Is Honkai: Star Rail a Sequel? Answered

HoYoverse is synonymous with free-to-play gacha RPGs, and Honkai: Star Rail is no exception. Blending strategic turn-based combat with exploration, dungeon-crawling, and an end of the world sci-fi narrative, there’s plenty for players to see and do. One query that continues to crop up is whether Honkai: Star Rail is a sequel or not. Well, we’re going to answer that very question down below. Let’s get into the details, shall we?

Is Honkai Star Rail a Sequel to Honkai Impact 3rd?

To cut a long story short, no, Honkai: Star Rail is not a direct sequel to Honkai Impact 3rd or any other Honkai games. Despite the similarities in title, Honkai: Star Rail is in fact a standalone experience that can be played with no prior knowledge of the previous games.

What muddies the water even further is the fact that Honkai Star Rail is actually set in the same universe as the Honkai games and Genshin Impact as well. As a consequence, assuming that HSR is a sequel to the other Honkai games is an easy mistake to make.

Don’t just take our word for it, though. In a recent interview conducted by One Esports, HoYoverse went on record to clarify the game’s sequel status:

We’d like to emphasize that Honkai Star Rail is not a direct sequel to Honkai Impact 3rd, but a new game for everyone. Except for Welt, every previous character in the series will show up with brand-new identities in Star Rail, so players do not need to worry about its connection with other games.

So, that wraps things up for our guide on whether Honkai: Star Rail is a sequel or not. For more, here’s how to level up fast in-game. Or if you’d rather, take a gander at our further coverage down below.