Honkai: Star Rail version 3.8 goes live globally as maintenance ends, with North America landing on the evening of December 16th and Europe/Asia rolling into the morning and midday of December 17th. Unlike the usual cadence, version 3.8 runs for roughly eight weeks and uses three banner phases to stretch that longer window.
Honkai: Star Rail 3.8 release date and time
The global release moment lines up at December 16, 2025, 10:00 PM ET (UTC-5), which corresponds to December 17, 2025, 11:00 AM (UTC+8) for much of Asia.
| Region / timezone | Version 3.8 release time |
|---|---|
| PT (UTC-8) | Dec 16, 2025, 7:00 PM |
| MT (UTC-7) | Dec 16, 2025, 8:00 PM |
| CT (UTC-6) | Dec 16, 2025, 9:00 PM |
| ET (UTC-5) | Dec 16, 2025, 10:00 PM |
| GMT (UTC+0) | Dec 17, 2025, 3:00 AM |
| CET (UTC+1) | Dec 17, 2025, 4:00 AM |
| IST (UTC+5:30) | Dec 17, 2025, 8:30 AM |
| SGT (UTC+8) | Dec 17, 2025, 11:00 AM |
| JST (UTC+9) | Dec 17, 2025, 12:00 PM |
| AEDT (UTC+11) | Dec 17, 2025, 2:00 PM |
Version 3.8 maintenance start and end time
Servers go offline before version 3.8 launches, with maintenance expected to last about five hours. Players who are logged in when the window begins should expect to be disconnected and unable to sign back in until it ends.
| Timezone | Maintenance start | Maintenance end (expected) |
|---|---|---|
| PT (UTC-8) | Dec 16, 2025, 2:00 PM | Dec 16, 2025, 7:00 PM |
| MT (UTC-7) | Dec 16, 2025, 3:00 PM | Dec 16, 2025, 8:00 PM |
| CT (UTC-6) | Dec 16, 2025, 4:00 PM | Dec 16, 2025, 9:00 PM |
| ET (UTC-5) | Dec 16, 2025, 5:00 PM | Dec 16, 2025, 10:00 PM |
| GMT (UTC+0) | Dec 16, 2025, 10:00 PM | Dec 17, 2025, 3:00 AM |
| CET (UTC+1) | Dec 16, 2025, 11:00 PM | Dec 17, 2025, 4:00 AM |
| IST (UTC+5:30) | Dec 17, 2025, 3:30 AM | Dec 17, 2025, 8:30 AM |
| SGT (UTC+8) | Dec 17, 2025, 6:00 AM | Dec 17, 2025, 11:00 AM |
| JST (UTC+9) | Dec 17, 2025, 7:00 AM | Dec 17, 2025, 12:00 PM |
| AEDT (UTC+11) | Dec 17, 2025, 9:00 AM | Dec 17, 2025, 2:00 PM |
Note: Maintenance compensation is set at 300 Stellar Jades for players who are Trailblaze Level 4 or above before maintenance begins, delivered via in-game mail after the update.
How long version 3.8 lasts (and when it ends)
Version 3.8 is an extended patch, running through February 12, 2026 in North America and into February 13, 2026 for parts of Asia and Oceania. That longer span is why the update uses three banner phases instead of the usual structure.
| Timezone | Version 3.8 end time |
|---|---|
| PT (UTC-8) | Feb 12, 2026, 2:00 PM |
| MT (UTC-7) | Feb 12, 2026, 3:00 PM |
| CT (UTC-6) | Feb 12, 2026, 4:00 PM |
| ET (UTC-5) | Feb 12, 2026, 5:00 PM |
| GMT (UTC+0) | Feb 12, 2026, 10:00 PM |
| CET (UTC+1) | Feb 12, 2026, 11:00 PM |
| IST (UTC+5:30) | Feb 13, 2026, 3:30 AM |
| SGT (UTC+8) | Feb 13, 2026, 6:00 AM |
| JST (UTC+9) | Feb 13, 2026, 7:00 AM |
| AEDT (UTC+11) | Feb 13, 2026, 9:00 AM |
The Dahlia banner release date and Phase 1 pairing
The Dahlia releases at the start of version 3.8 and shares Phase 1 with a Firefly rerun. Phase 1 runs from December 16, 2025 to January 7, 2026 (server time).
The Dahlia is a 5-star Fire Nihility character associated with the Annihilation Gang.
Version 3.8 banner phases (all dates)
Version 3.8 splits its character banners across three phases to match the longer patch duration.
| Phase | Dates (server time) | 5-star character banners |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Dec 16, 2025 – Jan 7, 2026 | The Dahlia, Firefly (rerun) |
| Phase 2 | Jan 7, 2026 – Jan 28, 2026 | Fugue (rerun), Lingsha (rerun) |
| Phase 3 | Jan 28, 2026 – Feb 12, 2026 | Aglaea (rerun), Sunday (rerun) |
New Light Cone and rerun Light Cones in version 3.8
Version 3.8 introduces one new 5-star Light Cone: Never Forget Her Flame, The Dahlia’s signature Light Cone. It runs in Phase 1 alongside rerun Light Cones tied to the rerun characters across all three phases.
| Phase | Featured 5-star Light Cones |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Never Forget Her Flame; Whereabouts Should Dreams Rest (rerun) |
| Phase 2 | Long Road Leads Home (rerun); Scent Alone Stays True (rerun) |
| Phase 3 | Time Woven Into Gold (rerun); A Grounded Ascent (rerun) |
Story and gameplay additions in version 3.8
The main story addition is a Finality Mission titled Memories are the Prelude to Dreams. It returns to Penacony and introduces a new area, Dream of Gnawing Oak.
There’s also a new boss enemy: Harbinger of Death: Swarm Nightmare, also referenced as the Iron Cavalry Knight.
Events and system changes in version 3.8
Version 3.8 includes a slate of timed events across the patch window, including Chrysos Awoo Championship, Remnants of Twilight, and Treasure Hunt, plus recurring double-drop periods like Planar Fissure, Realm of the Strange, and Garden of Plenty. A Gift of Odyssey login event also runs during the patch.
On the systems side, Divergent Universe: Protean Hero adds new content and raises the Synchronicity Level Cap to Level 120. Version 3.8 also adds a Multi-Path Team Lineup quality-of-life option to preset the Paths for the Trailblazer and March 7th, and it updates Event Notes with clearer labels and reward totals.
Endgame scheduling expands with an additional Apocalyptic Shadow phase near the end of the patch, bringing version 3.8 to four endgame phases overall. Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game also receives adjustments to certain characters, equipment, and Bonds.
Preload size (PC and mobile)
Preloading is available ahead of the update. The download size is listed as 4.8GB on PC and 2.6GB on mobile.
