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Honkai Impact 3rd
Honkai Impact 3rd
from Wikipedia

Honkai Impact 3rd
DevelopermiHoYo
Publishers
ProducersCai Haoyu (2014–2017)
David Jiang[1] (?–present)
Composers
  • Cai Jinhan
  • Chen Yonghui
  • Cui Wei
  • Gong Qi
  • Jiang Peng
  • Li Jinghao
  • Lin Yifan
  • Wen Chi
  • Zheng Yujie
SeriesHonkai
EngineUnity
PlatformsAndroid, iOS, iPadOS, Microsoft Windows, macOS
Release
  • CHN: October 14, 2016
  • JP: February 22, 2017
  • TW: May 18, 2017
  • KR: October 17, 2017
  • SEA: November 1, 2017
  • NA/EU: March 28, 2018
GenresAction role-playing, hack and slash
ModesSingle-player, multiplayer

Honkai Impact 3rd[a] is a 2016 free-to-play 3D science fantasy action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under Cognosphere, trading as HoYoverse). It is the spiritual successor to Guns Girl Z, using many characters from the previous title in a separate story. The game is notable for incorporating a variety of genres, from hack and slash and social simulation, to elements of bullet hell, platforming, shoot 'em up and dungeon crawling across multiple single and multiplayer modes. It features gacha mechanics. It was first released on mobile devices and later ported to Microsoft Windows.

A massive expansion of the game, titled Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 was released on February 29, 2024. Built upon the existing game, the update marks the start of the second major story arc of the game, with new characters, reworked UI, an updated engine, and a shift from a mission-based structure to a limited open-world structure.

In addition to the game, the storyline of Honkai Impact 3rd spans multiple supplementary media including a series of animated shorts, multiple manhua series, and promotional videos.

Etymology

[edit]

The word "Honkai", based on the Japanese 崩壊 (ほうかい, "collapse" or "decay"), pronounced "hōkai", is a direct translation of the Chinese 崩坏 (bēng huài) used in the original Chinese title. The "Impact" part of the title is absent from both the Chinese and Japanese versions, and is only used in English marketing.

In-game, the term 'Honkai Impact' (also 'Honkai Eruption' or 'Honkai Outbreak') refers to a large-scale Honkai disaster that coincides with the birth of a Herrscher.

Gameplay

[edit]

Honkai Impact 3rd has players control a team of up to three characters, known as Valkyries, in real-time combat against various enemies. During battle, players may freely switch between characters and move around the battlefield. Each Valkyrie has unique attack, evasion, switch, and ultimate skills, as well as a type. The three main types: Mecha, Biologic, and Psychic, are based on a rock-paper-scissors-based system, wherein types are advantaged and disadvantaged depending on both the enemy type and their own type. The two additional types, Quantum and Imaginary, are disadvantaged over each other, neutral towards the above three types, and advantaged over themselves. A third additional type, Stardust, is advantaged towards itself and neutral to all other types. Valkyrie stats and skills can be changed with various weapons and equipment, which can be improved by using in-game resources. New equipment (known as Stigmata), weapons, and Valkyries can obtained either through in-game crafting or through a gacha system.

Single-player game modes include the Story campaign, consisting of stages punctuated by dialogue in cutscenes and full motion videos (FMVs); Chronicles, a series of brief side stories that explore Valkyries' backstories or other aspects of the world; and Open World, allowing exploration of several large open-ended fields to gather materials and complete various challenge tasks, coupled with their own storylines.

The game features various multiplayer cooperative and competitive modes, such as Memorial Arena, where players compete against a set of bosses for the highest score across the server; Abyss, where players attempt to progress as far as possible through a gauntlet of battles to compete for high scores against others in a small group, etc. Players are able to join groups of other players, called Armadas, which allow for more opportunities for events and rewards. Armadas allow for limited requesting of materials and resources from other players in the Armada.

Outside of battles, Honkai Impact 3rd allows players to interact with the Valkyrie and Stigmata characters through the Dorm mode. Upon completing character-specific tasks, different characters may be able to move into the dorms, whereupon new character information and dialogues between those characters can be seen. Players can craft various pieces of furniture and design the layout of the dorm rooms to increase the "comfort" of the Valkyries and Stigmata therein. Greater comfort levels allow players to level up their dorm limits for more elaborate decoration. Players are able to visit and view each other's decorated dorm layouts.

Secondary gameplay mechanics include various minigames incorporating bullet hell, platforming, and shoot 'em up elements that allow players to gather various crafting and experience materials. Limited-time seasonal events may also include gameplay styles such as dungeon crawling and battle royale which are not normally seen in the main gameplay modes.

Weapons

[edit]

Each Valkyrie can equip one type of weapon. The weapon types in the game are dual pistols, blades (katanas), heavy (cannons), greatswords, crosses, fists (gauntlets), scythes, lances, bows, chakrams, javelins, drive cores (yo-yos,) rapid-fire crossbows, rocket hammers, chained blades, and mechanical staffs.

Players can obtain weapons through shop purchases, crafting, and the gacha system, among other methods. After players obtain weapons, they can upgrade the weapons to improve their attribute effects.

After reaching player level 50 and weapon level 50, some weapons can be further upgraded into PRI-ARMs up to level 65, changing their design, attributes, and effects, provided that the weapon prerequisite is obtained. Upgrading these PRI-ARMs does not consume regular weapon upgrade materials, instead requiring a medley of Einstein's Toruses, SC Metal-H2, and Fluid Alloy Blocks. However, players will not be able to increase the maximum weapon level until reaching player level 81.

Stigmata

[edit]

Each Valkyrie can equip three Stigmata. Players can increase their characters' attack, defense, critical chance, and other attribute effects while those characters wear various Stigmata.[2] Stigmata are usually tailored to the specific uses of the character.

The Stigmata system can be divided into three types: top, middle, and bottom, which correspond to the types of attack, defense, and auxiliary. Players can also activate different set effects when wearing two or three Stigmata of the same set. Players can obtain Stigmata through the gacha, stage completion, events, and crafting. After players obtain a Stigmata, they can enhance, upgrade, and refine it to improve the Stigmata's stats and effects.[3]

Item enhancement

[edit]

Players can enhance Valkyrie stats by enhancing (leveling-up) weapons and Stigmata. Stigmata level up requires a different EXP item type than weapons. Upon enhancement, the equipment can get a better attribute effect bonus.

Item upgrading

[edit]

Players can improve the attribute effect of equipment by upgrading weapons and Stigmata. All weapons or Stigmata can upgrade the star level through an upgrade. After upgrading, the maximum level limit increases, allowing stronger effects. More advanced weapons and Stigmata require more advanced upgrade materials. Players can obtain upgrade materials by challenging stages, pulling in the gacha, and purchasing in stores.

Currency

[edit]

The main currencies are crystals and coins, which have various non-premium obtaining methods. Asterite is a currency obtained from various miscellaneous sources throughout the game and can be exchanged for supplies in specific shops. Many of the game's gameplay modes and events each have their own corresponding currencies and shops.

Setting

[edit]

Honkai Impact 3rd is set in an alternate version of Earth, plagued by catastrophes resulting from the Honkai. The Honkai is largely viewed as a malevolent force with a will of its own. It has the ability to corrupt humans (ranging from mind manipulation and diseases to turning them into undead creatures), create various monsters, and imbue certain individuals with god-like powers, enabling them to trigger apocalyptic events. These super-powered humans are known as Herrschers. The Honkai is a cyclical phenomenon, returning to test civilization on Earth each time it gets too advanced.

The game takes place in the year 2015 of the Current Era, with the more technologically advanced Previous Era having been destroyed by Honkai 50,000 years prior. In the Current Era, various global factions exist to combat or take advantage of the power of Honkai. These include Schicksal, a European-based peacekeeping organization that deploys human warriors known as Valkyries to combat the Honkai; Anti-Entropy, formerly the North American branch of Schicksal that objected to the use of human soldiers in favor of mechanized robots; and World Serpent, a shadow organization that has been manipulating world events since the end of the Previous Era.

Three Herrscher awakenings (or Impacts) have already occurred in the Current Era by the start of the series: the Herrscher of Reason, who became the leader of Anti-Entropy instead of fighting humanity; the Herrscher of the Void, who was defeated by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy in 2000; and the Herrscher of Thunder, who was successfully prevented from fully awakening and sent to train as a Valkyrie at Schicksal's St. Freya Academy.

