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Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 Leaks: New Elation Path, Edo Star Map, and Yao Guang Kit Revealed
2026-01-14
🚀 You’re here for the planning info. Let’s start with what matters most: the expected timing, the rumored banners, and how the new Path could change team building.
Honkai Star Rail 4.0 Leaks Summary
Here’s the quick snapshot, based on a mix of official statements about the next world and widely circulated pre-release info:
- Next world: Planarcadia is repeatedly named as the next major destination. It has also been linked to earlier “Edo Star” discussions, but Planarcadia is the name that appears in official messaging and current reporting.
- New playable Path: A new Elation Path is being treated as a headline feature of the 4.0 cycle.
- New characters: The two names that keep coming up are Yao Guang and Sparxie (often described as Sparkle SP).
- Important note: Kit numbers, effects, and even mechanics can change before launch. Treat anything “kit-level” as provisional.
HSR 4.0 Release Date Leaks
Let’s separate what’s firm from what’s projected.
What’s firm: there has been an official apology and messaging around an extension of Version 3.8, plus a note that the team is working on content for Version 4.0 and the next world, Planarcadia.
That matters because it supports the idea that the normal patch rhythm shifted.
What’s projected: much of the current discussion places Version 4.0 in mid-February 2026. You will often see Feb 13, 2026, quoted because patch launches can appear as Feb 12 or Feb 13, depending on server time and maintenance windows.
A simple way to think about it is Phase math:
- One widely repeated expectation is that Sparxie lands in the second half of the 4.0 cycle.
- A commonly shared date for Sparxie is March 5, 2026.
- If Phase 2 starts March 5 and phases are typically ~3 weeks, Phase 1 would roughly start about 21 days earlier, which would be around Feb 12–13, 2026.
That’s why you’ll see “Feb 13” used as a planning anchor. It is a projected window, not a confirmed launch timestamp.
New Playable Elation Path (What “Elation” Could Mean in 4.0)
One big reason Honkai Star Rail 4.0 leaks are getting so much attention is that Elation is being treated like more than a label.
Early pre-release descriptions repeatedly include ideas like:
- A distinct “Elation DMG” concept, not just standard Elemental scaling.
- A dedicated Elation Skill in addition to the usual kit buttons.
- Punchline-like stacks/points tied to damage spikes and turn flow.
For example, early gameplay text about Sparxie describes a loop in which she repeatedly triggers an enhanced attack sequence and receives random “gifts,” including Punchline points and Skill Points.
Also, some early descriptions frame Elation as having special rules compared to normal DMG boosts. That level of system-level detail is exactly the kind that can change late, so treat it as “directional,” not final.
Edo Star Map Rumors vs Planarcadia
If you’ve been searching for “Edo Star map,” you’re not alone. That phrase shows up in earlier rumor cycles. But current discussion and official messaging are strongly centered on Planarcadia as the next world name.
What is Planarcadia intended to be?
A leaked navigation menu description portrays Planarcadia as a large, district-based metropolis, with areas segmented by distinct “vibes” and a clear focus on city life and culture.
Named hubs that have been explicitly described include:
- Duomension City: framed as a vibrant cultural core with neon, graffiti, and heavy subculture flavor.
- Graphia Academy: described as a sprawling campus, hinting at research, tech, or institutional drama.
- Dovebrook District: presented as more “grounded,” like a residential or commercial slice-of-life zone inside the sci-fi setting.
The same leak framing also states that Planarcadia is “massive” and suggests there are five hubs in total, so expect more districts beyond the three above once the map details are fully confirmed.
HSR 4.0 Banner Leaks (What to Expect in Each Phase)
Here’s the cleanest way to read the current banner chatter: two new 5-stars, likely split across the two phases.
Expected HSR 4.0 Banner Roadmap
| Phase (Projected) | Character | Element | Path | Notes |
| Phase 1 (mid-Feb 2026 window) | Yao Guang | Physical | Elation | Often treated as the first new limited character of the cycle. |
| Phase 2 (around March 5, 2026) | Sparxie | Fire | Elation | Commonly positioned as second-half. A widely shared projected date is March 5, 2026. |
Reruns: Not consistently reported in a way that’s safe to treat as reliable. If you see rerun pairings, treat them as speculation until official announcements.
Yao Guang Kit
If you only want the parts that are clearly stated in current pre-release summaries, focus on the basics.
Basic Attack and Skill Direction
Current circulating kit summaries describe:
- Basic Attack: single-target Physical damage with some adjacent splash, plus wording that implies improved Energy generation from Basic ATKs.
- Skill: deploys a Zone for a set number of turns. While active, it increases the Elation of all allies by a percentage tied to Yao Guang’s own Elation. It also mentions Yao Guang gaining Punchlines after Basic ATK or Skill use.
