Those of you who’ve been playing Honkai: Star Rail since its release earlier in the year will know that the story ended on a significant cliffhanger, with the Trailblazer and Astral Express member Dan Heng searching for each other on the Xianzhou Luofu. After the last major update lacked any new story missions, the next major expansion – v1.2, due out on 19th July – will progress the plot significantly, as two new areas unlock: the Alchemy Commission and Scalegorge Waterscape.

This all means new narrative development, puzzles, areas to explore, and – perhaps crucially – a boss to fight. You can get a first glimpse of the battle in the trailer embedded above, with the new skyscraper-sized foe wielding the power of the Destruction and the Abundance simultaneously, meaning she’s capable of healing herself and unleashing devastating damage. Upon first completion, she’ll be added to the Echoes of War game mode, so you’ll be able to challenge her up to three times a week for crucial resources.

In terms of banners, the hotly anticipated Blade and Kafka will be arriving in v1.2, alongside the new four-star Belabog boxer Luka who was announced at Summer Game Fest. There’ll also be a ton of new events, including Tales of the Fantastic and Underground Treasure Hunt. The former will see you working with Mr Xiyan to tap into his storytelling magic, while the latter will unlock a special themed chat box reward.

All of this will be accompanied by an expansion to the Forgotten Hall, which will unlock a free Yukong upon completion, as well as the addition of a new Simulated Universe world and various other fresh pieces of content, like all-new Relics and resources. With the PS5 release not due out until later in the year, all of these new additions (aside from the time-limited banners) will be included day one on Sony’s system – there’s going to be a lot to sink your teeth into come launch day.