If you’ve ever found yourself staring at the Astral Express map mid-jump, wondering how many planets are there in Honkai Star Rail, you’re not alone. The game’s sprawling universe expands with almost every major update, adding new worlds full of quirky characters, challenging bosses, and hidden chests you’ve probably missed three playthroughs in a row. I’ve spent over 400 hours roaming every corner of each accessible world, and I’ve put together this breakdown to cover everything you need to know about each planet, unlock requirements, and what to expect when you first land.
How many planets are there in Honkai Star Rail as of the latest update?
If you’ve ever asked other players how many planets are there in Honkai Star Rail and gotten a different answer, that confusion usually comes from whether people count space stations and temporary maps as planets. As of the latest game version, there are 4 confirmed playable, fully explorable planets in the core game roster, alongside two non-planet major explorable locations (the Herta Space Station and the Astral Express itself, though most players don’t count the Express as a full explorable zone). That number will rise as HoYoverse rolls out new story arcs, with at least two more planets already teased in official lore drops.
It’s important to note that temporary event-exclusive maps don’t count towards the official planet count, as they get removed from the game once the event ends. You won’t lose access to any of the core planets once you unlock them, so you can go back to farm materials, complete leftover side quests, or hunt for hidden achievements whenever you want. A common mistake new players make is counting the Herta Space Station as a planet, but it’s a man-made research facility orbiting an uninhabited ice world, so it falls in a separate category. If you’re counting all full explorable zones including space stations, that number jumps to 5, but the core planet count remains 4 for now.
Breakdown of every core Honkai Star Rail planet, plus key highlights
When you’re first learning how many planets are there in Honkai Star Rail, it helps to remember that each planet is tied to a specific main story arc, so you’ll unlock them in a fixed order regardless of what side content you do. First up is Jarilo-VI, the first planet you’ll visit after leaving the Herta Space Station. It’s a frozen world ravaged by an Eternal Freeze caused by the Aeon of Preservation, and it’s split into two main zones: the overground Belobog city and the underground mine settlements. Jarilo-VI is the best planet for new players to farm early-game upgrade materials, as most mobs here are low-level and drop items you’ll need to ascend your first 4 and 5-star characters. You’ll unlock this planet automatically as part of the main story, no extra steps required.
Next is the Xianzhou Luofu, a massive planet-sized ship that roams the galaxy hunting for traces of the Aeon of Abundance. It’s full of traditional East Asian-inspired architecture, floating markets, and tough Xianzhou faction enemies. This is where you’ll unlock endgame content like the Simulated Universe later on, and it’s the main source of materials for most Hunt and Erudition character ascensions. You’ll get access to the Luofu after you complete the main Jarilo-VI story arc, which takes most players around 20 to 30 hours of gameplay depending on how much side content you do along the way.
Third is Penacony, the Planet of Festivals, a former prison planet turned luxury vacation destination run by the Family. It’s easily the most visually vibrant planet in the game so far, with neon-lit cities, dreamscapes, and a ton of hidden side quests that unlock rare rewards. Penacony is the only planet where you can access the new Dreamscape exploration mechanic, which lets you shift between the real world and a distorted dream version of the planet to solve puzzles and find hidden chests. You’ll unlock Penacony after completing the main Xianzhou Luofu story arc.
The fourth and most recently added planet is the Vidyadhara Homeworld, a lush, aquatic world that dives deep into the backstory of the Xianzhou’s Vidyadhara race. It’s a smaller planet compared to the other three, but it has some of the toughest open-world bosses in the game right now, so you’ll want to make sure your team is at least level 70 before you explore it fully. You’ll unlock it as part of the Version 2.5 main story update.
Unlocking each planet is tied directly to your Trailblaze Level and main story progress, with requirements that scale as you move through the game:
What to expect from future Honkai Star Rail planet releases
HoYoverse has a consistent track record of adding a new major planet every 3 to 4 game versions, which translates to roughly one new planet every 6 to 8 months. Official lore drops have already teased two more planets coming in the next two years: the fire-themed planet of Nanook’s followers, and the icy home world of the Belobog ancestors. You won’t need to pay any extra money to access new planets, as all core story content and explorable zones are added for free with every version update. The only paid content in the game is cosmetic skins and limited-time character banners, so you don’t have to worry about missing out on new planets if you don’t spend real money.
A common rumor floating around community forums is that future planets will include cross-over zones with other Hoyoverse games like Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd, but HoYoverse hasn’t confirmed those plans yet. Even if those cross-over zones do come, they’ll likely be temporary event maps, not permanent additions to the core planet roster. If you want to stay up to date on upcoming planet releases, the best thing to do is follow official Honkai Star Rail social media accounts, or join active community Discord servers where leaks and official announcements are shared regularly. Just take all leaks with a grain of salt, as plans can change last minute before a version drops.
Tips for getting the most out of every Honkai Star Rail planet
Now that you know the full list of available worlds, you might be wondering how to make sure you don’t miss any rare rewards or hidden content when you explore each one. I’ve explored every planet multiple times, and these are the tips I wish I knew when I first started playing. First, always turn on the interactive map feature in your game settings. It highlights all unopened chests, hidden puzzles, and side quest markers you might have missed as you roam. You don’t have to 100% explore a planet before moving on to the next one, but I recommend clearing at least all the teleport waypoints first, so you can fast travel back whenever you need to farm materials or complete leftover content.
Second, make sure you talk to every NPC you meet, even if they don’t have a quest marker over their head. Many NPCs give hidden rewards like Stellar Jades, upgrade materials, or unlock secret side quests after you talk to them a second or third time. I once got 5 free Stellar Jades from a random kid in Belobog just because I talked to him after finishing the main Jarilo-VI story. Third, don’t ignore the small, hidden areas that aren’t marked on the main map. Most planets have secret caves, rooftop areas, or underwater zones that hold rare achievements and high-value chests. If you see a gap in a wall or a floating platform you can jump to, it’s almost always worth checking out.
Finally, remember that you can adjust your world level to make exploring easier if you’re struggling with open-world mobs. You don’t have to fight every enemy you see, either—if you’re just there to collect chests or complete a side quest, you can run past most mobs without engaging them. I usually skip all non-required mobs when I’m farming for materials, it saves a ton of time that I can spend on running Simulated Universe or trying out new team comps.
At the end of the day, the answer to how many planets are there in Honkai Star Rail will keep changing as the game grows, but the current 4 core planets offer hundreds of hours of content for new and returning players alike. Take your time exploring each one, don’t stress about completing everything right away, and keep an eye out for official announcements about new planet releases coming down the line. Whether you’re farming for character ascension materials, hunting for hidden achievements, or just roaming around to enjoy the story and lore, each planet has something unique to offer every type of player.
