Star Rail have a genuine Powercreep problem? – Destructoid
The concept of ‘powercreep’ isn’t new in the world of gacha gaming. The shiny new toys of today are almost always designed to overshadow yesterday’s heroes, but in Honkai: Star Rail, the speed at which older characters are being outclassed feels particularly aggressive, leading many in the community to sound the alarm.
Characters that once felt like premium investments are being pushed aside at a pace that’s hard to ignore. The most recent example of this? The rapid rise and fall of Sparkle.
Sparkle and the Sunday Treatment
When Sparkle launched during the early versions of the 2.0 update, she was hailed as one of the best Harmony characters in the game. Her on-demand Advance Forward mechanic was a game-changer, enabling her to manipulate turn orders in ways that elevated both her utility and the teams she supported. She quickly became a fan favorite and a staple in high-level content, sharing the spotlight with other premium Harmony units like Ruan Mei and Bronya.
Funny enough, Sparkle and Bronya share many similarities to their kits, yet both characters had situations where they were superior to the other. Despite Bronya being a Standard character, she held her own against Sparkle in many team compositions for various reasons. It was certainly powercreep to a degree, but it was done in a graceful, masterful way that let Bronya remain in the spotlight thanks to the niches she had held over Sparkle.
But then came Sunday. Released at the tail-end of version 2.0, literally a month ago, before the 3.0 update even hit. Sunday brought an entirely new level of Harmony utility. His kit was designed not only to provide the same type of turn manipulation Sparkle excelled at but also to offer additional buffs and synergies that Sparkle simply couldn’t match. The biggest one was his completely superior Advance Forward mechanic.
The result? Sparkle went from being a top-tier pick to feeling outdated practically overnight. When a character that’s supposed to be built for the long haul gets sidelined this fast, you’ve got to wonder: what’s going on with the game’s balance? Like seriously, where’s the logic? Sparkle is a premium five-star Harmony unit, the kind of character you’d expect to stay relevant for ages. Isn’t that what everyone says about Support units in gacha games? That they age the best? Well, Sparkle would beg to differ. Unfortunately, this isn’t an isolated case.
Yunli vs. Clara: A Familiar Tale
Another glaring example of powercreep, though less aggressive admittedly, lies in the comparison between Yunli and Clara. Clara, as a Standard banner character, was always going to face an uphill battle against newer, limited-release units. But Yunli’s arrival made this disparity painfully clear.
Yunli shares a kit and playstyle similar to Clara’s, focusing on delivering powerful counterattacks and tanking loads of damage. However, Yunli’s design takes Clara’s core strengths and enhances them to a degree that leaves Clara struggling to stay relevant. One of Clara’s biggest weaknesses is her inability to force enemies to attack her. Without being attacked, Clara does very little damage, but here’s Yunli to fix this problem.
Yunli has a taunt that completely eliminates this problem, and the same taunt ability also dramatically boosts her counterattack damage. Thanks to this and several other changes, Yunli is simply better in most situations, offering superior damage, survivability, and utility.
Clara still has some niche scenarios where she can shine, but those are few and far between. With Honkai: Star Rail’s endgame getting more difficult with every update, for the average player, Yunli is the obvious choice, making Clara feel like an afterthought despite being one of the game’s early flagship characters.
Seele vs. Acheron: The Disaster
The most glaring case of powercreep in Honkai: Star Rail has to be Seele versus Acheron. Seele was one of the original five-star DPS units, heavily marketed as a must-pull character during the game’s launch. She was lightning-fast, hit hard, and felt unstoppable… back then.
Fast forward to now, two years later, and Seele’s kit feels clunky and completely outdated. Her damage is barely serviceable by current standards, and her single-target focus often leaves her struggling in modern endgame scenarios that very often feature several enemies at once.
Acheron doesn’t just out damage Seele; she’s also more versatile, making Seele feel like a relic of the past. I want to be clear here: the difference is so stark that it’s hard to believe they exist in the same game. For players who built Seele expecting her to stand the test of time, it’s a bitter pill to swallow.
The Root of the Creep
The powercreep problem in Honkai: Star Rail isn’t just about new characters being strong. It’s about them outright replacing older ones outright. That’s the real kicker. For players who’ve poured time, resources, and maybe even money into their favorites, it feels like a slap in the face when those characters become borderline irrelevant so quickly.
The core issue lies in how Honkai: Star Rail handles character releases and endgame design. New characters are being released at a breakneck pace, and it seems like the newer endgame content is tailored almost exclusively to the newest additions. This creates a vicious cycle: newer units become a necessity, while older ones, no matter how well-built or beloved, struggle to keep up. The older they are, the more true this becomes.
The Bigger Picture
This isn’t just about Seele or Acheron. It’s a pattern. Sparkle being overshadowed by Sunday, Clara being outclassed by Yunli, and countless other examples all point to the same issue: Honkai: Star Rail is prioritizing shiny new units over maintaining balance across its roster.
The problem is compounded by how quickly characters are being released. Players barely have time to enjoy their investments before the next “must-pull” character drops. And because new content is designed with those newer characters in mind, the older ones inevitably fall behind.
It’s Not All Bad
Despite these frustrations, I still believe the powercreep problem isn’t quite as catastrophic as some might claim. Characters like Sparkle and Clara may no longer dominate the meta, but with proper investment, they can still hold their own in most content. Seele… well, Seele is not so lucky, unfortunately. Admittedly, there aren’t many examples like Seele in Honkai: Star Rail, but still, it is a shame that a character as interesting as her is almost completely useless in all forms of content.
Most units in Honkai: Star Rail remain viable to some degree, even the older ones. Dr. Ratio remains a single-target powerhouse. Topaz remains the best Follow-up buffer in the game. Even Black Swan, part of the DoT team composition that has barely had any updates since its introduction, still has some potent uses on certain teams. It’s not all doom and gloom.
The Reality of Powercreep
Powercreep is an inevitable part of any live-service game, but the way it’s handled makes all the difference. In Honkai: Star Rail, the rapid turnover of meta-defining units is undeniably frustrating. Characters like Sparkle, who should have had a longer reign, are being pushed aside far too quickly. Meanwhile, characters like Clara, who could benefit from balance updates or niche buffs, are left in the dust.
Still, it’s important to remember that success in Honkai: Star Rail isn’t solely about having the newest characters. Smart resource management, strategic play, and a bit of patience can go a long way. You don’t need every meta unit to enjoy the game or clear its content.
So, is the powercreep in Honkai: Star Rail a problem? Yeah, it is. The powercreep in Star Rail definitely sucks, but it’s not the end of the world, at least not yet. It’s just part of the gacha game grind. Sure, it could be handled better, but it’s not the game-breaking nightmare some players make it out to be… most of the time. What happens next? Will things get better or much worse? Well, that’s the big question. I know the likely answer, but let’s just see what the future holds.
