Will Honkai: Star Rail replace Genshin Impact?

William Davis Published 30/04/2023

Honkai: Star Rail is the newest game developed by miHoYo, the company behind Genshin Impact. It is a massive project that has left fans wondering, will Honkai: Star Rail replace Genshin Impact?

Genshin Impact is, arguably, one of the most popular games of the decade, with over 60 million players on average every month. miHoYo now released a new title, Honkai: Star Rail, the fourth installment in the Honkai series. Does it mean miHoYo is moving on from Genshin Impact?

Ahead of its release, Honkai: Star Rail had over 11 million players pre-registered, not even a third of the current Genshin Impact player base. Less than a week after its release, the game is gaining traction, but the numbers are not even close.

It wouldn’t make sense for miHoYo to abandon Genshin Impact, and that has never been the developer’s plan. Instead, miHoYo is hoping to capture a new wave of players.

What are the differences between Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail?

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail share some similarities, not only in style but also in the game mechanics. Both games have gacha elements: In Genshin they are known as Wish, while in Star Rail we know them as Warp.

Light Cones in Star Rail are known as Weapons in Genshin. Star Rail has Relics, and Genshin has Artifacts. There are other basic similarities between both games, but it is the differences that set each title apart.

The combat system is the biggest difference between the games. Star Rail is a turn-based RPG, and Genshin is a third-person action RPG. That difference alone is enough to make players pick one title over the other.

Genshin is an open world game, Star Rail technically isn’t. In Genshin, there is a vast universe to explore, Star Rail players have a collection of small maps. There is no swimming or climbing in Star Rail, you can walk or sprint, that’s it.

These differences are significant enough for players to keep playing Genshin Impact and ignore Star Rail. miHoYo will continue to support both games since they are both for a different playerbase. Realistically speaking, the only game that can replace Genshin Impact is a sequel to the game.

Read Also

Twitch

Will Kai Cenat Grow His Twitch Subscribers in the Remainder of 2026? Khizar Mundia Twitch streamer Kai Cenat is one of the most popular personalities on the platform, with his number of followers climbing with every new event that he announces. However, his subscriber numbers have been less straightforward. The American went on an unexpected break after shattering Twitch subscriber records with his Mafiathon 3, but eventually returned with Streamer University 2026. The creator did become the most-subscribed Twitch streamer after his return, but ...

Dota 2

Yandex to repeat?: BLAST SLAM VIII preview, predictions, and more Michael Hassall If you can believe it, we’re already on the eighth edition of BLAST SLAM, as BLAST SLAM VIII kicks off tomorrow (Sep. 29) pitting 16 of the world’s best Dota 2 teams against each other in what promises to be the first big challenge of this young season. Let’s face it: At PGL Wallachia, we were missing a lot of the heavy hitters. No TI15 champs, no PARIVISION, not BetBoom, ...

News

New York Sues Polymarket Over Gambling Laws As Prediction Market Hits Back Michael Hassall The New York Attorney General, the chief lawyer and law enforcement officer of the State of New York has filed legal proceedings against prediction market giant Polymarket alleging it is an unlicensed gambling company. First reported by Reuters earlier today (Monday, Sep. 28), Polymarket immediately launched a countersuit challenging the lawsuit’s claim that they constitute a gambling company, and kicking off a legal battle that could have huge implications for ...

Twitch

iShowSpeed Answers Fan Questions: Opens Up About Mental Health and One Piece Khizar Mundia Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. recently did an extensive Q&A where he answered several fan questions, talking about things such as mental health and loneliness despite being massively popular, while he also debunked being a One Piece “larper”. iShowSpeed is arguably the biggest IRL streamer in the world right now, with 2026 being a major year for the creator. Whether it was livestreaming the 2026 FIFA World Cup or being listed ...

Dota 2

Unstoppable Yandex crush NAVI in one-sided PGL Wallachia finals Michael Hassall Team Yandex has swept the grand finals of the PGL Wallachia Season 9 Dota 2 tournament, defeating Natus Vincere (NAVI) in a 3-0 drubbing this past weekend (Sep. 27). As predicted, the revitalized Yandex, hot off the signing of former Team Falcons star Ammar "ATF" Al-Assaf, crushed their youthful opponents in a three-game sweep in the best-of-five finals. Here’s how it happened: After upsetting the star-studded LGD Gaming roster (albeit ...

Twitch

Kai Cenat Reportedly Becomes First Streamer To Broadcast From Inside a Volcano Khizar Mundia Twitch star Kai Cenat caused a major stir online when he announced his Exploring the Unexplored IRL series — and he has now gone live from the first country, Iceland, streaming from inside a volcano. IRL streaming is one of the best ways to gain exposure and become a bigger creator. Two of the biggest current examples are Darren “iShowSpeed” Watkins Jr. and Rangesh “N3on” Mutama. Speed has been a ...

Dota 2

Team Yandex to win it all? PGL Wallachia Season 9 Finals preview and predictions Michael Hassall The first big event after TI15, PGL Wallachia Season 9, wraps up this Sunday, Sep. 27, and it’s set to be a hell of a show. After a solid week of action, with some surprise eliminations along the way, we’re down to just three teams from the original 16. Team Yandex, LGD Gaming, and Natus Vincere (NAVI) remain, having battled through some big upsets to get there. Yandex are hot ...