Characters

[edit]

St. Freya Academy

[edit]
  • Kiana Kaslana (琪亚娜·卡斯兰娜; Qíyànà Kǎsīlánnà) a.k.a. K-423
Voiced by: Tao Dian [zh] (Chinese); Rie Kugimiya (Japanese)
The game's main protagonist and a recurring character in other miHoYo games. A homage to miHoYo's main character in their first game and second game. She is a clone of the original Kiana Kaslana mixed with genes from Sirin.[4]
  • Raiden Mei (雷电芽衣; Léidiàn Yáyī)
Voiced by: Juhuahua (Chinese); Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese)
One of the three major main characters and a recurring one in miHoYo's games. She is featured as a kind and compassionate Valkyrie. She is the daughter of Massive Electric Corp’s CEO. However, due to unfortunate economic issues, her family has lost most of their wealth.[4]
  • Bronya Zaychik (布洛妮娅·扎伊切克; Bùluònīyà Zhāyīqièkè)
Voiced by: Hanser (Chinese); Kana Asumi (Japanese)
One of the three major main characters and a recurring one in miHoYo's games. She is a Russian orphan who lost her family during the Second Honkai War. She is a trained assassin who infiltrated St. Freya High School in the hope of saving her lost friend.[4]
  • Fu Hua (符华; Fú Huá)
Voiced by: Mace (Chinese); Minami Takayama (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 12th, codenamed 'Vicissitude'. She was originally tasked with a mission to guide the Current Era, which caused the regions of her influence to deify her. Her backstory is recounted in multiple pieces of media, including the visual novel Seven Swords. After meeting Otto and striking a deal with him, she was employed as one of his agents. Later on, she becomes host to the Herrscher of Sentience.[4]
  • Theresa Apocalypse (德丽莎·阿波卡利斯; Délìshā Ābōkǎlìsī)
Voiced by: Hualing (Chinese); Yukari Tamura (Japanese)
The founder and principal of St. Freya Academy. Although she defies him, she is closely tied to Otto, who created her from Kallen's genes. She was close friends with Kiana's parents, especially her mother. She can be considered the equivalent of Previous Era MANTISes, as her genes contain parts of the Honkai Beast Vishnu.[4]
  • Murata Himeko (无量塔姬子; Wúliàngtǎ Jīzǐ)
Voiced by: Lin Su (Chinese); Rie Tanaka (Japanese)
Teacher at St. Freya Academy, leader of Squad V and former Captain of the Hyperion. She was originally deployed to rescue Kiana, Mei and Bronya from Nagazora and acted as their squad leader and mentor after their enrollment. She is acquainted with Rita and Durandal through their former mentor, Ragna Lothbrok.[4]

Schicksal

[edit]
  • Otto Apocalypse (奥托·阿波卡利斯; Àotuō Ābōkǎlìsī)
Voiced by: Zhao Lu [zh] (Chinese); Akira Ishida (Japanese)
A 500-year-old human genius, head of Schicksal for most of that time. He acts as the main antagonist in the first part of the story. He had a strong affection for Kallen Kaslana and was primarily motivated by his goal to revive her, His historical prototypes are Otto of Freising and Faust.
  • Durandal (幽兰黛尔; Yōulándài'ěr) / Bianka Ataegina (比安卡·阿塔吉娜; Bǐ'ānkǎ Ātǎjínà) / Kiana Kaslana (琪亚娜·卡斯兰娜; Qíyànà Kǎsīlánnà)
Voiced by: Miao Jiang (Chinese); Mamiko Noto (Japanese)
An S-rank Valkyrie and the current strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal. Later in Part 1 of the story, it is revealed that she is the original Kiana Kaslana, from whom the game's protagonist was cloned. She has since adopted the name Bianka Ataegina and is the main character of the visual novel Durandal.[4]
  • Rita Rossweisse (丽塔·洛丝薇瑟; Lìtǎ Luòsīwēisè)
Voiced by: Xiao N (Chinese); Aoi Yūki (Japanese)
Assistant of Durandal, one of the few current S-rank Valkyries (in game's world) and Maid of Schicksal. She is Durandal's second-in-command. Second-in-command of the Immortal Blades Valkyrie Squad.[4]
  • Cecilia Schariac (塞西莉亚·沙尼亚特; Sāixīlìyà Shāníyàtè)
Voiced by: Fumeng Ruowei (Chinese); Yū Kobayashi (Japanese)
One of Schicksal's most powerful Valkyries and mother to Kiana Kaslana, she plays a significant role in the events of the Second Honkai War. She is a main character in the comic series Second Eruption.
  • Shigure Kira (时雨绮罗; Shíyǔ Qǐluó)
Voiced by: Song Yuanyuan (Chinese); Ibuki Kido (Japanese)
An A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal who joined under the impression that it was an idol program, only to find out that the program had already ended.[4]
  • Susannah Mannatt (苏莎娜·玛纳特; Sūshānà Mǎnàtè)
Voiced by: Lin Su (Chinese); Chinatsu Hirose [ja] (Japanese)
A member of the Phosdjinns Squad and a B-Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal.[4]
  • Ana Schariac (安娜·沙尼亚特; Ānnà Shāníyàtè)
Voiced by: Chen Tingting (Chinese); Aki Toyosaki (Japanese)
An A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal of the Snow Lotus Squad and the Herrscher of Ice. She later becomes the Herrscher of Rimestar after merging with the core of the Herrscher of Stars.
  • APHO Protagonist a.k.a. Adam (亚当; Yàdāng)
Voiced by: Ye Sun (Chinese); Makoto Ishii (Japanese)
The unnamed main protagonist of the futuristic open-world game mode A Post-Honkai Odyssey (APHO), which is set after the events of Chapter 27. Players nicknamed him Adam after discovering one of his image files labelled as such in the game's internal files.[4]
  • Carole Pepper (卡萝尔·佩珀; Kǎluó'ěr Pèipò)
Voiced by: Wang Xiaotong (Chinese); Junko Iwao (Japanese)
A character from APHO. Daughter of Lewis Pepper, former Valkyrie who fought in the Second Eruption. Usually seen as an energetic troublemaker with a tendency to go AWOL. Despite all that, she values her place as a Valkyrie.[4]
  • Siegfried Kaslana (齐格飞·卡斯兰娜; Qígéfēi Kǎsīlánnà)
Voiced by: Peng Bo (Chinese); Tomokazu Seki (Japanese)
A Schicksal Knight and father of Kiana Kaslana. After the events of the Second Honkai War, he acted against Schicksal and World Serpent. Later, they captured him and kept him in the Kaslana Stigma Space.
  • Kallen Kaslana (卡莲·卡斯兰娜; Kǎlián Kǎsīlánnà)
Voiced by: Chen Yiwen [zh] (Chinese); Nana Mizuki (Japanese)
A medieval Kaslana family member and childhood friend of Otto. Known as the most legendary Valkyrie of Schicksal. She was executed after defying Schicksal and publicly declaring her love for Yae Sakura. Otto embarked on a quest to revive her.[4]
  • Li Sushang (李素裳; Lǐ Sùshang)
Voiced by: Chen Tingting (Chinese); Misato Fukuen (Japanese)
One of the protagonists of the Saga of the Shattered Swords visual novel. Her mother, Qin Suyi, is one of the Seven Swords of Taixuan (seven disciples of Fu Hua's School of Taixuan).[4]
  • Erdős Helia (埃尔德什·赫丽娅; Āi'ěrdéshí Hèlìyà)
Voiced by: Suxun (Chinese); Yui Kondo (Japanese)
An A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal who was sent on a Mars expedition with Coralie.[4]

Anti-Entropy

[edit]
  • Welt Yang (瓦尔特·杨; Wǎ'ěrtè Yáng) / Joachim Nokianvirtanen (约阿希姆·诺基安维塔宁; Yuē'āxīmǔ Nuòjī'ānwéitǎníng)
Voiced by: Dai Chaohang, Nuo Ya (young) (Chinese); Yoshimasa Hosoya, Mariya Ise (young) (Japanese)
The second Herrscher of Reason and the current head of Anti-Entropy. He inherited his name from the first Herrscher of Reason, Welt Joyce. The events that occur in the aftermath of A Post-Honkai Odyssey Chapter 2 and the Alien Space comic series eventually lead to his appearance in Honkai: Star Rail.
  • Frederica Nikola Tesla (芙蕾德莉卡·尼古拉·特斯拉; Fúlěidélìkǎ Nígǔlā Tèsīlā) and Lieserl Albert Einstein (丽瑟尔·阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦; Lìsè'ěr Ā'ěrbótè Àiyīnsītǎn)
Voiced by: Le Xiaotong (Chinese); Ayana Taketatsu (Japanese) (Tesla)
Voiced by: Qin Ziyi (Chinese); Mitsuki Saiga (Japanese) (Einstein)
They are Anti-Entropy scientists who frequently help the main cast. They have been involved in Anti-Entropy, leaving Schicksal and conducting research on the 9th Divine Key. They age slower due to complications during the latter's events.
  • Seele Vollerei (希儿·芙乐艾; Xī'ér Fúlè'ài)
Voiced by: Tang Yajing (Chinese); Mai Nakahara (Japanese)
An Estonian girl who grew up in the same orphanage as Bronya. She is a Stigma Awakened individual and shares her body with her Stigma persona, also named Seele (sometimes called Dark Seele or "Seele", quotation marks included). Her Stigma's symbol is similar to the Stigma of the Previous Era's Herrscher of Death.[4]
  • Liliya Olenyeva (莉莉娅·阿琳; Lìlìyà Ālín)
Voiced by: Yanning (Chinese); Yū Serizawa (Japanese)
The twin sister of Rozaliya. Unlike Rozaliya, she is much more serious and level-headed. She spent her childhood at Cocolia orphanage with Bronya and Seele, alongside Rozaliya.[4]
  • Rozaliya Olenyeva (萝莎莉娅·阿琳; Luóshālìyà Ālín)
Voiced by: Duoduo Poi (Chinese); Aoi Koga (Japanese)
The twin sister of Liliya. She is often seen as a very noisy and disruptive Valkyrie, but she shows her mature side when she looks after Liliya. Due to an accident, she features a modified body. She spent her childhood at Cocolia orphanage with Bronya and Seele, alongside Liliya.[4]

World Serpent

[edit]
  • Kevin Kaslana (凯文·卡斯兰娜; Kǎiwén Kǎsīlánnà)
Voiced by: Qin Qiege (Chinese); Satoshi Hino (Japanese)
The leader of the 13 Flamechasers of The Previous Era, the current head of World Serpent and the first Kaslana, codenamed "Deliverance." His strength allowed him to eliminate a lot of Previous Era's Herrschers. He acts as an antagonist throughout the majority of the story.
  • Misteln Schariac (米丝忒琳·沙尼亚特; Mǐsītèlín Shāníyàtè) a.k.a. Hare (羽兔; Yǔtù)
Voiced by: Fumeng Ruowei (Chinese); Yū Kobayashi (Japanese)
A member of World Serpent, also known as Hare. She was born through the transcription process of Project Stigma.[4]
  • Chen Tianwu (陈天武; Chén Tiānwǔ) a.k.a. Owl (夜枭; Yèxiāo)
Voiced by: Li Chunyin (Chinese); Sōichirō Hoshi (Japanese)
A member of World Serpent, also known as Owl. He is a survivor of a major Honkai Eruption in Manila and was rescued by Ana Schariac.
  • Natasha Cioara (娜塔莎·希奥拉; Nàtǎshā Xī'àolā) a.k.a. Raven (渡鸦; Dùyā)
Voiced by: Xie Ying (Chinese); Sanae Kobayashi (Japanese)
A member of World Serpent, nicknamed "Raven." A highly skilled mercenary who runs an orphanage called "The Roost", she is also a survivor of the Second Eruption in Siberia.[4]

