Okay, in order PT’s guides editor and resident Hoyo obsessive, a lot of my life is devoted to Honkai Star Rail. I spend my days modifying, checking, writing, and updating construct guides for Honkai Star Rail characters, gazing stats till I’m going cross-eyed, and theorizing about our subsequent cease on the Astral Specific.
Then, after I clock out for the day, I go browsing to Genshin and HSR, undergo my dailies, full any occasions, grind relics/artifacts – all that thrilling stuff. So think about my shock when, after a protracted day of Trailblazing, I choose the sofa in entrance of the TV and open YouTube to discover a good video to modify off to, and I see a Honkai Star Rail advert. It’s like I can’t escape. My veins are filled with stellar jades, my mind a soup of stats and group comps, and after I open my mouth, nothing however the OST falls out.
Now, I wouldn’t thoughts an excessive amount of if the advertisements really made sense. Hoyoverse has a wealth of sensible trailers and character demos to showcase the colourful and thrilling worlds of Genshin Affect and Honkai Star Rail – I might know, as I’m there at each livestream, promotional Tweet, and HoyoLab publish.
They’ve executed it earlier than, like the lovable animation showcase for babygirl Genshin Affect’s Kaveh and the animated model of the heart-melting Honkai Star Rail Natasha’s gentle cone. However as a substitute, we’re met with Genshin Affect’s Traveler silently claiming rewards from a Leyline Blossom. After which there are the random streamer clips.
Whereas I’ve by no means watched his streams myself, I’m positive Doro44 is a stand-up man – I’m glad that he’s sponsored by Genshin, and my beef definitely isn’t with him. However (and it’s an enormous ol’ butt), if I’ve to take heed to ‘I really like the fight, the animations are superb, this recreation’s superior, I find it irresistible’ yet another time as Honkai Star Rail’s Jing Yuan walks across the Xianzhou Luofu aimlessly, I would simply soar off the sting of the Divination Fee similar to Kafka and Blade. And don’t get me began on ‘awwww, having bother breaking these little minerals?’ – depart my candy Xiao alone, he’s doing his finest.
![YouTube Thumbnail](https://img.youtube.com/vi/FcB4tjHR9Ik/sddefault.jpg)
However, little did I do know, these out-of-context clips that don’t actually provide a lot to new gamers are removed from the weirdest advert selections Hoyoverse is making. Yep, it’s time. The Waifu Specific has pulled into the station, and it’s about to pull you into an anime montage the place you be taught the ability of friendship.
The primary time I noticed that… Somewhat uncommon model of Caelus cradled in Honkai Star Rail March seventh’s arms, yelling in regards to the ‘Waifu Specific’, I sat in a sort of slack-jawed awe. I didn’t even hit the ‘skip advert’ button. It was like I had peeked by a portal into one other universe. ‘Certainly, this could’t be an actual HSR advert, proper?’ I requested myself. ‘What occurred to “I really like the fight, the animations are superb, this recreation’s superior”?’
However then the official hyperlink to the sport popped up on the display screen, and I used to be on my telephone Googling what on earth I’d simply watched. This was final week, and on the time there didn’t appear to be a lot information on this advert past some TikToks asking the identical questions as me (although, admittedly, I could have looked for the improper time period. What do you even lookup on this state of affairs? Bizarre HSR advert? Nothing. Waifu Specific? Getting a bit off-track right here. Boobie Planet? Positively wasn’t going to herald the outcomes I used to be on the lookout for.)
Fortunately, my great colleague Connor saved the day along with his personal researching abilities and shortly traced its origin again to a seven-minute-long animation referred to as ‘The Destiny of All Weebs’ from the YouTube channel Flashgitz.
In some way, I hadn’t heard of Flashgitz earlier than, regardless of their over three million subscribers and wealth of animated parodies for video games I very a lot love. However upon falling by the proverbial rabbit gap of goofy animations that make my coronary heart swim with a way of nostalgia for the early days of YouTube, I began to see a touch of genius in Hoyoverse’s methods.
Since my first sighting of this legendary advert, I’ve come throughout much more dialogue round it, with thousands and thousands of confused Trailblazers and Vacationers sharing clips, opinions, and extra. Naturally, there’s additionally a myriad of streamers and content material creators reacting to the unique video. You want solely search ‘The Destiny of All Weebs’ and you end up in a sea of hubbub – and that’s sort of what it’s all about, isn’t it?
Whereas it could appear a bizarre alternative at first for an organization to air an advert that primarily mocks each its recreation and no less than a portion of its participant base, these uncommon clips definitely stand out with their lighthearted, self-aware jibing, and, as such, they’ve the specified impact. The Destiny of All Weebs is getting individuals speaking – together with me and the remainder of the PT group – way over the character showcases, animated gentle cones, and even close-ups of Kaveh’s butt.
So, as a lot as Hoyoverse’s selections with regards to HSR advertisements generally is a bit hit and miss – and undoubtedly depart rather a lot to be desired at instances (nonetheless taking a look at you, five-second clip of the Traveler claiming rewards from a Leyline Blossom) – I can’t assist however tip my imaginary fedora to each Flashgitz and Hoyo for bringing us this enjoyable little nugget to brighten a newsfeed that’s been crammed with a whole lot of disappointment currently.
Nonetheless, I can also’t say that any of those advertisements do something for brand new gamers, and appear oddly catered to individuals already in on the joke. If I used to be unfamiliar with Honkai Star Rail and The Destiny of All Weebs popped up on my display screen, I’d undoubtedly skip, and possibly wouldn’t even realize it was an advert for a recreation.
As such, it sort of feels like Hoyo is preaching to the choir right here, and, whereas the net conversations might attain exterior of our neighborhood bubble, it doesn’t seize sufficient of what makes HSR nice, and could also be off-putting to potential new gamers. Oh effectively. Is there a planet made from boobies? No? That’s okay, I’m positive somebody will mod it later, I’m simply glad I’ll all the time have you ever all.
Now, let’s get all the way down to the brass tax. Should you’re trying to pull your favourite waifu from the subsequent Honkai Star Rail banner (or husbando – I’m nonetheless ready for the Husbando Specific to reach), remember to head over to our Honkai Star Rail codes and seize some goodies. Or, if you wish to fill these seven days and 7 nights earlier than trying east, try our Honkai Star Rail occasions information.