Eidolon Themes
Eidolon summaries that are being circulated point toward:
- More Punchline scaling.
- Team speed support while the Zone is active.
- DEF-ignore and teamwide Elation DMG boosts at higher Eidolons.
Practical takeaway: even in early form, Yao Guang is being framed as Elation-team infrastructure, not just a selfish DPS.
Sparxie Kit (Sparkle SP) Leaks
Sparxie is repeatedly described as a 5-star Fire Elation unit. She is also often framed as an alternate version of Sparkle, which is why “Sparkle SP” keeps showing up in searches.
What Sparxie’s Core Loop is Trying to Do
One detailed pre-release kit description outlines:
- Basic ATK: a standard single-target hit.
- Enhanced Basic: a Blast-style hit that damages the main target and adjacent enemies.
- Skill concept: starts a “livestream connection” state that transforms her Basic Attack and repeatedly triggers an extra action called “Engagement Farming,” up to a stated cap.
- Engagement Farming: increases damage multipliers and randomly grants “gifts,” with at least one listed gift granting Punchline points and Skill Points.
The kit is currently written like a repeatable amplifier loop. You press into a state. You keep stacking value. Then you cash it out through enhanced attacks.
Release Timing that Players are Using for Planning
A commonly shared projected release date for Sparxie is March 5, 2026, aligned with the “second half” expectation. Treat the exact day as provisional. But the Phase 2 placement is the key planning point.
HSR 4.0 New Light Cones
When She Decided To See (5★)
HP: 1058丨 ATK: 529丨DEF: 529 | Elation
Effect (R1): SPD +18%. Enter combat or use Ultimate on an ally, and you gain Great Fortune for 3 turns. While it’s up, the whole team gets CRIT Rate +10% and CRIT DMG +30%. You also receive an Energy Regeneration Rate increase of 12%.
Dazzled By A Flowery World (5★)
HP: 1058丨 ATK: 582丨DEF: 463 | Elation
Effect (R1): CRIT DMG +36%. While you’re on-field, each Elation teammate increases the Skill Point cap by +1, up to +3. Every Skill Point you spend boosts your Elation hits by ignoring 5% DEF, and also raises all allies’ Elation by +5%. It stacks up to 4 times. Same-type Light Cone effects cannot stack.
Today’s Good Luck (4★)
HP: 953丨 ATK: 529丨DEF: 397 | Elation
Effect (R5): CRIT Rate +20%. When you use an Elation Skill, you gain Elation +14% for 4 seconds. It stacks up to 3 times.
Mushy Shroomy’s Adventure (4★)
HP: 847丨 ATK: 476丨DEF: 397 | Elation
Effect (R5): Elation +20%. When you use an Elation Skill, enemies take +12% Elation DMG for 2 turns.
Lingering Tears (3★)
HP: 847丨 ATK: 318丨DEF: 265 | Elation
Effect (R5): When Punchline is 10 or more, the wearer's CRIT DMG increases by 40%.
Sneering (3★)
HP: 741丨 ATK: 370丨DEF: 265 | Elation
Effect (R5): When Aha Instant is activated, the wearer's Elation increases by 32%, lasting until Aha Instant ends.
HSR 4.0 New Relics
Ever-Glorious Magical Girl
2-Pc: Increases CRIT DMG by 16%.
4-Pc: Elation DMG from the wearer and their memosprites ignores 10% DEF. For every 5 Punchlines gained by allies, Elation DMG ignores an extra 1% DEF, stacking up to 10 times.
Diviner of Distant Reach
2-Pc: Increases SPD by 6%.
4-Pc: Before combat, if SPD is 120/160, gain CRIT Rate +10% / +18%. The first time you use an Elation Skill each battle, all allies gain +10% Elation. This does not stack.
Star Rail is an epic sci-fi RPG from miHoYo featuring a vast and dangerous universe.
FAQs
Q1: Is Honkai Star Rail's 4.0 release date confirmed?
A: Not in the leak-style sources used here. Current planning talk centers on a mid-February 2026 window, and “Feb 13” often appears due to timezone and maintenance timing. Treat it as a projected window, not a confirmed launch day.
Q2: What do we know about the Yao Guang kit?
A: The safest repeatable details are her Zone-based Skill that boosts allies’ Elation and her Punchline-based structure. Eidolon summaries also suggest speed support and Elation damage scaling.
Q3: What do we know about the Sparxie kit?
A: Current detailed descriptions frame her as a loop-based damage dealer who enters a state, repeatedly amplifies damage through a repeatable action, and gains random gifts that can include Punchlines and Skill Points.
Q4: Is the “Edo Star map” real?
A: I cannot confirm “Edo Star” as an official world name. The world name that appears in official messaging and current reporting is Planarcadia, and leak map summaries describe it as a multi-district metropolis.
