Version 2.3 of Honkai: Star Rail says goodbye to Penacony and our adventures in the land of dreams. Don’t be sad, though, because the devs prepared two new permanent game modes for you to play in this update.
The Divergent Universe and Apocalyptic Shadow are two previously confirmed game modes for Honkai: Star Rail, and in a livestream on June 7, our beloved host Owlbert revealed more details about what we can expect from them once the update goes live.
The first game mode to arrive in Version 2.3 is the Divergent Universe. It’s a variation of the Simulated Universe you can play in the new area of Penacony. In the Divergent Universe, you can use any characters you own, regardless of their level and equipment. If your characters aren’t well-built, the game provides temporary level increase and relevant Relics and Light Cones.
This science project also features its own unique gameplay mechanics, namely the Equation, where you have to collect a certain number of Blessings from multiple paths to obtain buffs. And if you ever choose the wrong Blessing or Equation, there’s an option to change them during your run.
Among new Curios and domains, the Divergent Universe has multiple QoL optimizations. In case of a defeat, you can restart the encounter and even select a new character lineup if needed. A Planar Ornament extraction feature also arrives, allowing you to save a successful run into an archive and resume it from the final boss fight to claim the rewards quickly.
The second game mode, Apocalyptic Shadow, is similar to Pure Fiction, except it’s all about boss fights. Every phase of Apocalyptic Shadow has two enemies with four difficulty levels. The bosses have new traits, and you can choose new buffs for your team.
Last but not least, the Apocalyptic Shadow and the rest of the endgame challenge modes (Pure Fiction and Memory of Chaos) now grant 800 Stellar Jades instead of 720, so you are one step closer to getting the limited five-star characters Jade and Firefly, coming in Version 2.3.