Fire MOTH

[edit]
  • Dr. MEI (梅博士; Méi Bóshì)
Voiced by: Juhuahua (Chinese); Miyuki Sawashiro (Japanese)
A Previous Era scientist who led humanity's effort against the Honkai, creating various projects to combat the phenomenon. She resembles the Current Era's Raiden Mei but is otherwise unrelated. She had a romantic relationship with Kevin Kaslana.
  • PROMETHEUS (普罗米修斯; Pǔluómǐxiūsī)
Voiced by: Hanser (Chinese); Kana Asumi (Japanese)
A Previous Era super AI created by Dr. MEI that predicts and handles Honkai attacks. She also assists Dr. MEI in her research.[4]
  • Elysia (爱莉希雅; Àilìxīyǎ)
Voiced by: Yanning (Chinese); Marina Inoue (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 2nd, codenamed "Ego." She is the owner of the Elysian Realm and one of the major main characters of the Elysian Realm story arc in the game. She was born as the Herrscher of Origin, but her actions in life earned her the title Herrscher of Humanity.[4]
  • Eden (伊甸; Yīdiàn)
Voiced by: Zhang Anqi (Chinese); Juri Kimura (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 4th, codenamed "Gold." She was a well-known singer and philanthropist in the Previous Era. She is often seen drinking alcohol, especially wine. There have been hints of a romance between her and Elysia, although their relationship status was never officially confirmed.[5]
  • Su (; )
Voiced by: Yang Chaoran (Chinese); Takahiro Sakurai (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers, ranked 7th, codenamed "Bodhi", and MOTH scientist/doctor. He is a friend to Kevin. He is the perceived antagonist of the comic series Second Key, during which he sends Durandal through tribulations in a bubble universe called Seed of Sumeru.
  • Mobius (梅比乌斯; Méibǐwūsī)
Voiced by: Cai Shujin (Chinese); Rumi Okubo (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 10th, codenamed "Infinity." She is a scientist responsible for the creation of Stigmata and has assisted in the development of other projects.[4]
  • Kalpas (千劫; Qiānjié)
Voiced by: Kinsen (Chinese); Yūsuke Kobayashi (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era, ranked 6th and codenamed "Decimation." He has been fused with the Honkai Beast Asura. He is most likely not human but rather an alien humanoid.
  • Aponia (阿波尼亚; Ābōníyà)
Voiced by: Yang Menglu (Chinese); Haruka Shiraishi (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 3rd, codenamed "Discipline." She is a psychic MANTIS with the power to see into the future and decipher people's fates. She can also bestow Disciplines, mental seals, or commands that influence a person's will.[5]
  • Griseo (格蕾修; Gélěixiū)
Voiced by: Zisu Jiuyue (Chinese); Hina Kino (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 11th, codenamed "Stars." The youngest of the Flamechasers, she is a painter with a beaming curiosity. She has taken on a Discipline (mental seal) to make her focus on painting and to not think about the tragedies all around her, which were common in the Previous Era.[4]
  • Kosma (科斯魔; Kēsīmó)
Voiced by: Chu Huazheng (Chinese); Chiaki Kobayashi (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era, ranked 9th, and codenamed "Daybreak." He has been fused with the Honkai Beast Vishnu.
  • Pardofelis (帕朵菲莉丝; Pàduǒfēilìsī)
Voiced by: Jin Na (Chinese); Nozomi Yamamoto (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 13th, codenamed "Reverie." She acts as a merchant in the Elysian Realm along with her pet cat Can. Described as the weakest of the Flamechasers. She also has a sort of kleptomania, usually played for laughs. Able to use 'shortcuts', most likely referring to a sort of dimensional portals.[5]
  • Vill-V (维尔薇; Wéi'ěr Wēi)
Voiced by: Ruan Congqing (Chinese); Hisako Kanemoto (Japanese)
A member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 5th, codenamed "Helix." She is an inventor, a magician, a chef, an evil mastermind, and a shy girl. This is due to her ability to split her own mind and partition those parts for specific tasks. She created multiple Divine Keys from the Cores of the Previous Era's Herrschers.[4]

Honkai Beasts

[edit]
  • Wendy (温蒂; Wēndì)
Voiced by: Nuo Ya (Chinese); Ryoko Maekawa (Japanese)
A former Valkyrie of Schicksal who became insane after being implanted with the Gem of Desire and later transformed into the Herrscher of Wind.
  • Sirin (西琳; Xīlín)
Voiced by: Wang Xiaotong (Chinese); Sakura Tange (Japanese)
A Belarusian girl who became Current Era's Herrscher of the Void after suffering abuse at the hands of Schicksal's research. She is a main character in the comic series Second Eruption. During the game's events, her leftover malice personified acts as the secondary antagonist, triggering another Eruption.[4]

Langqiu

[edit]
  • Thelema Nutriscu (瑟莉姆·努特里斯科; Sèlìmǔ Nǔtèlǐsīkē)
Voiced by: Guiniang (Chinese); Akira Sekine (Japanese)
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Pleasure."[4]
  • Litost (利托斯特; Lìtuōsītè)
Voiced by: Liu Beichen [zh] (Chinese); Kenji Hamada (Japanese)
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Sacrifice."
  • Serapeum (瑟拉珮姆; Sèlāpèimǔ)
Voiced by: Xi Zhi (Chinese); Yūko Ōno (2024–2025), Riho Tsuda [ja] (2025–present) (Japanese)[6][7]
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Union."
  • "Lantern" (「灯」; Dēng) / Tsavorae (莎芙莱; Shāfúlái)
Voiced by: Pan Danni (Chinese); Yumiri Hanamori (Japanese)
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Destruction."[4]
  • Baiji (白及; Báijí)
Voiced by: Lin Jing (Chinese); Hideo Ishikawa (Japanese)
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Falsehood."
  • Ajita (阿婕塔; Ājiétǎ)
Voiced by: Tao Dian [zh] (Chinese); Asami Seto (Japanese)
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Gadgets."
  • Songque (松雀; Sōngquè) / Maria (玛丽娅; Mǎlìyà)
Voiced by: Pan Danni (Chinese); Yumiri Hanamori (Japanese)
A member of the Seven Shus who bears the title "Deception."[8]

Others

[edit]
  • Yae Sakura (八重樱; Bāchóng Yīng)
Voiced by: Du Mingya (Chinese); Ayane Sakura (Japanese)
A shrine maiden from Yae village, she had a little sister named Rin. She met Kallen when Kallen fled from Schicksal forces to the Far East and fell in love with her. She shares a name and appearance with the Previous Era's SAKURA, codenamed "Setsuna", who is a member of the 13 Flamechasers of the Previous Era and ranked 8th but is otherwise unrelated. SAKURA's younger sister, RIN, became the Herrscher of Corruption.[4]
  • Ai Hyperion Λ (爱衣·休伯利安Λ; Àiyī Xiūbólì'ān Λ)
Voiced by: Wang Yaxin (Chinese); Yui Horie (Japanese)
A character used for bridging the game world and the players. She is seen fixing bugs in the game with her three miniature copies, referred to as the "Ai"s in the Honkai Salvation Log event, where she acts as the administrator of the game. She has the ability to concentrate all the Captain's willpower throughout "parallel dimensions."[4]
  • Dreamseeker (寻梦者; Xúnmèngzhě)
Voiced by: Zhang Ruoyu (Chinese); Yuki Nakashima (Japanese) (female)
Voiced by: Kinsen (Chinese); Kikunosuke Toya (Japanese) (male)
One of the main protagonists of Part 2. They are a native of Oxia City on Mars.
  • Coralie 6626 Planck (科拉莉·6626·普朗克; Kēlālì 6626 Pǔlǎngkè)
Voiced by: Kekewei (Chinese); Saya Aizawa (Japanese)
A member of the Mars exploration team, alongside her partner Helia. She is the adopted daughter of Einstein.[4]
  • Senadina (希娜狄雅; Xīnàdíyǎ)
Voiced by: Sun Yanqi (Chinese); Minori Suzuki (Japanese)
A girl with a mysterious past who originates from within the Sea of Data.[4]
  • Vita (薇塔; Wēitǎ)
Voiced by: Yan Yeqiao (Chinese); Yoko Hikasa (Japanese)
A native from Salt Snow Holy City who acts as Seele's, Susannah's, and Shigure Kira's guide in their search for Seele's other personality. She is a clone of Sa, the original Vita. Later, she received an invitation from Sparkle to join the Masked Fools, which she accepts.[4]
  • Sparkle (花火; Huāhuǒ)
Voiced by: Zhao Shuang (Chinese); Reina Ueda (Japanese)
A member of the Masked Fools who later invites Vita to join the faction. She is the featured character in the collaboration between Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai: Star Rail.[9]
Voiced by: Yūko Miyamura (Japanese)
The crossover character from the Rebuild of Evangelion anime film series as part of a collaboration between miHoYo and khara.[10]
  • Fischl (菲谢尔; Fēixiè'ěr)
Voiced by: Mace (Chinese); Maaya Uchida (Japanese)
One of the two crossover characters from Genshin Impact as part of a collaboration by miHoYo.[4]

Development

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The production team for Honkai Impact 3rd grew from a 7-person start to employing over 200 employees in 2018.[11] miHoYo offers small amounts of in-game currency to users that fill out surveys about their experience in the game, allowing the game's developers to adjust future events and tweak the game. As a result, Honkai Impact 3rd is under a continuous-update system, patching bug fixes and changing or adding content multiple times per year. The game has had many significant changes since launch, including rewriting the entire first two chapters of the story in a December 2018 update.[citation needed] The developers stated that their decision to make Honkai Impact 3rd be in the free-to-play monetization system (rather than a premium, or paid, game) with the purpose of making the game more available to players.[12] Devil May Cry and Bayonetta significantly affected the game makers' ideas for the fight system of Honkai Impact 3rd.[12]

The official PC version was released to the public on December 26, 2019.[13] A massive expansion of the game, titled Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 was released on February 29, 2024. Built upon the existing game, the update marks the start of the second major story arc of the game, with new characters, reworked UI, an updated engine, and a shift from a mission-based structure to a limited open-world structure.[14]

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Comics

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Honkai Impact 3rd features an ongoing serialized comic series of the same name in Chinese[15] and in English.[16] The series begins before Chapter 1 of the main game story arc that aims to supplement and flesh out the in-game plot, and often includes character origins. Several in-game battlesuits worn by the Valkyries are illustrated in the series as well. The series has three prequel titles and one main title.

