Honkai Star Rail is finally getting a Fire DPS we all want – Here’s what we know about Firefly (Sam)

Honkai: Star Rail has officially turned one and somehow managed to do so without releasing a single reliable Fire DPS unit. But with the exciting announcement on the upcoming release of Penacony's not-so-dead stowaway, Firefly (aka Sam), gone are the days where we wack the Doomsday Beast with Asta and pray that Himeko procs her follow-ups.

Here's everything you need to know about Firefly, including her release date, Path, kit, and more. This article contains spoilers on Penacony's Trailblaze Missions, so proceed with caution (though the character art is already quite a huge spoiler)!

Who is Firefly in Honkai Star Rail?

Firefly is a stowaway whom we meet in Penacony and quickly bond with. She suffers from a disease called Entropy Loss Syndrome, which causes her body to deteriorate over time. By entering Penacony's Dreamscapes, she can live without worrying about her physical body. However, shortly after the chance meeting with Firefly, she gets stabbed to death by a Memory Zone meme. The tragic incident then pulls us into discovering one of the biggest mysteries in Penacony: Can people die in dreams?

The answer is pretty obvious, as we eventually reunite with Firefly, who reveals herself to be the Stellaron Hunter, Sam.

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Honkai Star Rail Firefly (Sam) release date

Honkai: Star Rail has revealed the official drip marketing assets for Firefly (Sam) ahead of the Version 2.2 update, which means that she will be released in Version 2.3. The update will fall around mid-June.

Meanwhile, Version 2.2 will see the release of five-star Physical characters Robin (Harmony) and Boothill (The Hunt). The exact banner lineups will be revealed in the Special Program on April 26, 2024, allowing you time to count your Stellar Jades and decide on whether to pull for the Version 2.2 characters or wait for the beloved Firefly. I'm just as torn as you are between Robin and Firefly, who we thought were the same person at one point.

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Honkai Star Rail Firefly (Sam) Path & leaked kit

Honkai: Star Rail has confirmed that Firefly (Sam) will be a five-star Fire character who follows the Path of Destruction, solidifying her position as a DPS unit. However, as Firefly has yet to enter the HSR beta, we know little about her kit.

According to leakers, she could allegedly switch between her normal and mecha states by transforming and has a Technique that allows her to move quickly while avoiding the enemies' gazes. If this is true, then she'll have amazing functionality for overworld exploration, like Acheron and Topaz and Numby. More information on Firefly's kit will be revealed once the Version 2.3 beta commences shortly after Version 2.2 is released.

Are there other Fire DPS units in HSR?

Honkai: Star Rail does have a small lineup of offensive Fire units, but their damage output isn't particularly exceptional and none are no-brainer DPS picks you can rely on for any content, unlike Jingliu, Blade, Jing Yuan, Seele, and Acheron.

For instance, Hook follows the Path of Destruction but has low stats and lacks overall damage output, making her underwhelming in most situations. Topaz and Numby follow the Path of The Hunt but are heavily reliant on a specific team set-up to deal follow-up attacks, making them unreliable as the team's primary DPS. Meanwhile, Himeko's low damage multipliers make her unable to burst through powerful bosses, so she isn't a good pick outside of multi-wave farming or as a sub-DPS unit.

While little is known about Firefly's finalized kit, the timing of her release and the obvious lack of a reliable Fire DPS unit is a clear opportunity for Honkai: Star Rail to capitalize on a gap in the market. As a result, it's very likely for Firefly to play the role of a straightforward Destruction DPS like Blade, and we're likely to discover more about her gameplay once the Version 2.3 beta begins.

For more HSR tips and tricks, check out How to level up the Relic substats you want in Honkai Star Rail – HSR Upgrade guide here on Pro Game Guides.