Will Honkai: Star Rail replace Genshin Impact?

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.