Donghua

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Cooking with Valkyries (Chinese: 女武神的餐桌; pinyin: Nǚ Wǔshén de Cānzhuō), a non-canon slice of life cooking television donghua series of Honkai Impact 3rd featuring 19 short episodes, was released from July to September 2020. The bilibili releases are available in Mandarin Chinese, while the Japanese broadcast versions are in Japanese.[17][18]

ELF Academy (Chinese: 人偶学园; pinyin: Rén'ǒu Xuéyuán), another non-canon donghua of Honkai Impact 3rd with 10 episodes, was released from July to September 2021, and also contains Mandarin Chinese and Japanese voice acting. This series is about ELFs (Equipment: Living Form), which are autonomous weapons created to replace living soldiers, going to school and interacting with each other.[19][20]

Reception

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A Honkai Impact 3rd-themed itasha in Indonesia

The game first attracted a large fanbase in Asia before spreading globally: first released in China in late 2016,[21] it reached 1 million downloads in Japan 11 days after release, and IGN reported that Honkai Impact 3rd gathered a total of 35 million downloads worldwide as of March 28, 2018.[22] The game has been released in Korea, Taiwan, Southeast Asia,[23] North America, and Europe,[24][25] and supports multiple languages including Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese,[26] English,[27] Japanese,[28] Korean,[29] Vietnamese,[30] Thai,[31] French,[32] German, and Indonesian, with voices in Chinese and Japanese.

In an article from 2017, Ungeek.com says that the game has some later-game systems that are unintuitive, and cites the large download size for a mobile game as a negative.[33] The review praised the game's visual quality and the ease of learning to play the game, as well as the overall quality of the game, and positively recommended it.[33] The article mentioned that the quality of the game was comparable to console games.[11][33]

Controversies

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On April 22, 2021, as part of the 3rd anniversary of the game's global server, a music video titled "Brilliant Bright" in collaboration with Myth & Roid, was released on Honkai Impact 3rd's YouTube channel. While the video featured characters wearing bunny-girl outfits, none of the outfits were actually made available in-game - the cosmetics were solely for the purpose of the video. The backlash from the Chinese players was immediate and severe, with many considering it insensitive and unfair to release content for international players only.

The special video from Honkai Impact 3rd was removed from their channel, although the video itself is still available online, through fan reuploads. The Japanese band Myth & Roid have pulled out from the collaboration, and also had their special video single removed, but Brilliant Bright will still be available through streaming platforms and will be released as their digital single. In the game, any content related to 3rd-anniversary bunny girls, with the exception of the correlating event stigmata, are now removed as according to the game's official statement[34] and was instead given 500 crystals for every GLB player as compensation. Chinese server players were given greater compensation (10 focused supply cards = 2800 crystal), despite not actually having any content removed in the Chinese version.[citation needed]

Notes

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Honkai Impact 3rd is a 3D developed and published by the Chinese video game company , now operating under the brand HoYoverse. First released in for Android and mobile devices on October 14, 2016, it later launched globally on March 28, 2018, and expanded to Windows PC on December 26, 2019, and on October 21, 2021. The game features real-time combat mechanics where players assemble teams of up to three characters known as —young female warriors genetically resistant to the —to battle hordes of enemies in a setting. Set in a world ravaged by the , a mysterious and destructive energy that manifests as beasts and catastrophes, the narrative follows humanity's struggle for survival through the efforts of organizations like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. The storyline is delivered through cinematic chapters, visual novel-style dialogues, and supplementary media including series, adaptations, and official comics, creating a multimedia universe. Gameplay emphasizes fast-paced, combo-based aerial and ground combat with HD cel-shaded , allowing for infinite attack chains, quick-time events, and explosive visual feedback. Players can equip and upgrade with battlesuits that alter abilities, weapons, and for strategic depth, while a gacha system enables summoning new characters and equipment using in-game currency or microtransactions. Open-world exploration modes, cooperative raids, and time-limited events add variety, with the core loop revolving around story progression, resource farming, and team optimization. A major update, Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2, launched on February 29, 2024, introducing a new Mars-based setting, overhauled combat systems with ultimate skills and fusion mechanics, and fresh characters to continue the saga. The game's narrative explores themes of sacrifice, identity, and resistance against inevitable doom, centered on key protagonists like Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya Zaychik as they uncover the origins of the and confront powerful adversaries. Without delving into spoilers, the plot unfolds across multiple arcs, blending epic battles with emotional character-driven moments, and has been praised for its mature storytelling and world-building in a genre often dominated by lighter fare. features renowned Japanese talent, including and , enhancing immersion in cutscenes and dialogues. Honkai Impact 3rd has achieved significant commercial success, contributing substantially to miHoYo's portfolio; as of August 2023, it accounted for 18% of the company's $8 billion in total user spending across its major titles. In 2025, it continues to generate strong , with estimates reaching $100,000 monthly and global peaks like $2.48 million on September 29 following major updates. Critically, it holds "Mostly Positive" reviews on from over 9,800 users, lauded for its combat and story despite mixed opinions on . The title's influence extends to miHoYo's later successes like and Honkai: Star Rail, sharing universe elements and establishing HoYoverse as a leader in anime-style gacha games.

Overview

Etymology

The term "" in the game's title originates from the Chinese word 崩坏 (bēnghuài), which translates to "," "breakdown," or "decay," and the Japanese term 崩壊 (hōkai), carrying identical meanings of structural or societal disintegration. These linguistic roots reflect the core concept of a cataclysmic, erosive force central to the game's branding. The English localization appends "Impact" to emphasize catastrophic events akin to massive disasters, specifically referencing in-game phenomena termed "Honkai Impacts" or "Eruptions," which are tied to the awakening of powerful entities known as Herrschers. The "3rd" denotes this as the third major entry in the series, succeeding titles like Houkai Gakuen 2 (Guns Girl Z). Regionally, the title adapts as 崩坏3 (Bēnghuài 3) in Chinese, directly evoking collapse, and 崩壊3rd (Hōkai 3rd) in Japanese, maintaining the decay motif while aligning with the developer's earlier works. This naming convention connects to the broader Honkai series, where the term consistently symbolizes existential threats across installments.

Release and platforms

Honkai Impact 3rd was first released in mainland China on October 14, 2016, exclusively for iOS and Android mobile devices, developed and published by miHoYo. The game quickly expanded to other Asian regions, including Japan on February 22, 2017, Taiwan on May 18, 2017, and Korea on October 17, 2017, before its global launch on March 28, 2018, which brought English localization and support for international servers. This worldwide availability marked a significant milestone, allowing players outside Asia to access the full action RPG experience on mobile platforms without needing to use regional proxies. The PC client followed on December 26, 2019, initially distributed through miHoYo's official launcher for Windows in select regions like , , and Korea, enhancing accessibility with keyboard and mouse controls and higher graphical fidelity. Native macOS support arrived later, launching on April 25, 2024, via the , but limited to devices with Apple M-series chips for optimal performance. As of November 2025, the game remains unavailable on consoles such as or 5, focusing instead on PC and mobile ecosystems. A major expansion, Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2, debuted on February 29, 2024, as version 7.3, introducing a rebuilt , revamped combat, and a new storyline set on Mars, available across all existing platforms. Regional versions exhibit variations to comply with local regulations, particularly in . International releases, including the global English server, feature censored elements such as modified character outfits to reduce —examples include added shorts for characters like Seele and adjustments to battlesuits like Timido's—aligning with Chinese standards enforced by despite operating on separate servers. These changes ensure broader market compliance but have sparked discussions among players about consistency between the Chinese and global editions.

