Honkai: Star Rail Swarm Disaster is perfect endgame content

Simulated Universe update has the combat challenge people were waiting for

Though update 1.3 for Honkai: Star Rail has been on the lighter side when it comes to content from the main story – just 15 to 20 minutes worth of conversations and cutscenes to wrap up what happened so far and tease what’s happening next – HoYoverse has absolutely killed it with both of the version’s events, Hustle and Bustle of Aurum Alley and Swarm Disaster, on top of the fantastic quality of life improvements like the capacity increase for Trailblaze Power.

Hustle and Bustle of Aurum Alley, which revolves around reinvigorating a trodden-down district on the Xianzhou Luofu and standing up for the little people against the hyper-capitalistic IPC, actually managed to make players care about the NPCs they encountered. Aurum Alley grows brighter and more lively as you progress through the event, becoming the wonderful food and shopping street you’d love to visit yourself during your next vacation. The only thing that could have made the event better is some form of customization on how exactly Aurum Alley looks, adding a flair of individualization to everyone’s game world. But that’d just be a cherry on top. Both theme and mini-games of the event are top-notch.

It could hardly get better from there, right? Well, leave it to HoYoverse to prove us wrong.

The Simulated Universe got a massive update in version 1.3 / HoYoverse

Launched on September 6, 2023, the Simulated Universe update, Swarm Disaster, added a metric ton of content to everyone’s favorite roguelike game mode of Honkai: Star Rail. From the new Simulated Universe Resonance Interplays over a variety of additional Blessings, Curios, and Occurrences, to brand-new unlockables and the fresh Path of Propagation, the Swarm Disaster would have been a worthwhile $5 DLC for any standalone roguelike game. It didn’t just add new content either – the Swarm Disaster comes with its own mechanics, making the mode even more roguelike through the introduction of the Audience Dice and a way for players to plan their routes. It’s bloody great and completely free.

What’s really awesome about the Swarm Disaster, though, is its challenge level – you won’t just breeze through this new mode to unlock all the rewards in a day. Well, some players surely have already done that, but the majority won’t be able to. And here’s the thing: That’s exactly what Honkai: Star Rail still needed – a challenging, combat-focused endgame that requires you to actually think and strategize.

The Path of Propagation is among the new additions to the Simulated Universe / HoYoverse

Yes, the Forgotten Hall exists, but let’s be honest: The Simulated Universe is simply worlds more engaging and isn’t just a time-limited DPS check you can pass or not. What the Swarm Disaster brings to the game is a new goal to work towards, a reason for you to upgrade those characters and Light Cones, to max out those Traces, and try new teams. Remember: It’s not a time-limited game mode – this will stick around permanently, giving you ample time to get all the rewards. You don’t need to rush things.

It’s basically what Genshin Impact players have been dreaming about for a long time now, and once again Honkai: Star Rail had it implemented first.

If there’s one thing to criticize, then that Swarm Disaster doesn’t allow players to farm Planar Ornaments like they can in the regular Simulated Universe worlds. It’d be great if we could combine playing the new mode with that activity, adding even more value to it.

HoYoverse really raised the bar with this update once again – if the studio is able to continue pushing out Simulated Universe content like this in regular waves, no one will ever be able to complain about Honkai: Star Rail not having a worthwhile endgame.