Honkai: Star Rail 4.5 Launch Guide
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.5 will launch on August 26, 2026. The update features Robin: Summeretto and Aventurine: Waveflair, continues the Astropolis storyline, and brings the racing event Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix. The version will use a shortened five-week schedule. This guide organizes pre-update storage, launch-day story access, banner planning, event progression, and Trailblaze Power use around confirmed content rather than leaks.
Honkai: Star Rail4.9★ 232
Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.5 will launch on August 26, 2026, opening a new Astropolis chapter and featuring Robin: Summeretto and Aventurine: Waveflair. Trailblazers preparing Oneiric Shards for a confirmed character, Light Cone, outfit, or another real in-game purchase can use Topuplist and the dedicated Honkai: Star Rail top-up page, but the correct starting point is to claim the version's free resources and inspect the live banners before converting any currency. The update will also introduce Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix and refresh the Version 4.5 Store lineup.
Version 4.5 should be approached as three connected decisions: continuing the story, deciding whether the featured banners improve the account, and unlocking the new event systems before spending Trailblaze Power on speculative materials. Finishing those decisions in order prevents the launch screen from turning into several unrelated resource commitments.
What Version 4.5 Adds
The update will continue the Astropolis storyline under the published Version 4.5 title, To Roll the Stars in Astropolis. The official preview introduces Robin: Summeretto and Aventurine: Waveflair as the featured summer character variants. Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix will introduce the version's headline racing gameplay. Version 4.5 is scheduled as a shortened five-week version rather than the usual six-week cycle.
Version 4.5 content | Confirmed status |
|---|---|
Launch date | August 26, 2026 |
Robin: Summeretto | Wind, Path of Remembrance; enters Fever Pitch and uses Summer Songbird memosprites |
Aventurine: Waveflair | Quantum, Path of Elation |
Major event | Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix |
Version length | Five weeks |
Store addition | Trailblaze Fashion headwear and refreshed Herta Contract bundles |
Story setting | Continued Astropolis storyline |
The exact local maintenance start and completion time should be taken from the in-game update notice because regional display and maintenance duration can vary.
Preparation Before Maintenance
Finish assignments and spend Trailblaze Power before maintenance begins. If the account is near the cap, convert the power into materials already needed by an active character rather than farming an unconfirmed Version 4.5 build.
Complete the current main story prerequisite and any mission chain that leads into Astropolis. A version can include temporary access for some events, but direct story continuity provides the correct context and usually unlocks permanent areas or systems more cleanly.
Keep enough storage space for update packages on mobile, PC, or console. Restart the launcher after maintenance begins so the full resource download appears. Do not rely on a client left open from the previous version.
Record Stellar Jade, Special Passes, pity, guarantee status, and Undying Starlight before the update. This creates a clear banner budget after maintenance compensation and login rewards are added.
Launch-Day Story Route
Claim mail and login rewards first, then begin the new Trailblaze Mission until the relevant Astropolis area and event functions are available. Avoid interrupting every story step for optional chest collection. Unlock navigation and major systems first, then return for exploration.
Read any tutorial connected to the new area or Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix. The racing activity uses driving rules rather than ordinary turn-based team building. Completing the tutorial once is more useful than applying rules from the original event without checking.
When the story introduces a trial character, use the sequence to understand their intended turn order and team role. Story trials are not replacements for the formal banner trial, but they can show how the character operates in the version's own encounters.
Character Banner Decision
Complete the official trial before pulling. Check Path, damage type, Skill, Ultimate, Talent, Technique, and the conditions attached to any special state. Compare those functions with the account's existing teams and review Aventurine: Waveflair through the same live banner and trial information.
A variant character should be evaluated as its own unit. Owning the original version does not automatically make the new version unnecessary, and liking the original version does not automatically make the new one useful. The decisive questions are which team slot the new kit occupies, whether it solves a current weakness, and what investment is required to reach a usable state.
Count maintenance compensation, first-day story Stellar Jade, character trial rewards, login rewards shown in the live Travel Log, and current event rewards before using Oneiric Shards. Set a stopping point based on the next guarantee, not on how many pulls remain in the visible balance.