Gameplay

Combat mechanics

Honkai Impact 3rd features real-time action combat where players control up to three in switchable teams during missions, allowing for dynamic team management to adapt to enemy encounters. Players can seamlessly swap between active by tapping their portraits on the screen, enabling tag-team maneuvers that chain attacks for increased damage output and . This system incorporates quick-time events during swaps, where timed inputs trigger powerful combo finishers, and supports aerial combos through mid-air juggles that extend attack sequences against airborne foes. Part 2, launched on February 29, 2024, overhauled the combat to emphasize aerial maneuvers, with more fluid air-to-ground transitions and the introduction of the Astral Ring system, which allows simultaneous activation of burst skills from multiple characters for enhanced team synergy. The revolves around strategic matching of types and enemy weaknesses to maximize effectiveness. primarily falls into four elemental categories—Physical, , , and —each dealing distinct effects such as from or freeze from on susceptible targets. Enemies are classified into types including Biological, , Psionic, and Stardust, following a rock-paper-scissors dynamic for the first three where types are weak to Psionic, Psionic to Biological, and Biological to , granting a 30% bonus when exploited; Stardust-type enemies lack strict counters but feature unique mechanics like transformation at critical health thresholds and stardust collection for bonus . battlesuits integrate these mechanics by specializing in specific elements and types, enhancing overall team synergy in battles. Various gameplay modes utilize these mechanics, ranging from linear story chapters that advance the narrative through structured battles to post-Part 2 open-world exploration in expansive Mars-based areas like Oxia, where players freely navigate and engage in dynamic encounters. Co-op arenas allow multiplayer raids against bosses, fostering collaborative strategies for resource farming, while endgame challenges such as Memory of Chaos present timed, high-difficulty stages with rotating enemy lineups that demand optimized team compositions and precise execution. Core to the dynamic flow are ultimate skills (or bursts in Part 2 via Astral Ring), evasions, and tag-team interactions that reward skillful play. Ultimate skills activate upon filling a shared skill point (SP) gauge through basic attacks and enemy drops, unleashing area-of-effect devastation tailored to the Valkyrie's role, with Part 2 allowing team-wide fusions for amplified effects. Evasions involve directional dodges, with perfect timing—indicated by a flash—triggering a brief time-slow effect for follow-up strikes. Tag-team mechanics further amplify this by allowing quick switches mid-combo to maintain momentum, creating fluid, high-stakes engagements that emphasize timing and positioning over static button-mashing.

Equipment and battlesuits

Battlesuits serve as the primary playable variants of in Honkai Impact 3rd, embodying alternate forms or powered exosuits that grant unique combat capabilities, animations, and elemental affinities tailored to specific playstyles. These suits allow players to customize their team's composition by switching between up to three active battlesuits during missions, enabling dynamic adaptation to enemy weaknesses and battle phases. Obtained mainly through the gacha-based Supply system, battlesuits feature rarity tiers starting at A-rank for accessible options and S-rank for premium, high-performance variants, with upgrades to SS-rank and beyond possible via fragment collection from duplicate pulls or targeted events. For example, the White Comet battlesuit equips Kiana Kaslana with enhanced agility and ice-based attacks, making it suitable for close-range . Weapons form a crucial layer of customization, with 17 distinct types available, including katanas for swift slashing combos, railguns for long-range precision strikes, rapid-shot crossbows for rapid fire suppression, rocket hammers for heavy impact assaults, and fists for unarmed brawling. Each weapon type is compatible only with certain battlesuits based on their design and mechanics, ensuring synergy between the suit's movements and the armament's functions—such as a gauntlet-wielding battlesuit benefiting from punch-enhanced combos. Weapons can be upgraded through levels to increase base stats like attack power and critical rate, culminating in the elite PRI-ARM status at advanced player levels, which unlocks specialized effects like area debuffs or amplified elemental damage. Stigmata provide passive enhancements slotted into up to three positions per battlesuit—top for offensive boosts, middle for defensive resilience, and bottom for utility or balanced gains—delivering raw stat increases such as elevated HP, speed, or elemental penetration. When equipped as complete sets from the same series, stigmata activate synergies that amplify performance, like boosting damage output by 15% or enhancing team-wide recovery rates upon matching themes such as "Blissful Days." These sets encourage strategic matching to exploit elemental or role-specific advantages, with higher-rarity stigmata (up to 5-star) offering superior baseline stats and more potent bonuses. Supplementary equipment includes ELF companions, autonomous allies like Project Bunny or Hi♪ Love Elf that deploy alongside battlesuits to deliver buffs, such as SP regeneration for faster ultimate activations or auxiliary fire support that inflicts additional elemental damage. These ELFs operate semi-independently, targeting foes based on the active Valkyrie's actions and consuming their own SP for powerful interventions, thereby extending combat endurance and output without direct player control. Honkai beasts, typically adversarial entities in the game's lore, occasionally inspire equipment motifs for thematic buffs in specialized gear, though ELFs remain the core supplementary system for reliable in-battle enhancements.

Progression systems

In Honkai Impact 3rd, player progression relies on a structured system of and enhancement that allow for gradual improvement of and characters outside of direct combat engagements. Item enhancement primarily involves using EXP materials to increase the base stats of s and , which are essential accessories that provide additional attributes and set bonuses. These EXP materials, such as Weapon EXP Books or Stigmata EXP items, are obtained through daily material stages, event rewards, or purchases from the beginner shop, enabling players to level up from base levels up to a maximum of 70 for most items. , the game's basic often referred to as Silver Coins, are required alongside EXP materials for these enhancements, with costs scaling based on the item's rarity and current level; for example, upgrading a 4-star to level 50 might consume around 500,000 and equivalent EXP value. Advancing equipment to higher star levels, which significantly boosts overall power and unlocks new potential, demands rarer materials like Weapon Essence or Stigmata Options, sourced from challenging stages, limited-time events, or specialized shops such as the War Treasury. These upgrades transform a base 1-star item into higher rarities up to 5-stars, with each promotion requiring progressively scarcer resources—for instance, reaching 5-stars on a set might need 20-30 units of top-tier materials accumulated over weeks of gameplay. This process emphasizes strategic farming, as materials are not infinitely available and often tie into weekly resets or event cycles to prevent rapid over-progression. The game's economy revolves around several key currencies that facilitate gacha pulls and resource acquisition. Crystals serve as the premium , primarily used for summoning battlesuits and weapons via the supply system, with 160 Crystals per standard pull and bundles often recommended for new players to aim for 15,000-28,000 to guarantee an S-rank acquisition. In contrast, Asterite functions as an in-game earned for targeted pulls and upgrades, obtained through weekly quizzes, open-world explorations, and event completions, allowing exchanges for supply tickets or fragments to support roster expansion without real-money expenditure. Silver Coins, generated passively from story clears, daily missions, and item sales, underpin most enhancement costs and can be supplemented by Asterite conversions in shops for efficient progression. Complementing these systems, the Dormitory mode offers passive progression through affinity building and integrated minigames. Players furnish and interact with chibi in the dorm to raise affinity levels, which in turn accelerates stamina regeneration and yields daily rewards like , EXP materials, and occasional fragments—higher affinity with specific characters can double output from collection nodes. Minigames such as Dorm Errands (stamina-based chores dispatching for materials and pulls) and Expeditions (automated story clears for extra resources) tie directly into advancement, providing free pulls or golden damascus steel after prioritized dispatches, making the mode a low-effort hub for sustained growth.

Setting and lore

The Honkai and eras

In the lore of Honkai Impact 3rd, the represents an existential threat to civilization, functioning as a destructive force that adapts to and targets advanced societies across the . It manifests primarily through three mechanisms: Honkai beasts, which are silicon-based psychic entities deployed to eradicate human populations and classified by threat levels from Chariot-class (common, low-mobility) to Vipralopa-class (god-like in power); Honkai viruses, causing a fatal sickness with 100% mortality that corrupts humans into zombies via radiation exposure; and Herrschers, human vessels empowered by the Honkai's will through specialized cores, granting authority over elemental or conceptual domains to accelerate destruction. The operates within cyclical of human history, each marked by technological peaks followed by near-extinction events. The Previous , occurring approximately 50,000 years ago, featured a highly advanced civilization that formed the Fire organization as a to combat the , developing technologies like super-soldiers (humans fused with beast genes for enhanced abilities) and Divine Keys (weapons forged from Herrscher cores). This era culminated in humanity's defeat by the 14th Herrscher of , prompting survivors to initiate projects like STIGMA for long-term resistance before entering cryosleep. In contrast, the Current , with its primary events beginning around 2015 and extending to later developments including colonization efforts on Mars, builds on Previous Era remnants, with organizations employing advanced but inherited tech—such as battlesuits for —to fight resurgent threats, reflecting a more fragmented but persistent human response. Part 2 of the game shifts the to Mars, where threatens human bubble colonies, building on multiversal elements like the Sea of Quanta. Overarching these eras are multiversal structures: the Imaginary Tree, a vast metaphysical construct born from the universe's inception, where branches symbolize evolving civilizations and leaves represent bubble universes, growing by absorbing energy while acts as a pruning mechanism to curb unchecked expansion and maintain balance. The Sea of Quanta, the chaotic void rivaling the Tree, engulfs failed civilizations as unstable bubble worlds and spawns quantum shadows, influencing events by providing a repository for collapsed realities and alternative origins for Herrschers independent of core directives. Key to human adaptation are concepts like stigma and cores harvested from Honkai entities. Stigmata are innate or artificial neural imprints—often manifesting as tattoos or genetic markers—that confer resistance to Honkai corruption, enabling individuals to wield its energy without succumbing; the Previous Era's Project STIGMA, devised by Dr. MEI, artificially induced these in populations via controlled exposure, though at great ethical cost, to foster survivors for future eras. Honkai cores, extracted from defeated beasts or Herrschers, serve as concentrated energy sources: beast cores fuel genetic enhancements like MANTIS transformations (e.g., Parvati genes granting ice manipulation), while Herrscher cores power god-like abilities in their hosts or are repurposed into Divine Keys for anti-Honkai weaponry in both eras.

