Honkai: Star Rail continues to expand its roster of Paths with the upcoming introduction of Elation, the ninth playable Path tied to the mischievous Aeon Aha. However, recent leaks suggest this new Path may stumble into the same pitfalls that plagued Remembrance, sparking concern among players about identity crises, restrictive team-building, and a dire shortage of free-to-play options.

Remembrance's Legacy: Power with Strings Attached

Introduced in version 3.0, the Remembrance Path promised innovative summon-based gameplay through "memosprites," alongside freeze mechanics and utility from Fuli's followers. Characters like Aglaea, Castorice, and Evernight quickly dominated the meta in the Amphoreus arc (versions 3.x), delivering top-tier performance in endgame content.

Yet, Remembrance became synonymous with frustration. Its biggest issue? A crippling lack of accessible Light Cones for free-to-play (F2P) and low-spending players. Signature Light Cones (sig LCs) were hyper-specialized, offering massive boosts but proving nearly unusable across other Remembrance units due to mismatched effects. F2P options were scarce, often forcing players to settle for suboptimal alternatives like off-Path LCs or low-rarity relics.

Compounding this, Remembrance suffered an identity crisis. Leaks revealed developers initially prototyped characters under Destruction placeholders before relabeling them Remembrance with a memosprite gimmick. The result: a Path spanning DPS, support, and sustain roles without a cohesive feel, leading to mandatory mono-Remembrance teams for optimal synergy (e.g., Evernight thriving only in full-Path comps). Energy issues, Eidolons locked behind paywalls, and power creep further alienated players, turning hype into backlash.

Elation Enters the Stage: Familiar Shadows

Version 4.0 heralds Elation's debut with Yao Guang as the flagship character, potentially debuting alongside an Edo-inspired region. Leaker Sakura Haven dropped bombshells: developers are repeating Remembrance's blueprint by using "base Path" placeholders for Elation units.

  • Yao Guang: Harmony base kit converted to Elation.
  • Sparxie: Destruction base kit converted to Elation.
  • Version 4.1 unit: Nihility base kit in development for Elation.
  • By version 4.3: Characters from Preservation, Hunt, and Erudition Paths repurposed as Elation.

Across 4.x versions, expect 1 Harmony, 2 Hunt, 1 Abundance, 1-3 Erudition, and 1-3 Destruction kits rebranded Elation. Mechanics remain shrouded, but rumors tie it to version 3.6's "Try-Not-to-Laugh Challenge" event, hinting at Skill Point (SP)-focused follow-up attacks (FUA), action order manipulation, or RNG "performances" akin to summons on the action bar.

This mirrors Remembrance's "gimmick overlay" approach, risking the same diluted identity. Elation buffs will likely lock units into narrow comps, with sig LCs dominating and F2P options nowhere in sight.