Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages Expand Endgame Depth

The new activity modes introduced by Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages, set for release on February 13, 2026, provide several new activity nodes that will significantly impact character progression speed. Instead of focusing on flashiness, this update subtly adjusts the means by which relics, Ascension items, and Trace resources are gathered. While interconnected to Planarcadia, these new modes seem more focused on dedication than newness.

Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages

Once it launches live in the game, Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 will allow the player to access Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Possession, Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Soundburst, Bud of Elation at the “World’s End” Tavern location, Bud of The Hunt at the “Memortis Shore” Ruins of Time location, and various stages of Calyx (Golden) at locations throughout Planarcadia. This represents the bulk of the Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages release, as it addresses a resource necessity rather than revisiting common systems. Within these stages, new Trace Materials will be dropped, which are presumably needed for future characters and Light Cones.

Cavern of Corrosion: The Path of Possession and New Relic Sets

Among the more differentiated inclusions in the Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages is the Cavern of Corrosion: Path of Possession. In this stage, there are two Cavern Relic sets, which appear designed from the outset for Elation-based combat as opposed to more traditional stat boosts.

The "Ever-Glorious Magical Girl" relic set emphasizes scaling damage. The set's 2-piece bonus enhances the character's CRIT DMG by 16%. The set's 4-piece bonus causes the Elation damage to "ignore" the opponent's DEF. The more stacks active from the Punchline, the more DEF is ignored.

Stagnant Shadow Adds Element-Specific Progression

Stagnant Shadow: Shape of Soundburst, while less expansive, still has its place within the Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages roster. Obtaining this stage yields “Thunder Strum” material, categorized by its exclusivity under Lightning Ascension. The farming will affect Lightning characters, but it lends more clarity.

From a long-term planning perspective, these structural additions arrive ahead of character-focused announcements, as Honkai Star Rail 4.1 Drip Marketing Reveals New Character Ashveil, reinforcing why Version 4.0 places heavier emphasis on resource depth rather than immediate spectacle.

Bud of Elation and Bud of The Hunt Increase Trace Farming

There are two new Calyx (Crimson) aligned stages, and they emerge through the Bud of Elation and the Bud of the Hunt. These two stages have different Path philosophies. The Bud of Elation, which is at the “World’s End” Tavern, drops Trace Materials like “The Fluffy Collector’s Edition,” “The Fluffy Serialization Memorial Issue,” and “The Fluffy Hand-drawn Storyboards.” These materials are new to Elation characters and further emphasize the growing mechanical identity of that Path. The creation of stages, separating these resources, makes Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0’s new stages less redundant but more complex.

This separation of Trace resources follows the structure introduced in the Honkai Star Rail 4.0 Livestream Summary, reinforcing Path-specific progression.

Calyx (Golden) Planarcadia and Resource Efficiency

The added Calyx (Golden) stages in Planarcadia give Universal Enhancement Materials on top of the synthesis resources, in addition to existing rewards. Viewed in totality, the Honkai Star Rail Version 4.0 New Stages are quieter in design philosophy. Rather than adopting spikes in difficulty or event-driven rewards, it restructures progression around specialization and foresight.