Honkai: Star Rail, launched in 2023, was an instant hit for publisher HoYoVerse, reaching 20 million downloads in just a few days and pulling in hundreds of millions of dollars in the following years. Globally, many who hopped on board the Astral Express did so in the wake of enjoying another HoYoVerse-published game: Genshin Impact. But Honkai's origins, and the roots of its global success, go much further back than that.
The Honkai series has actually existed since 2011, when the tiny team at miHoYo released FlyMe2TheMoon on iOS. The studio has since exploded in notoriety and team members, including Honkai: Star Rail lead game designer Chengnan An. An joined the Honkai team for Honkai Impact 3rd, which launched in 2016 and directly preceded Star Rail. Having now been with the company across multiple generations of Honkai games and a decade of development, An has plenty to share about the philosophy of the series and why it took off the way it did with the release of Star Rail in 2023, after so many years remaining relatively unknown in the West. We spoke to An in the wake of the Game Developers' Conference (GDC) 2025 to get his perspective on Honkai as a whole, Honkai: Star Rail, and where the Astral Express is headed in the coming years.
IGN: Can you tell me a bit about your role in Honkai's origins? When did you join the team working on Honkai, and how have you seen Honkai evolve as a series since you came on board? What's the difference between Honkai in the early days (FlyMe2TheMoon, etc) and Honkai now (Star Rail)?
Chengnan An: I first joined the Honkai Impact 3rd team as the Lead Combat Designer, focusing on refining the game's action mechanics. It was an exciting time — we were constantly pushing the boundaries of what a fast-paced action game could feel like. Seeing players enjoy the combat we designed was incredibly rewarding, and it shaped how I think about game design even now.
Around 2019, I transitioned into a more strategic role as the Lead Game Designer of Honkai: Star Rail, which gave me a broader perspective on game development beyond just combat mechanics. At the time, we started thinking: Could we build on our existing expertise and explore new gameplay directions? Many of us on the team, myself included, are big fans of turn-based games, and by then, we had also gained a lot of experience designing action gameplay. That led to an interesting challenge—could we merge our knowledge/experience from action games with the depth and strategy of turn-based combat to create something fresh?
That’s how Honkai: Star Rail came to be. It was a natural evolution, not just for the series but also for us as developers. The core Honkai DNA — strong storytelling, deep character interactions, and engaging combat — remains the same.
Tell me about the initial conception and creation of Honkai: Star Rail. What led the team to make a third Honkai game? Were you taking lessons or cues from Genshin Impact, or other Hoyo games?
An: I can only speak on behalf of the Honkai: Star Rail team. At HoYoverse, in general, each title is developed by an individual team. But of course, we have accumulated valuable experience in terms of technical pipeline, project development, content output, localization, and so on through the development of previous titles, which always have, and always will be essential during the development and further amelioration of Honkai: Star Rail.
Besides, I'd like to elaborate on why Honkai: Star Rail is a space fantasy. This is our first attempt by HoYoverse to explore the science-fiction concept of an "interstellar journey," which provides players with a grand adventure as they traverse the galaxy, explore numerous distinctive planets, and resolve conflicts with the support of unique companions. On top of the science-fiction concept, we incorporated fantasy and mythological elements [Aeon] and [Stellaron] to create an extensive and fatalistic narrative.
What’s the biggest change between the original conception of Honkai Star Rail and its final version? Are there features or ideas you wished you could have used that were left on the cutting room floor?
An: The combat system evolved a lot throughout development — there were many mechanics we experimented with, refined, or even scrapped entirely before landing on the final version. One example — something we talked about at GDC — is the evolution of "Weakness Break QTE."
At first, we had this idea where breaking an enemy’s weakness would let players manually choose an action, like an attack, heal, or support move. On paper, it made sense, but in practice, it actually slowed down the flow of combat.
So we refined it. Instead of requiring manual input every time, we introduced automatic triggers. This led to what we now call "Follow-Up Attacks" — skills that activate under different conditions. For example, Herta automatically attacks when an enemy’s HP drops below 50%, rather than waiting for a weakness break.
Even better, follow-ups can chain together. Imagine this: Herta attacks, dropping an enemy’s HP below half, which triggers her own follow-up. That, in turn, breaks another weakness, activating her teammate Himeko’s follow-up. Just like that, one click sets off a powerful sequence.
This shift made combat more dynamic, intuitive, and rewarding, keeping battles engaging while allowing for deeper strategy. And that’s just one of the many ways the system changed over time.
Honkai: Star Rail is the third Honkai game, but it blew up internationally in a way that others didn’t. Why do you think that is? What is special about Honkai: Star Rail?
An: Honestly, seeing how much love the game has received has been both rewarding and a little unexpected. We set out to create something easy to get into while offering depth, and it’s been amazing to see both veteran fans and newcomers welcome it. The space-fantasy setting paired with turn-based combat provides a fresh experience, yet still stays true to what makes the series enjoyable.