If both summer variants are targets, divide the budget according to the live banner schedule. Spending every resource on one character or duplicate before securing the second desired unit creates avoidable deadline pressure.
Version 4.5 Store Changes
The Trailblaze Fashion headwear Aw, Look Up Here will enter the in-game Store after the Version 4.5 update for 680 Stellar Jade. This is a cosmetic purchase, so compare it directly with the opportunity cost of four Star Rail Special Passes and 40 remaining Stellar Jade before buying.
The Version 4.5 Herta Contract shop will run from after the August 26 update until September 28 at 03:59 UTC+8. Strategic Support will cost 720 Oneiric Shards and allow two selections from the listed material options, with a maximum of five purchases. Strategic Cooperation will cost 2,680 Oneiric Shards, include 10 Star Rail Special Passes, and allow three material selections, also with a maximum of five purchases.
Roaming Refill will cost 330 Oneiric Shards and contain Traveler's Guide, Refined Aether, and Credits, while Resource Supply V2 will cost 660 Oneiric Shards and provide Tears of Dreams plus Credits. These packs should be compared by the exact resource bottleneck they solve, not by the number of items displayed.
Do not describe the Special Passes inside Strategic Cooperation as free login rewards. They are part of a paid Oneiric Shard bundle. The live Store listing should be reviewed before purchase because each bundle has its own contents, price, and account limit.
Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix Priorities
Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix is the major Version 4.5 event announced for the update. Its progression is built around driving courses, learning track layouts, and improving completion times through cleaner racing lines.
Complete the event introduction and driving tutorial before attempting faster times. Learn acceleration, steering, braking, track hazards, pickups, and any vehicle-specific ability through the live instructions. A clean completed run is the correct first target; time optimization belongs after the full course has been seen.
Claim participation, stage, and progression rewards before spending long sessions on optional record improvement. If tracks unlock over time, finish the currently available course and record the next server-time release rather than searching for a manual trigger.
Use the same vehicle or setup for several runs before changing it. Compare completion time, collision count, missed pickups, and the section where speed is lost. Racing improvement comes from repeatable lines and clean inputs, not from changing every option after one attempt.
Trailblaze Power During the First Week
Spend power on confirmed needs. If Robin: Summeretto is obtained, use the live character page to identify ascension, Trace, weekly boss, and equipment requirements. Do not rely on pre-release farming charts after the update if the client displays different names or quantities.
Raise the character to a usable level, unlock essential Traces, and equip a functional Light Cone and Relic set before maximizing minor nodes. Balanced development allows real testing earlier.
Players skipping the opening banner can use version rewards and power to complete existing teams, prepare for a later Version 4.5 banner, or strengthen characters needed for current endgame rotations.
Currency and Recharge Planning
Claim every free version resource before deciding on a paid amount. Include maintenance mail, live login rewards, trials, story rewards, event milestones, Simulated Universe or Divergent Universe progress, and weekly content.
For an already confirmed Oneiric Shard purchase, recharge support is available through Topuplist and its Honkai: Star Rail product page, with the required active links placed in the opening paragraph and FAQ. Verify the user ID, server, product, and amount before payment.
Keep character and Light Cone budgets separate. Obtaining a character first preserves the ability to test available Light Cone alternatives before committing to the signature option.
FAQ
When will Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.5 launch?
Version 4.5 will launch on August 26, 2026.
Which summer character variants are officially featured?
The official Version 4.5 preview features Robin: Summeretto and Aventurine: Waveflair.
Should I decide from the preview alone?
No. Review the live banner schedule, character trials, and complete skill descriptions after the update before spending pulls.
How much will the new headwear cost?
Aw, Look Up Here will cost 680 Stellar Jade in the Version 4.5 in-game Store.
What is the major event in Version 4.5?
Overdrive: Whirlwind Grand Prix is the headline racing event announced for the update.
Where can I recharge for Honkai: Star Rail?
For a confirmed in-game purchase, use Topuplist and the dedicated Honkai: Star Rail top-up page. Confirm the correct user ID, server, and amount before payment.