Factions and organizations

Schicksal serves as one of the primary anti- organizations in the current era, operating as a European knight order that deploys —female warriors enhanced via serums and battlesuits—to combat Honkai manifestations. Established in the , the faction maintains a hierarchical structure with global outposts, including St. Freya Academy for training, and emphasizes direct confrontation with Honkai threats through human augmentation. Led by Overseer Otto Apocalypse, Schicksal coordinates responses to outbreaks and Herrscher emergences, often employing advanced to bolster its forces. Anti-Entropy functions as Schicksal's chief rival, originating from the secession of Schicksal's North American branch after the 2000 , and adopts a technology-centric approach with deployments and robotic armies to counter incursions. The organization rivals Schicksal in technological prowess, prioritizing scientific innovation and automation over biological enhancements in its defense strategies. It incorporates Herrscher members, such as Welt Yang, to leverage their powers in coordinated operations against entities. World Serpent operates as a clandestine founded at the onset of the current , committed to ensuring humanity's long-term survival against the through ruthless, manipulative tactics regardless of collateral costs. Guided by the will of Previous Era figures like Mobius and currently led by Kevin Kaslana, it pursues initiatives such as the Stigmata Project to evolve human resistance, often working in the shadows to influence global events. From the Previous Era, Fire MOTH represented humanity's foremost defense initiative, a task force that engineered the program to produce superhuman soldiers resistant to corrosion, led by Dr. MEI with key contributors including the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. This organization spearheaded global efforts against escalating Honkai threats until its collapse, leaving behind technological and strategic legacies that inform current-era factions. Langqiu stands as an ancient civilization district within the broader city framework, preserving obscured histories amid Honkai-induced erosions like pervasive shadows that challenge its structural integrity. beasts, meanwhile, embody non-sentient adversarial forces as polymorphic creatures spawned by Honkai energy, serving as pervasive threats that factions must neutralize to safeguard human settlements.

Plot

Part 1 storyline

The Part 1 storyline of Honkai Impact 3rd centers on a trio of aspiring —Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya Zaychik—who enroll at St. Freya Academy to train in combating the , a destructive force manifesting as beasts and corrupting energy. The narrative opens in Nagazora City during a sudden outbreak, where the protagonists, guided by their instructor Theresa Apocalypse, engage in their first major mission to rescue civilians and neutralize threats from zombies and beasts. This early phase emphasizes team-building and basic Valkyrie operations, as the group captures the unmanned Anti-Entropy battleship to avert its crash into a populated area, highlighting the immediate dangers of incursions and the organizations' rivalries. As the story advances through the mid-arc, spanning missions across various locations like New Zealand's Oceania Branch and simulated historical events, the stakes escalate with the awakening of Herrschers—powerful human vessels for consciousnesses. Kiana and her allies confront the Herrscher of Thunder and other manifestations, leading to intense Schicksal-Anti-Entropy clashes over control of Honkai artifacts like the Gem of Desire. explorations, including dream realms and recreations of past Honkai wars, reveal interconnected timelines and the protagonists' evolving roles, with side stories delving into individual backstories such as Bronya's cybernetic enhancements and Mei's family ties to Anti-Entropy. These chapters underscore growing tensions, as the group navigates betrayals and alliances while uncovering the 's cyclical nature of destruction across eras. The climax unfolds through revelations about Schicksal's leader Otto Apocalypse and his centuries-old experiments to manipulate Honkai energy for personal redemption, intertwining with Kiana's hidden heritage as a vessel linked to the Herrscher of the Void. This arc intensifies with global crises, including large-scale eruptions and battles that force characters to question their identities amid moral dilemmas. The narrative peaks with The Moon's Origin and Finality arc, a cataclysmic event threatening Earth's destruction, resolved through profound acts of sacrifice that redefine alliances and human resilience. Spanning over 30 main chapters (I to XXXV) and extensive side stories like the Second Eruption manga and Elysian Realm chronicles, Part 1 concludes in 2023, weaving themes of personal sacrifice, fractured identities, and the inescapable cycles of Honkai devastation that challenge humanity's will to endure.

Part 2 storyline

Part 2 of Honkai Impact 3rd launched on February 29, 2024, transitioning the narrative to the planet Luoxing, a Mars-analogous world ravaged by the , where remnants of cling to survival in isolated cities. The storyline follows a fresh ensemble of protagonists—Senadina, a vibrant aerial combat specialist wielding a ; Helia, a dependable ranged fighter wielding crossbows; and Coralie, a compact powerhouse with a massive hammer—as they assemble an exploration team to probe the planet's mysteries and revive its fading society. Returning figures from Part 1, including Seele as the Herrscher of Rebirth, integrate into the plot, confronting evolved manifestations that demand new strategies amid internal team tensions. The arc emphasizes expeditions into the Sea of and Quantum Sea, unveiling bubble universes that connect Luoxing's fate to the wider Honkai across the series. New Herrschers emerge as pivotal forces, amplifying threats with reality-warping abilities tied to and rebirth motifs, while the narrative weaves in post-Otto redemptions for legacy characters adapting to extraterrestrial perils. Key developments feature alliance realignments among Martian factions, explorations of contrasting locales like the neon-lit Oxia City and the industrial Langqiu ruins, and open-world branches that influence personal growth and collective resolve against Honkai incursions. Central themes revolve around rebirth from desolation, honoring inherited legacies, and shattering the cyclical dominance of the through innovation and unity. The inaugural chapter, "Hundred Years of Solitary Shadow," establishes the desolate backdrop and initial conflicts, progressing through subsequent installments like Chapter V, "The First and Last War," which escalates multiversal stakes with high-stakes confrontations. As of November 2025, the storyline has advanced to Chapter X, "Reunited Under the Light of Faith," incorporating player-driven choices in expansive environments to deepen character arcs and resolve lingering Earth-Mars interconnections through ongoing updates.

Characters

Valkyries and protagonists

The Valkyries in Honkai Impact 3rd are elite warriors, primarily young women with exceptional resistance to the energy, trained to combat its manifestations. The protagonists form the core of the narrative, with Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya Zaychik comprising the central trio who drive the story through their personal growth, alliances, and confrontations with Herrscher transformations. These characters evolve via battlesuits, specialized armors that enhance their abilities and reflect their emotional and power developments, often tied to Herrscher cores that grant god-like powers at the cost of internal conflict. Other key , such as Fu Hua, provide mentorship and historical depth to the . Kiana Kaslana serves as the primary protagonist, a clone designated K-423 created by the Schicksal organization in 2007 using genetic material from , the 2nd Herrscher of the Void, and the original Kiana Kaslana, daughter of Siegfried Kaslana and Cecilia Schariac. The original Kiana was presumed dead after a plane crash in 2000; Siegfried later rescued the clone K-423 from Schicksal around 2007, raising her in seclusion until 2014, when she joined Raiden Mei and Bronya Zaychik during the Nagazora Honkai outbreak, unaware of her artificial origins. Enrolling at St. Freya High School as a trainee, Kiana's journey centers on her dual Herrscher awakenings: first partial awakening as the Herrscher of the Void in 2010, with full manifestation later around 2016 enabling spatial manipulation and portal creation, which leads to destructive episodes subdued by allies like Murata Himeko; and later as the Herrscher of Flamescion, wielding intense fire-based abilities derived from the Herrscher of Fire. These powers position her at the heart of major arcs, including the defense of Arc City, the confrontation with Otto Apocalypse, and the culmination in Project Stigma, where she ascends to the Herrscher of Finality, fusing multiple authorities to safeguard humanity from the Sea of Quanta. Her battlesuits, such as White Comet (basic gunner focus) and Herrscher of the Void (void energy amplification), evolve to symbolize her shift from carefree optimism to resolute heroism. Raiden Mei, a skilled swordswoman and the daughter of ME Corp CEO Raiden Ryoma, emerges as a co-protagonist whose arc explores themes of isolation and redemption. Orphaned in spirit after her father's imprisonment for corporate , Mei faces the 3rd Eruption in Nagazora in 2014, where Anti-Entropy's experiments awaken her as the Herrscher of Thunder, granting lightning manipulation and electromagnetic control but branding her with societal stigma as a potential destroyer. This transformation strains her loyalties, pitting her bonds with Kiana and Bronya against lingering ties to her family's legacy and Schicksal's oversight, leading to periods of exile and self-doubt. Rescued and supported by her friends, Mei trains at St. Freya High, evolving through battlesuits like Valkyrie Chariot (early melee focus) and Crimson Impulse (enhanced speed and thunder strikes), before fully embracing her Herrscher role in arcs such as the Second Eruption revival and the Elysian Realm trials. Her pinnacle comes as the Herrscher of Origin, a creative force balancing destruction with renewal, central to resolving multiversal threats in the game's later chapters. Bronya Zaychik, the trio's tactical genius, is a Russian orphan turned and , orphaned around 2000 and conscripted into Anti-Entropy's experiments that left her legs paralyzed and integrated with cybernetic enhancements. Recruited as a child assassin known for her precision, Bronya's expertise in hacking and mecha operation defines her role, piloting the robotic companion Project Bunny for reconnaissance and artillery support, earning her a "Silver Wolf" moniker for her silver-haired, wolf-like cunning in digital warfare. Joining Kiana and Mei in Nagazora, she enrolls at St. Freya High, where her logical demeanor hides deep protectiveness toward her found family, evolving into the Herrscher of Reason—a silver-themed authority over logic and reconstruction, allowing her to manifest constructs and rewrite physical laws. Key to arcs like the Anti-Entropy-Schicksal war and the Imaginary Tree explorations, Bronya's battlesuits progress from Snowy (long-range hacking shots) to Black Nucleus (stealth immunity) and Herrscher of Reason (mecha-summoning dominion), emphasizing her shift from detached operative to empathetic leader. Fu Hua stands as a pivotal supporting Valkyrie and ancient guardian, an immortal MANTIS (super-soldier) from the Previous Era approximately 50,000 years ago, codenamed "Vicissitude" among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. Sealed in stasis after the era's collapse, she awakens in the Current Era to monitor and guide humanity against recurring cycles, posing as a disciplined class monitor at St. Freya High to oversee the protagonists' training. Her millennia of experience as a martial artist and sentinel, wielding taichi-based combat and the Divine Key Fenghuang Down for soul manipulation, positions her as a bridge between eras, aiding in revelations about Herrscher origins during events like the Herrscher of Sentience crisis. Fu Hua's battlesuits evolve from the standard Immortal (balanced melee) to Azure Empyrea (celestial flight and energy projection) and Herrscher of Sentience (illusory mind control), reflecting her internal struggle with fragmented memories and renewed purpose in protecting the new generation. These protagonists train in environments like St. Freya High School, fostering their growth amid rigorous Valkyrie drills.