There’s also something special about how players connect with the characters and the story. We’ve worked hard to balance humor, emotion, and adventure, and it’s humbling to see it all come together. Of course, the high production values, multi-platform support, and a passionate team have all played a part, but at the end of the day, it’s the players' feedback that truly gives everything its meaning.
How far out do you plan/write the story? How do you handle the challenges that come from telling a good story while constantly needing to expand the world and characters?
An: To provide players with the better experience, we have a well-structured pipeline in place for both story and gameplay development. We plan our storylines at least a year in advance, thinking ahead to new planets and the stories we want to tell. Honkai: Star Rail has been a passion project for the past five years — an ambitious effort driven by our goal to redefine RPGs for a broader audience. Right now, we’re diving deeply into Amphoreus, a world we’ve dedicated a lot of attention to. From Version 3.0 to 3.7, this will be a story arc spanning across 8 versions. We hope players will enjoy this Flame-chase journey as it unfolds.
Beyond the Trailblaze Mission (the main story), our Adventure Mission serve as more than just side stories — they offer a different lens into each world, its people, and their experiences. Amphoreus, for example, was once a collection of city-states, but as the Black Tide encroached, these cultures were forced to merge in the last refuge, Okhema. Through Adventure Missions like Where Shall We Go? we explore not just the history of Amphoreus but also the hopes, losses, and resilience of its people. The stories deepen the world-building and, more importantly, give players an emotional connection to the characters and civilizations they encounter.
How long is it sustainable to keep building such a huge world, story, and so many characters? Do you worry the game eventually becomes unwieldy or inaccessible to new people?
An: Developing a new world, such as Penacony or Amphorious, along with so many characters of that world, typically takes more than a year.
During the Core Concept speech at GDC 2025, The Three Design Principles were highlighted for Honkai: Star Rail, and two of them are Simple and Expandable. On the one hand, we emphasize simplicity. For example, in our battle mechanics, the turn-based gameplay allows players to take their time in making decisions. We have streamlined the selection of skills available to players, and additionally, there is an option to enable Auto Combat. This feature ensures that players are not overwhelmed when starting the game or adapting to a new battle strategy.
On the other hand, as a live-service title, we continuously expand the Honkai: Star Rail universe through regular updates. This approach enables us to introduce new content, including new worlds (as previously mentioned), characters, and gameplay elements. However, the expansion of content does not mean we aim to make Honkai: Star Rail overwhelmingly vast or inaccessible; we remain committed to our principle of simplicity. We have implemented various mechanisms aimed at simplification. For instance, leveling up characters has become more accessible and stragihtword through our guiding system. Moreover, we even offer quicker access to new content: in version 3.0, players can head straight to Amphoreus and experience the latest Trailblaze Mission.
Are you looking at the Switch 2 at all for Honkai: Star Rail? What about Xbox?
An: We have consistently aimed to attract more players to our space fantasy RPG. That’s why we made this title available on both PC and mobile devices from day one of its official release. In version 1.4, we also added support for PS5. Additionally, as a live-service title, we are committed to providing ongoing opportunities for our players as time goes on. For the latest updates, please stay tuned to our official websites.
Do you see a growing trend of Chinese-developed games succeeding on the international stage? Is that impacting how you approach game development at all?
An: This was my first time attending GDC, and I was thrilled to see developers from around the world connecting, sharing their insights, and collaborating to enhance the gaming industry. Meanwhile, I had the opportunity to meet some fans who were incredibly passionate about our title, which was truly an honor.
During my preparation for the GDC 2025 Core Concept, I dedicated significant time to carefully reviewing previous development logs and player's feedback. It was an enlightening experience that not only reminded me of the old days that we've spent on this space fantasy, but also underscored the importance of continuously listening to our players. Ultimately, a live-service title is not solely about providing content through updates; it also entails a long-term commitment to improving and fulfilling our players’ expectations.
How long do you expect to sustain Honkai: Star Rail? Will you eventually make a fourth Honkai game? What does this franchise look like in ten years?
An: Honkai: Star Rail presents an incredibly vast and intricate galaxy to explore. To be honest, to fully realize its potential is a long-term endeavor that extends far beyond just a few years.
What am I not asking you that you want me to ask you?
An: How about asking how I feel about the title as of right now?
We are on the brink of celebrating the 2nd anniversary of Honkai: Star Rail alongside the upcoming release of the Version 3.2. Although the game officially launched on April 26, 2023, its development actually began back in 2019. From the perspective of some of our development team members, myself included, this means we have been passionately invested in this space fantasy RPG for approximately more than 5 years.
I also want to emphasize that we have always listened to and communicated with our players and will continue to do so. We have many exciting developments in the works — including new content and gameplay optimizations — ready to be revealed to our players. A preview of some of these was shared during the 3.2 Special Program on March 28, and development and fine-tuning for future versions are progressing steadily. Stay tuned for more updates and thank you for your continued support!
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to [email protected].
