A recent leak has sent shockwaves through the Honkai Star Rail community: a completely separate banner system for the upcoming Fate collaboration characters. This isn’t just a simple reskin; it’s a significant shift that could impact long-term players and anyone eyeing Saber or Archer. Let’s break down how this new system works, its potential implications, and clear up the confusion surrounding the rumor of Saber and Archer’s removal from the beta.
The Separate Banner System: A Game Changer
According to reliable sources like Dim Breath and Sakura Haven, the Fate collaboration characters will be featured on their own distinct banner track with a separate pity history. This means:
- Isolated Pity: Your 5-star and Light Cone pulls on the collaboration banner will not affect or be affected by your progress on the usual event banners. If you’re at soft pity on a limited banner, you cannot carry that over to Saber. Similarly, any pulls on the Fate banner will only contribute to its isolated pity count.
- Familiar Mechanics: Mechanically, the banners will operate as usual. The character banner will have the standard 50/50 chance for the featured 5-star, and the Light Cone banner will follow the 75/25 split.
- New Infrastructure: The crucial takeaway is that Hoyoverse has built an entirely new banner type for this collaboration. This isn’t just a cosmetic change; it suggests a long-term strategy for future cross-IP collaborations.
This move is particularly ironic given Hoyoverse’s historical reluctance to implement cross-IP collaborations in Genshin Impact, despite fervent fan requests. The dedication to building a new gacha system for these characters indicates a significant shift in their approach to collaborations within Honkai Star Rail.
Dispelling the Saber/Archer Beta Removal Rumor
You might have seen a rumor circulating that Saber and Archer were removed from the beta due to an NDA violation from the Fate side. This claim originated from a leaker named Shiroa, who suggested Hoyoverse pulled the characters due to a licensing misstep, implying they were added to the beta prematurely.
However, Ubacha, a well-established and trusted leaker in both the Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail communities, directly refuted this claim. Ubacha stated that Shiroa’s information was false and clarified that both Saber and Archer are still present in the beta and were never removed.
This aligns with observations from multiple beta client updates, which show both characters continuing to receive adjustments and animation polishing. There’s been no indication of their removal. Unless a drastic change occurs in the coming days, Saber and Archer are staying in the beta.
This incident highlights the rapid spread of misinformation within the leak community, especially when high-profile intellectual properties like Fate are involved.
What This Means for Players
If this new banner structure becomes the norm for future collaborations, it will significantly impact how players manage their Stellar Jade and plan their pity routes.
- Strategic Saving: If collaboration characters like Saber exist in their own “vacuum” without shared pity, players will need to make more deliberate decisions about where to allocate their resources. This can be beneficial if you’re exclusively targeting a collaboration unit, but challenging if you’re juggling pulls across multiple limited units and Light Cones.
What are your thoughts on this new banner system? Are you planning to pull for Saber? Do you prefer the idea of separate collaboration banners, or would you rather see them share pity with other banners? Let us know in the comments below!
Stay tuned for any official statements or further developments regarding the Honkai Star Rail x Fate collaboration. We’ll keep you updated.
