Honkai Star Rail 4.6 Guide: Banners, Events, Rewards, and What to Do First

Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.6, Dance With the Beast Before Moonrise, releases on September 28, 2026. The update adds Pearl as a playable 5-star Ice Elation character, continues the Astropolis story inside the Life Sciences Institute, introduces Astral Imagea companions, and gives players three very different spending decisions: Pearl, two reruns, and two new outfits.

The best opening move is not to pull immediately. Claim the free Special Passes and Astral Imagea vouchers, check your pity and guarantee, test Pearl, and then decide whether Version 4.6 or the already-announced Version 4.8 collaboration matters more to your account.

Honkai Star Rail 4.6 Release Date and Main Additions

Version 4.6 launches on September 28. HoYoverse has not yet posted the final global maintenance notice, so the exact downtime and regional server clock should be checked in the in-game notice before the update.

Version 4.6 Banner Order and Pull Priority

Pearl's banner and signature Light Cone, Colors for Tomorrow, remain available for the whole version. The rerun changes between halves, which gives Pearl pullers more time than usual to test teams and wait for post-release performance data.

The official program also showed Qingque, Xueyi, and Misha as the featured 4-star characters across the version. Always confirm the live Warp card before pulling, because the in-game banner is the final authority for timing and rate-up details.

Should you pull Pearl?

Pearl converts DEF-oriented sustain into an Elation support loop. She spends Certified Banger to reduce incoming damage, designates another ally as her Aesthetic Archetype, and enters Deep Learning to copy combat data and unlock an enhanced Basic ATK.

That enhanced Basic heals the team and removes debuffs. If the selected ally follows Elation, it also deals additional Elation damage based on that ally's combat stats; with a full Elation team, the selected ally gains an extra turn and Pearl generates a large amount of Punchline and Certified Banger.

Pearl is therefore strongest when you want three things from one slot: survival, cleansing, and Elation-specific acceleration. Players who do not own or plan to build an Elation core should test her carefully instead of assuming every account needs her.

Pearl's final build, teammates, and trace order can change after live testing. Check ManaBuy's Pearl build and team guide before committing Fuel or rare materials.

Honkai: Star Rail official — Pearl's Version 4.6 combat presentation.

What Happens in the Version 4.6 Story?

The Trailblazer travels deeper into Astropolis with Pearl and Nihilux after Nihilux's identity as Aha is revealed. The Life Sciences Institute, built under Technology Department head Yabuli, sits at the center of a plan to weaponize discarded shells at the possible cost of lives across Duomension City.

Pearl sends Ashveil and Mortenax Blade into the institute under the pretext of recovering an ancient beast's source essence. The new chapter is therefore more than a Pearl introduction: it connects the Voracity threat, the IPC's internal interests, and the question of how Preservation and art can coexist in Pearl's choices.

Honkai: Star Rail official — Version 4.6 story artwork for Dance With the Beast Before Moonrise.

Version 4.6 Events: What to Do First

1. Love, Ghosts & Robots

The flagship event asks the Trailblazer to help the resurrected Skott operate a workshop that builds physical mechatron bodies for ghosts. Orders require the correct chips, the workshop passes five rating assessments, and new partners unlock management buffs as the business grows.

Prioritize its limited missions before working on permanent objectives. The story and part of the management mode remain available afterward, but limited-time rewards and the Skott sunglasses for the Trailblazer are the pieces most likely to be missed.

Honkai: Star Rail official — The workshop-management interface in Love, Ghosts & Robots.

Honkai: Star Rail official — A mechatron body created for the event workshop.

2. Interastral Peace Gala: One Take

This combat event frames each stage as a reality-show script. You still need to defeat enemies, but the director also assigns stage-specific tasks that improve your performance rating.

During highlight moments, the lead actor can call in a crew-provided co-star for a large combat boost. Build around the stage instruction rather than forcing one universal team into every script.

3. Gift of Odyssey and double drops

Gift of Odyssey returns with 10 Star Rail Special Passes across the login track. Garden of Plenty and Planar Fissure also return, so spend Trailblaze Power on the materials your current roster will use immediately instead of farming speculative pieces for an unconfirmed future build.

4. Currency Wars catch-up

Version 4.6 offers accelerated ascension rewards before Currency Wars receives a larger update in Version 4.7. If older units are blocking your progress, use this period to finish broadly useful characters rather than spreading resources across every possible Elation option.

Astral Imagea: Free Vouchers, Companions, and Co-op

Astral Imagea are collectible companions that can follow the Trailblazer during exploration. You can equip up to three at once, house them in cabins aboard the Party Car, trigger certain group conversations, and let friends bring their own companions to the park.

The permanent Astral Slammers Squad mode gives each Imagea its own skills and supports co-op or matchmaking. Players without a newly drawn companion can use existing pets or trial options and still earn the gameplay rewards, so collecting the full pool is not required for participation.

Trendible Vouchers are a separate companion draw resource. The official store listing also shows a paid voucher pack, but the practical rule is simple: spend the free 24 first, learn how the pool and trading system work, and only then decide whether collection value justifies paid currency.

Honkai: Star Rail official — Astral Imagea companion collection in Version 4.6.

Honkai: Star Rail official — Astral Imagea combat in Astral Slammers Squad.

New Version 4.6 Relics

Dreamlit Actor and The Edacious Heretic enter the Cavern Relic pool in Version 4.6. Their live tooltips and best users should be verified after release, especially because early descriptions connect one set to Speed and Elation support and the other to ATK and Basic ATK damage.

Do not spend saved Fuel on day one merely because a set is new. Farm only after you know the wearer, main-stat target, and whether a mixed 2-piece setup already performs closely enough.

Version 4.6 Outfit Budget

Hyacine's Warm Cotton Skies is listed at 1,350 Oneiric Shards during the store offer, while Evanescia's Lunar Blossoming is listed at 2,680 Stellar Jade. The second price equals 16.75 Special Passes at the standard 160-Jade conversion, so it directly competes with character pity even though it does not require paid currency.

If you are choosing between them, keep the budgets separate. Buy Hyacine's outfit only if you already own and regularly use her; buy Evanescia's only if 2,680 Jade will not break your Pearl, Aha, or Version 4.8 plan.

Version 4.6 Preparation Checklist

1. Redeem any still-valid Special Program codes before their listed expiry.
2. Finish Version 4.5 limited events and claim uncollected mail.
3. Record current pity, guarantee, Special Passes, and Stellar Jade.
4. Decide whether Pearl, Evanescia, Mortenax Blade, Aha, or the 4.8 collaboration is the real priority.
5. Claim Gift of Odyssey before calculating a pull shortfall.
6. Use all free Trendible Vouchers before considering paid Imagea draws.
7. Clear Love, Ghosts & Robots limited missions before permanent management goals.
8. Save Fuel until the new Relic sets have verified live users.

If you have already chosen a pull or outfit and still have a measured currency gap, check your UID, server, and target amount first. Do not top up for an undefined “maybe” budget.

Close only a confirmed 4.6 currency gap

Check your UID, server, pity and exact target before choosing a package.

Check HSR top-up options

Related Honkai Star Rail Guides

Honkai Star Rail 4.6 FAQ

Bottom Line

Version 4.6 is easiest to manage when you separate progress, cosmetics, and collection spending. Claim free passes and vouchers first, finish limited event rewards, test Pearl in your actual team, and keep the 4.8 reserve untouched until HoYoverse reveals what Ellen and Astra Yao do in Star Rail.