Part 2 protagonists

Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2, set on Mars, introduces a new set of protagonists who continue the fight against the in a colonial frontier. Key figures include Erdős Helia, a Schicksal A-rank and captain of the Mars exploration squad with expertise in space ; Coralie 6626 Planck, a brilliant scientist and inventor contributing to fusion mechanics and ultimate skills; and Senadina, a versatile warrior adapting to the overhauled combat systems. These characters, along with others like Songque, form the core team exploring new threats in the red planet's harsh environment, blending with legacy elements from Part 1.

Antagonists and factions

Otto Apocalypse serves as a central , acting as the long-serving Overseer of Schicksal with a fixation on achieving immortality to revive his childhood friend Kallen Kaslana, leading to centuries of manipulative schemes against both threats and rival organizations. His backstory unfolds in the 1470s during Schicksal's failed crusade against the , where his for Kallen drives him to betray alliances and pursue forbidden experiments on energy. Kevin Kaslana, a survivor from the Previous and leader of the secretive World Serpent faction, embodies ruthless determination to eliminate the by any means, including the genocidal Project that would sterilize most of humanity to prevent future infections. As the first successful soldier, Kevin's obsession stems from witnessing the Previous 's collapse, positioning World Serpent as a shadowy force that orchestrates global crises to advance its agenda. His return signals escalating chaos, as depicted in narratives revealing ancient serpent cults' resurgence. Herrschers represent the Honkai's most potent antagonistic manifestations, pseudo-gods who awaken in human hosts to unleash apocalyptic destruction; , the Herrscher of the Void, exemplifies this as a vengeful entity born from brutal experiments in Babylon Labs, triggering the Second Eruption in 2000 by summoning void portals and Honkai legions across cities. Sirin's hatred for humanity fuels her rampage, culminating in a battle that reshapes global power dynamics between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Honkai beasts form the relentless foot soldiers of the , silicon-based creatures engineered for eradication campaigns, with Templar-class variants distinguished by their energy shields that deflect physical assaults and lance-like appendages for piercing attacks. These mid-tier threats, capable of levitating and coordinating swarm tactics, often precede Herrscher awakenings and test defenses in urban outbreaks. Cocolia, overseer of Anti-Entropy's radical wing and director of an orphanage in , antagonizes Schicksal through ethically dubious Honkai-adaptation experiments on children, aiming to forge superior warriors against the threat but sparking ideological clashes over humanity's survival methods. Her pursuit of artifacts like the 2nd Divine Key escalates tensions, as Anti-Entropy's invasions target Schicksal assets to undermine Otto's dominance.

Development

Production and design

Honkai Impact 3rd originated as a to miHoYo's 2014 mobile game Guns Girl Z, reimagining characters and concepts from that title within a new narrative framework. Development began in June 2014 under , then a small Shanghai-based studio founded by three university students, with the project aiming to create an anime-inspired action RPG for mobile devices. The initial team was modest, reflecting the company's early stage, but expanded significantly as the game progressed toward its October 2016 launch in . By 2018, the production team had grown to approximately 200 members, with over 100 dedicated to , enabling more ambitious features and ongoing refinements. miHoYo utilized the Unity engine for the game's core structure prior to Part 2, optimizing performance for mobile hardware while supporting 3D anime-style graphics and real-time combat. This choice facilitated cross-platform accessibility on and Android, emphasizing fluid animations and visual effects inspired by Japanese animation traditions to immerse players in the world. The design philosophy centered on fostering player engagement through iterative improvements based on community feedback, prioritizing depth and emotional resonance over static content. A key example was the December 2018 update, which rewrote the first two story chapters to enhance coherence and pacing, addressing early criticisms about plot inconsistencies. Art direction involved in-house artists crafting detailed character designs that blended elements with aesthetics, while featured dual dubs in and Japanese to cater to global audiences, with notable performers like Tao Dian in the Chinese cast and Japanese seiyuu such as for lead roles.

Updates and expansions

Honkai Impact 3rd has received continuous content updates since its initial release in October 2016 on mobile platforms, introducing new story chapters, playable characters, battlesuits, events, and mechanics on a roughly six-week cycle to maintain player engagement. In July 2018, version 2.1 introduced significant enhancements to the narrative structure, including expanded story content and new events that refined the pacing and presentation of the main storyline for the global audience shortly after its launch. The PC client launched on December 26, 2019, expanding the game's accessibility with cross-save support and optimized controls, allowing players to download the version directly from the official website for , , and other regions. Version 7.3, released on February 29, 2024, marked the debut of Part 2 as a major expansion built upon the existing game framework, featuring an engine upgrade to 4 for seamless open-world exploration, a redesigned , native mouse and keyboard controls for PC, and a new storyline set on Mars involving fresh characters and aerial combat mechanics. Subsequent updates have incorporated crossovers to enhance series connectivity, such as version 7.9 on November 28, 2024, which launched a with Honkai: Star Rail, introducing the character Sparkle as a playable battlesuit and integrating shared elements like the character Welt Yang across both titles. In 2025, updates continued with version 8.4 on August 21, introducing new events and battlesuits, followed by version 8.5 on October 23, which featured the "Secret Carnival 2025: Glimmering Revelry" event and additional content expansions. Community-driven features have been integrated through regular balance patches that adjust character abilities and resource distribution based on player feedback, alongside in-game event scheduling tools that provide calendars for limited-time activities, ensuring ongoing relevance and fairness in progression.

Manga adaptations

The manga adaptations of Honkai Impact 3rd serve as official tie-ins that expand the game's universe, offering prequels, side stories, and comedic interludes to deepen character backstories and lore events not fully detailed in the main gameplay narrative. Published primarily by , these works are serialized digitally and integrate seamlessly with the game's chapters by providing contextual flashbacks and supplemental events that enhance understanding of key plot points, such as Honkai eruptions and origins. One of the earliest and most pivotal adaptations is Escape from Nagazora (Chinese: Escape from the Sky), a manga serialized from 2016 to 2017 that depicts the Third Honkai Eruption in Nagazora in 2014. The story follows Raiden Mei, Kiana Kaslana, and Bronya Zaychik as they band together to survive a catastrophic outbreak that devastates the city, while evading pursuit by the secretive Schicksal organization; it establishes their initial bonds and introduces early Honkai threats, directly tying into the game's opening chapters as a foundational backstory for the protagonists' formation as . This 14-chapter series was first published in on miHoYo's platforms, including , and later made available in English on the official Honkai Impact 3rd Manga Station. Second Eruption, released in 2017, retells the events of the Second Honkai Eruption from the Previous Era, focusing on the Fire MOTH organization's desperate battle against the Second Herrscher, , in 2000. Spanning 13 chapters, the narrative explores themes of sacrifice and anti- warfare through characters like Siegfried Kaslana and Cecilia Schariac, providing crucial historical context for the game's overarching lore on Honkai cycles and the origins of organizations like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy; it connects to in-game events by foreshadowing familial ties and artifact developments central to later story arcs. Originally serialized in via and miHoYo channels, an English translation appeared on the official Manga Station, with a physical English edition licensed and published by in 2024. Ongoing series include character-focused side stories and comedic shorts that offer lighter explorations of the game's world. Summer Memories (also known as the Island of Memories arc in some translations), launched in 2018 for the game's anniversary, consists of short chapters depicting the daily lives and vacations of St. Freya Academy students on a tropical island, highlighting interpersonal dynamics and downtime moments that contrast the main story's intensity while subtly advancing character development referenced in game dorm interactions. Similarly, AI-chan's Facts, a 4-koma comedy series starting in 2018, follows the quirky AI system of the as it handles cadet training and ship operations, providing humorous insights into routines and technology that complement the game's mechanics. Both are published digitally in China on and platforms, with English versions accessible on the official Manga Station and , ensuring ongoing integration with game updates through event tie-ins.

Anime series

The animated adaptations of Honkai Impact 3rd consist primarily of short-form series and promotional cinematics produced by miHoYo's in-house studio, miHoYo Anime, which handles the 2D and 3D animation work for the franchise. These works are generally non-canon to the main game's storyline, serving instead as comedic or promotional extensions that reference game events and characters in lighthearted or teaser contexts. They are distributed on platforms like Bilibili and the official Honkai Impact 3rd YouTube channel, often featuring dual-language audio tracks in Chinese (original), Japanese-dubbed, and English-dubbed versions to reach a global audience. One of the earliest and most prominent series is Cooking with Valkyries, a slice-of-life that premiered in with Season 1 (12 episodes) and continued with Season 2 (8 episodes) in 2020. The show depicts the characters in chibi-style designs engaging in everyday cooking mishaps and culinary challenges, emphasizing humor over the game's action-oriented narrative. Produced entirely by Anime, it highlights the characters' personalities through domestic scenarios, such as Bronya's recipe or Kiana's toast experiments, and is available exclusively on in its original run. In 2021, miHoYo released ELF Academy, a 10-episode short series spanning July to September, focusing on the game's elf-like mascot characters (ELFs) in a school-themed parody setting. Each episode, around 5 minutes long, explores comedic "classroom" antics like magical girl tropes or queen-stealing pranks, using flash animation-style visuals to differentiate it from the mainline cinematics. Like other adaptations, it is non-canon and produced in-house with multilingual dubs, including Japanese versions released on the official YouTube channel. Promotional content includes the 2018 animated short Will of the Herrscher, a high-impact teaser showcasing Kiana's transformation into the Herrscher of the Void, accompanied by the theme song "Befall." This piece, along with subsequent official cinematics like Final Lesson (2019) and Because of You (2022), ties directly to game updates by previewing story arcs, battles, and character developments through dynamic 3D animation. These shorts, also crafted by Anime, often feature orchestral scores from the in-house HOYO-MiX team and are designed to build hype for expansions, maintaining the franchise's visual fidelity across languages.

