Rail characters. Characters like Bailu, Yanqing, Natasha, Hook, and Welt haven’t managed to keep up and there’s no indication of that changing anytime soon.

On a related note, if you’re nostalgic for the old guard, version 3.2 will give you a chance to snag one of two free 5-star characters, either Ruan Mei or Luocha.