Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.8 is finally live, bringing Trailblazers back to Penacony with a brand-new playable character, multiple rerun banners, new events, story missions, and an extended patch duration. Unlike the usual six-week update cycle, HSR 3.8 runs for over eight weeks, featuring three full banner phases packed with content.
In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to know about Honkai Star Rail 3.8 banners, release dates, characters, Light Cones, events, missions, bosses, and system optimizations.
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 Release Date & Time
Honkai: Star Rail Version 3.8 officially launched on:
North America: December 16, 2025 (UTC-5)
Europe & Asia: December 17, 2025
Server-wise Release Times
North America: December 16, 2025 – 10:00 PM (UTC-5)
Europe: December 17, 2025 – 4:00 AM (UTC+1)
Asia / TW / HK / MO: December 17, 2025 – 11:00 AM (UTC+8)
Version 3.8 will remain active until February 12–13, 2026, depending on your region, making it one of the longest updates in Honkai: Star Rail so far.
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 Overview
Version 3.8 focuses on unresolved story threads from Penacony while introducing The Dahlia, a member of the mysterious Annihilation Gang. Alongside the new character, players can expect:
Three banner phases
Multiple rerun characters and Light Cones
New Finality Mission and map
New boss encounter
Large-scale events with premium rewards
Major quality-of-life improvements
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 Banner Schedule
The Honkai Star Rail 3.8 banners are divided into three phases across the extended patch duration.
Phase 1 Banners (Dec 16, 2025 – Jan 7, 2026)
The Dahlia Banner (New Character)
5★ Featured: The Dahlia (Fire / Nihility)
4★ Featured: March 7th, Luka, Gallagher
The Dahlia debuts as a powerful Fire Nihility unit with deep lore connections to Penacony’s underworld factions.
Firefly Rerun Banner
5★ Featured: Firefly
4★ Featured: March 7th, Luka, Gallagher
Firefly’s rerun gives players another chance to pull one of the most popular Fire Destruction characters.
Phase 1 Light Cone Banners
Never Forget Her Flame (The Dahlia Signature)
Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest (Firefly Signature)
4★ Rate-Up Light Cones:
Concert for Two
Memories of the Past
Good Night and Sleep Well
Phase 2 Banners (Jan 7, 2026 – Jan 28, 2026)
Fugue Rerun Banner
5★ Featured: Fugue
4★ Featured: Natasha, Sampo, Arlan
Lingsha Rerun Banner
5★ Featured: Lingsha
4★ Featured: Natasha, Sampo, Arlan
Phase 2 Light Cone Reruns
Long Road Leads Home (Fugue)
Scent Alone Stays True (Lingsha)
4★ Rate-Up Light Cones:
Geniuses’ Repose
The Moles Welcome You
Post-Op Conversation
Phase 3 Banners (Jan 28, 2026 – Feb 12, 2026)
Aglaea Rerun Banner
5★ Featured: Aglaea
4★ Featured: Tingyun, Yukong, Dan Heng
Sunday Rerun Banner
5★ Featured: Sunday
4★ Featured: Tingyun, Yukong, Dan Heng
Phase 3 Light Cone Reruns
Time Woven Into Gold (Aglaea)
A Grounded Ascent (Sunday)
4★ Rate-Up Light Cones:
Geniuses’ Greetings
Trend of the Universal Market
Dance! Dance! Dance!
New Character in Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 – The Dahlia
The Dahlia is a 5-star Fire Nihility character released at the start of Version 3.8. She belongs to the Annihilation Gang, a faction teased earlier in the Penacony storyline.
Her signature Light Cone, Never Forget Her Flame, enhances her damage-over-time and debuff capabilities, making her a strong choice for Nihility-based team compositions.
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 New Mission & Map
Finality Mission: Memories are the Prelude to Dreams
This new story mission explores multiple factions and unresolved narratives from Penacony that were not fully covered in earlier Trailblaze Missions.
New Map: Dream of Gnawing Oak
A brand-new Penacony area unlocked during the Finality Mission, featuring exploration, lore, and combat encounters.
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 Events Schedule
Version 3.8 includes several limited-time events:
Chrysos Awoo Championship (Dec 17 – Feb 9): Chimera-based tournament battles
Remnants of Twilight (Jan 7 – Feb 9): Combat challenge event
Treasure Hunt (Jan 28 – Feb 12): Trailblaze Power consumption rewards
Gift of Odyssey (Dec 17 – Feb 12): Log in for up to 10 Star Rail Special Passes
Planar Fissure (Dec 29 – Jan 12): Double planar ornament drops
Realm of the Strange (Jan 16 – Feb 12): Double relic drops
Garden of Plenty (Jan 28 – Feb 12): Double Calyx rewards
Divergent Universe Update – Protean Hero
Version 3.8 expands Divergent Universe with:
New Equations
Weighted Curios
New Occurrences
Synchronicity Level Cap increased to 120, unlocking additional rewards
New Boss in Honkai: Star Rail 3.8
Harbinger of Death: Swarm Nightmare
Also known as the Iron Cavalry Knight, this boss appears during the 3.8 Finality Mission and introduces new combat mechanics tied to Penacony’s darker themes.
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 Optimizations & QoL Updates
Multi-Path Team Lineup Presets for Trailblazer and March 7th
Event Notes now display event type and total Stellar Jade rewards
Additional Apocalyptic Shadow phase, bringing total endgame phases to four
Adjustments to Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game characters and equipment
Final Thoughts on Honkai: Star Rail 3.8
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 stands out as one of the most content-rich updates yet. With three banner phases, an extended duration, a new Fire Nihility character, major reruns, and meaningful quality-of-life improvements, this patch offers something for both new and veteran players.
If you’re planning your Stellar Jade spending, understanding the Honkai Star Rail 3.8 banner schedule is essential—and this update gives plenty of time to prepare.
