For the first time, HoYoverse is offering a limited-time event five-star for free. Honkai: Star Rail, the developer’s free-to-play turn-based RPG, won three awards in its first year, including The Game Awards’ Best Mobile Game. Soon after, HoYo announced an opportunity to claim Dr. Ratio, a five-star Imaginary Hunt character, without spending a single Star Rail Pass. Here’s how you can get Dr. Ratio for free. Better get him now while the offer lasts.

How do I get Dr. Ratio for free?

I already claimed Dr. Ratio in this image, but this is the message you need to find.
I already claimed Dr. Ratio in this image, but this is the message you need to find.

Thankfully, you can get Dr. Ratio for free even if you just started Honkai: Star Rail. He’s available to anyone who has unlocked the mail feature.

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Now Playing: Honkai: Star Rail | Version 1.6 Trailer – “Crown of the Mundane and Divine”

Open your phone dashboard and click on the mail icon. The mail including Dr. Ratio should be starred at the top with the title “Subscription Reply from Dr. Ratio.” Inside is an automatic reply from the scholar himself. Click the Claim button to add him to your roster. You’ll know if you did it if he pops up on your screen and appears in your Character list after opening your mail.

How can I get Dr. Ratio’s ascension materials?

Thank goodness for early access to Shape of Puppetry. I'm far enough in the game and still couldn't find the Stagnant Shadows entrance.
Thank goodness for early access to Shape of Puppetry. I’m far enough in the game and still couldn’t find the Stagnant Shadows entrance.

If you’re still early in the game, no worries. You can grind for Dr. Ratio’s ascension materials using the new Temporary Access feature in the Interastral Guide. After all, you can’t unlock the actual teleportation point until you pass a certain point in the main story. You should see “Temporary Access” in relevant sections like Stagnant Shadows.

How long do I have to claim Dr. Ratio?

According to HoYo, Dr. Ratio is available for free between the following times:

  • Start: January 16-17, 2024, depending on your timezone
  • End: At the end of Honkai: Star Rail 2.1 – Date TBA

Dr. Ratio debuted with his limited-time banner, Panta Rhei. This is both the time when he became available for free in the in-game mail and when his banner went live. Even though players get him for free, they can still pull for extra copies. You can claim him from now until the end of Honkai: Star Rail 2.1, which doesn’t have an official release date yet. After that, he will become a normal limited-time event character like Seele, Luocha, and Silver Wolf.

HoYo announced Dr. Ratio as a limited-time event character, so he will probably only be available with his banner in the future. That is, unless another extraordinary circumstance like this one happens. Don’t expect that HoYoverse will hand out another limited-time five-star anytime soon.

Honkai: Star Rail is available for PC, iOS, Android, and PlayStation 5.

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