Dear Trailblazers, greetings from the Honkai: Star Rail dev team. Today, with great enthusiasm, we are thrilled to announce that the new realm of Honkai: Star Rail — Penacony — will unveil its mysterious veil in the forthcoming version 2.0, titled If One Dreams At Midnight. Additionally, we are excited to share that beyond introducing new maps, storylines, and companions, version 2.0 marks the initiation of Penacony’s main Trailblaze Missions. These missions will span from versions 2.0 to 2.2, and culminate with epilogues in version 2.3. We believe you will find boundless adventure on this Planet of Festivities.
After pioneering various worlds such as the Herta Space Station, Jarilo-VI, and Xianzhou Luofu, the Crew has received an invitation from The Family to travel to Penacony as honored guests to attend an event called the Charmony Festival. Remarkably, this is also the first time The Family has extended invites to other factions.
The Planet of Festivities in the Asdana system
Centuries ago, Penacony was once a frontier prison utilized by the IPC for detaining criminals. Over the years, and through various incidents, the control of this planet shifted to The Family. Today, Penacony has undergone a remarkable transformation, evolving into a renowned cosmic vacation spot, and is known as the Planet of Festivities. Today, as the territory of The Family, adherents to the Harmony, it is hailed as the Planet of Festivities in the Asdana system. The core of Penacony is a gigantic interstellar hotel named The Reverie that towers over the starry cosmos. Countless interstellar celebrities are drawn to gather here, indulging in a luxurious holiday experience. Furthermore, the magic of The Reverie goes beyond its exterior. Once the guests have checked in, returning to their rooms, and succumbing to slumber, the true adventure unfurls. Safeguarded by The Family, guests will be able to traverse between the planes of reality and the Dreamscape, facilitated by a unique sleep device known as the Dreampool.
The Golden Hour you’re about to step into isn’t merely the first dream in the series; it stands out as one of the liveliest and most popular among the 12 Dreamscapes. Upon entering this dream, you’ll find yourself in a dazzling metropolis bathed in golden hues. In this realm, hundreds of wonders will unfold before your eyes: As you navigate the city, you can enjoy floating ice cream in midair, encounter running billboards, and come across Cash-Spewers that continuously dispense banknotes when touched.. Within the Golden Hour, celebration and pleasure take center stage in this city: the clocks are frozen at midnight, with syrupy sweet brews tempting one to indulgence, endless music and dance, and the entire Dreamscape is immersed in a frenzy of ceaseless revelry.
As you cautiously explore the Golden Hour, you’ll stumble upon a mysterious location—Dream’s Edge. This vast dream realm is currently under construction and remains inaccessible to external visitors. Respected artists, architects, and scholars from across the galaxy assemble here as Dreamers hired by The Family to contribute to the future of Dreamscapes. As you traverse this region, you’ll come across the Dream’s Eye—a wondrous device that utilizes visual illusions to seamlessly connect previously disjointed paths with significant height differences in an impressive way. In this perspective, once-disjointed paths seamlessly connect, enabling you to traverse previously impassable routes. In addition, in the subsequent trailblazing expedition, Trailblazers will unlock the ability to Dreamwalk, allowing them to enjoy a unique experience of defying gravity and walking on walls and ceilings.
When it comes to dreams, every move you make is filled with uncertainty. While Penacony may seem like a place of prosperity and harmony on the surface, could hidden secrets be lurking beneath its beautiful exterior? Do you have what it takes to uncover the truth and confront any potential dangers that may lie ahead?
Guests of the fest
In version 2.0, the enigmatic character, Black Swan, will make a dazzling debut in the story of Penacony. As a 5-star character, she is not only an outstanding oracle, but also a Memokeeper in the Garden of Recollection, exuding an air of nobility, mystery, and elegance. As the first Memokeeper to formally appear in the game, Black Swan has a strong desire to explore the memories of others. The memories of others, through Black Swan’s patient listening and organization, transform into cards in her hands. When Black Swan uses Basic ATKs or Skills to attack enemies in combat, there is a certain probability of applying a special stackable DoT effect called Arcana to the enemies. Under the Arcana state, Black Swan triggers additional effects based on the number of Arcana stacks the target is under. Moreover, as the stacks accumulate, the DoT inflicted on the enemy will correspondingly increase.
At The Family’s feast, another 5-star character, Sparkle, is also set to join the Trailblazers’ team. Sparkle, the enigmatic Masked Fool, is dedicated to the pursuit of Elation through any means necessary. As a dangerous master of drama, she excels at changing identities and indulges in playing various roles. With a thousand masks at her disposal, she can embody countless personas. For Sparkle, wealth, status, and power are nothing more than fleeting illusions, and only Elation can ignite her desire to act. In battles, Sparkle’s presence will provide an additional increase to the team’s maximum Skill Point. Moreover, her unique Skill not only boosts the CRIT DMG of a designated teammate but also Advances that teammate’s Action, providing more strategic options for battle deployment. After Sparkle unleashes her Ultimate, she can simultaneously restore multiple Skill Points for the team.
Up next, a local Penaconian, Misha, is also making his debut. As a 4-star character, Misha works as the doorman at The Reverie. Dreaming of becoming a cosmic adventurer like his grandfather, Misha is passionate in learning about various interstellar experiences hotel guests share. He eagerly anticipates the day he can embark on a journey to explore the stars. The more Skill Points the team uses in battle, the more DMG Misha’s Ultimate will inflict. Additionally, when Misha uses his Ultimate, there is a chance to Freeze the target, making him a reliable companion worth entrusting.
It’s worth mentioning that the limited 5-star characters — Dan Heng, Imbibitor Lunae and Jing Yuan — will appear in event warps during the first and second halves of version 2.0, respectively. With the formidable strength of these two characters, they will continue to be powerful allies by your side in the upcoming adventures in Penacony.
Gaming experience optimization
Since the Express Crew embarked on the trailblazing expedition, we have been committed to enhancing players’ gaming experiences. In version 2.0, we decided to introduce a series of system optimizations to make the gaming experience more convenient for Trailblazers. Firstly, we will be launching a feature called Fate’s Atlas, which organizes the storyline. It will document the events and plot lines that occur in each world by unit in chronological order, helping Trailblazers better understand the narrative context of each world. In addition, we have optimized the enhancement process for Relics. You can now conveniently insert materials while upgrading and easily elevate each Relic to the specified level you desire. We have also introduced Relic set recommendations tailored for different characters, allowing Trailblazers to efficiently filter and switch Relic sets with a single click based on their needs. Finally, we have optimized the marking, discarding, and salvaging of Relics, making it easier for Trailblazers to find materials efficiently.
With the upcoming launch of version 2.0, we would like to thank every player for their support from the depths of our hearts. The curtains of Penacony’s grand festival are about to be raised, so stay tuned for more details and discover the nuances of this new world during your gameplay. We will see you again in the next chapter of Honkai: Star Rail!