Other media

The Honkai Impact 3rd franchise extends beyond its core game through visual novels that deliver canonical side stories, enriching the lore of key characters and events. These interactive narratives, accessible within the game as part of the Chronicles section, include titles like Kallen Fantasy, which reimagines the historical figure Kallen Kaslana in a high school setting as she navigates battles and alliances against rivals. Other visual novels, such as Anti-Entropy and Captainverse, explore faction histories and scenarios, providing deeper context to the main storyline without official English translations available outside fan efforts. Merchandise for Impact 3rd encompasses a diverse array of collectibles, including detailed action figures of like Kiana Kaslana and Raiden Mei, apparel such as themed hoodies and t-shirts, and accessories like keychains and posters. Official products are distributed through HoYoverse's global platforms, such as the Hoyo Shop, emphasizing high-quality replicas of in-game weapons and outfits to appeal to fans. Collaborations have included limited-edition bundles with , though console-specific ties like PlayStation remain tied to sister titles in the Honkai universe. Crossovers integrate Honkai Impact 3rd with other HoYoverse properties, fostering a shared multiverse connected by concepts like the Imaginary Tree, a cosmic structure underpinning parallel worlds and Honkai threats. A 2021 event with Genshin Impact introduced characters Fischl and Keqing into the Honkai world for a limited-time storyline involving dimensional rifts and cooperative battles. More recently, the v7.9 update in November 2024 launched a collaboration with Honkai: Star Rail, featuring Trailblazer and March 7th in Honkai Impact 3rd's action gameplay, with reciprocal events emphasizing lore interconnections like bubble universes. The soundtrack, composed by HOYO-MiX—a dedicated in-house team at HoYoverse—captures the game's emotional depth through orchestral and electronic fusion, with albums released starting in 2017. Key releases include Honkai Impact 3rd Original Soundtrack (2017), featuring tracks like "Moon Halo," and later volumes such as ELYSIAN REALM (2020), A Post-Honkai Odyssey 2 (2023), and Stars Inscribed Upon Open Skies (2025). Available on platforms like and , these albums are available on platforms like and . Live concerts, including the 2021 "Starfire Sonorant" event in with performers like Shan Wenjie and the 2022 "Dreamy Euphony" online concert featuring the Symphony Orchestra, have celebrated the music, blending symphonic arrangements with vocal performances to immerse audiences in the Honkai saga.

Reception

Critical response

Critics and reviewers have praised Honkai Impact 3rd for its high production values, particularly its visuals and combat system. A 2018 preview from highlighted the game's impressive , describing it as one of the best-looking titles on mobile platforms due to features like high-dynamic range rendering, , and detailed post-processing effects that deliver console-quality visuals on handheld devices. The orchestral soundtrack, composed by HOYO-MiX, has been commended for complementing the sci-fi atmosphere and amplifying key emotional moments, with official releases like the original soundtrack featuring 26 tracks that underscore the narrative's intensity. The game's story has received acclaim for its emotional depth and thematic richness, exploring , , and resilience in a complex setting. rated it 4 out of 5, noting the narrative's engaging complexity and the fast-paced, combo-driven combat that keeps battles dynamic and satisfying. Reviewers have emphasized how animated cutscenes and character arcs build investment, making the plot a standout element in the action RPG genre. Criticisms have centered on the gacha-based progression system, where acquiring powerful characters relies on random draws that can frustrate users and encourage spending. The same review pointed out that in-app purchases are expensive, with premium content often gated behind them, potentially alienating casual players. Endgame modes introduce a steep , requiring mastery of intricate mechanics and team synergies that may overwhelm newcomers. Additionally, the game's substantial —often exceeding several gigabytes due to high-fidelity assets—has been flagged as a drawback for mobile storage constraints. The launch of Part 2 in February 2024 shifted reception toward more positive notes on gameplay evolution, with the introduction of open-world elements on Mars and refined combat including jumping mechanics praised for greater fluidity and accessibility. Android Police described the update as a "love letter to fans," highlighting smoother exploration and supportive roles like the Dreamseeker character, though some feedback noted uneven story pacing that feels expository at times for veterans. Overall, the expansion has been seen as revitalizing the title for both new and returning audiences. The game has garnered recognition through community-driven accolades, including the annual Honkai Impact Awards for categories like best story and character design, reflecting its enduring fanbase impact.

Commercial performance

Honkai Impact 3rd achieved significant commercial success shortly after its global launch, reaching 35 million downloads worldwide by April 2018. This milestone was driven by its initial popularity in , particularly in and , where it quickly topped charts. By its fourth in early 2021, the game had surpassed 100 million global downloads, reflecting sustained player interest through regular content updates and collaborations. The title's revenue model, centered on accessibility with gacha mechanics for acquiring characters and items, has supported its longevity and financial performance. As of 2022, Honkai Impact 3rd had generated over $1 billion in lifetime global player spending, with $130 million earned that year alone across mobile platforms. It consistently ranked among the top-grossing mobile games in key regions like , , and the during peak periods, bolstered by seasonal events and expansions. The launch of Part 2 on February 29, 2024, marked a notable resurgence, positioning the game as a top earner in multiple markets shortly after release, with stable player interest. Following major updates, the game saw surges, such as a global peak of $2.48 million on September 29, 2024. As of 2025, it continues to generate , with U.S. iOS estimates around $100,000 monthly.

Controversies

Content and cultural issues

In April 2021, miHoYo's global third anniversary event for Honkai Impact 3rd, titled "Brilliant Bright," introduced bunny girl outfits and accompanying dance animations for several characters, prompting intense backlash from Chinese players who deemed the content inappropriate, overly sexualized, and inconsistent with the characters' established personalities. The event, exclusive to global servers, was criticized for promoting what some viewed as "prostitution-like" imagery, exacerbating tensions over fanservice in a game with a predominantly young audience in . The backlash escalated dramatically when, on April 24, 2021, a man was arrested at miHoYo's headquarters for attempting to assassinate the company's co-founders with knives, citing anger over as motivation; no one was harmed. miHoYo responded swiftly with an official apology on April 22, 2021, acknowledging that the designs and dances were "out of character and inappropriate," and committed to removing all related materials, including the promotional video and view count rewards system. As compensation for the disruption, the company distributed 500 crystals to all global players at level 9 or higher, while pledging greater caution in future content to align with community expectations and avoid similar cultural sensitivities. This incident highlighted ongoing challenges in balancing global and domestic player bases, leading to policy adjustments that prioritized over experimental fanservice elements. The global version of Honkai Impact 3rd has also faced content modifications to address regional sensitivities, such as the removal of interactive features like character touching in early global ports and adjustments to certain outfits for compliance, while the Chinese version features additional to meet strict national regulations on , including covering cleavage and lengthening skirts. These alterations aim to broaden accessibility while mitigating backlash from conservative audiences. In November 2025, the collaboration with for an Elysia-themed merchandise collection faced backlash over promotional artwork suspected of being AI-generated, featuring anatomical errors like extra fingers, sparking debates on artistic integrity in official products. Cultural representation in Honkai Impact 3rd has sparked debates due to its heavy incorporation of Japanese aesthetics—such as stylized character designs, in Japanese, and narrative tropes—despite being developed by the Chinese studio . Critics in have questioned whether this reliance on Japanese influences dilutes authentic Chinese cultural elements in a domestically produced title, fueling discussions on versus in gaming. has addressed such concerns by gradually integrating more Chinese mythological motifs in later updates, though the -inspired core remains a point of contention.

Monetization and gameplay criticisms

Honkai Impact 3rd's model heavily relies on a gacha system, where players spend in-game currency or real money to obtain rare battlesuits and equipment, often leading to accusations of pay-to-win elements, particularly in endgame content. Critics have pointed out that acquiring top-tier battlesuits through random pulls can create significant advantages for paying players in competitive modes, exacerbating progression barriers for users. Additionally, the gacha mechanics have raised concerns about promoting gambling-like behaviors due to the randomized nature of rewards and the psychological pull of limited-time banners, mirroring broader industry critiques of miHoYo's titles. A prominent example of probability-related controversies was the "0.98 incident" (0.98事件) in January 2017, during the initial rate-up banner for the battlesuit Himeko: Blood Rose. miHoYo disclosed a 0.98% probability for obtaining the character or its fragments, but the actual probability for the complete character (excluding fragments) was approximately 0.4%. This discrepancy prompted accusations of misleading disclosure, leading to widespread player backlash. miHoYo issued an apology, provided compensation including partial refunds on crystals spent during the banner, and later introduced stricter probability disclosure requirements and a pity system in May 2017. The incident has endured as a meme and "black history" in Chinese gaming communities, frequently referenced in discussions of gacha practices in miHoYo's titles, including Genshin Impact and the Honkai series. Gameplay criticisms often center on the late-game complexity, where systems like stigma optimization—equipping and upgrading modular stat pieces for battlesuits—demand extensive knowledge and time investment, potentially alienating casual players who find the depth overwhelming. The launch of Part 2 in February 2024 drew criticism for its story pacing and character development, though subsequent patches addressed these issues, improving reception. Prior to Part 2 optimizations, technical issues further compounded accessibility problems, including a exceeding 20 GB on mobile devices, which strained storage on lower-end hardware, and notable battery drain during extended sessions without graphics adjustments. Defenders of the game argue that generous free rewards, such as daily login bonuses, event crystals, and stamina refills, allow players to accumulate sufficient pulls over time without mandatory spending. The skill-based combat system, emphasizing precise timing and combo execution over raw power, also mitigates paywalls by rewarding player mastery in battles, enabling non-paying users to compete effectively in many modes. Despite these criticisms, the game's commercial success underscores its enduring appeal.

References

  1. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%25E5%25B4%25A9%25E5%25A3%259E#Japanese
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