Submitted by AudienclyAgency IPI Score 39/100

Honkai: Star Rail Launch Campaign

Influencer Marketing

Audiencly coordinated 100+ creators across YouTube and Instagram to take Honkai: Star Rail's PS5 launch beyond its core fanbase, reporting 65M+ views.

120K+Comments
2.2M+Total likes
65M+Total views

About the campaign

Honkai: Star Rail's PlayStation 5 launch, from publisher HoYoverse, needed to reach casual players and non-gamers, not just the existing hardcore fanbase, and standard game-promotion angles were unlikely to land with that broader audience. Game launch promotion typically defaults to core gaming channels, which limits reach when the goal is bringing in people outside the established player base. Audiencly's read was that unfamiliar viewers need content that does not assume knowledge of the game, meaning lifestyle and entertainment creators and accessible creative angles.

Audiencly assembled a network of more than 100 creators spanning dedicated gaming channels and broader lifestyle and entertainment audiences, from multi-million-subscriber channels to smaller niche accounts. Content ran across YouTube and Instagram; one execution featured sound artist Davidlapcrafts recreating in-game audio effects with everyday household objects to make the game's audio identity accessible to non-players.

Pairing core gaming channels with lifestyle creators gave a console launch of an established title a route to audiences outside the player base, and mixing channel sizes reduced dependence on any single account. Content ran on YouTube and Instagram. Audiencly reports 65M+ views, 2.2M+ likes and 120K+ comments; no install or conversion figures are disclosed, no launch date or market is given, and all results are agency self-reported.

Case in 60 seconds

Honkai: Star Rail's PS5 launch needed to reach casual players and non-gamers, not just the existing hardcore fanbase, and standard game promotion angles were unlikely to land with that broader audience.

Viewers unfamiliar with the title need content that does not assume knowledge of the game, which means lifestyle and entertainment creators and accessible creative angles rather than core gaming promotion alone.

Assemble a network of more than 100 creators spanning dedicated gaming channels and broader lifestyle and entertainment audiences, from multi-million subscriber channels to smaller niche accounts.

Creator content ran across YouTube and Instagram. One execution featured sound artist Davidlapcrafts recreating in-game audio effects with everyday household objects to make the game's audio identity accessible to non-players.

Audiencly reports 65M+ total views, 2.2M+ total likes and 120k+ comments across creator content. No install or conversion figures are disclosed, and all results are agency self-reported.

Strategy Breakdown

The primary strategy-learning section — interpretation, not a press-release summary.

Two audiences at once: the existing Honkai: Star Rail fanbase, and casual players and non-gamers who had not previously played the title and were the target for the PS5 version.
Not stated in the source. Based on the available evidence, the campaign worked against the assumption that gacha game marketing only speaks to an in-group of existing players.
Game launch promotion typically defaults to core gaming channels, which limits reach when the goal is to bring in people outside the established player base.
Honkai: Star Rail presented itself through creators' own formats rather than direct game promotion, letting unfamiliar viewers meet the game through content styles they already watch.
The campaign was built to drive installs at launch and trial of the PS5 version, on the premise that non-players are more likely to engage when the game is introduced through accessible, non-gaming-native content angles.

Creative & Execution System

Assets & channels

  • Creator videos and posts on YouTube
  • Creator content on Instagram

Partners

  • 100+ creators across gaming, lifestyle and entertainment
  • Davidlapcrafts (sound artist)

Participation mechanic

  • Creator-produced launch content introducing the game to new audiences

Creator role

  • Content creation in the creators' own formats
  • Accessible creative executions, such as recreating in-game audio with household objects

Results & Evidence

MetricValueResult typeConfidence
Total views65M+reachAgency reported
Total likes2.2M+engagementAgency reported
Comments120K+engagementAgency reported

Why Audiencly's strategy worked

  1. 1

    Pairing core gaming channels with lifestyle and entertainment creators gave a console launch of an established title a route to audiences outside the existing player base.

  2. 2

    Accessible creative, such as a sound artist recreating in-game audio with household objects, translated the game's identity into formats non-players could engage with.

  3. 3

    Mixing multi-million subscriber channels with smaller niche accounts spread the campaign's reach across audience sizes and reduced dependence on any single channel.

  4. 4

    Engagement volume (views, likes, comments) is the only outcome evidence offered; without install data the campaign's effect on its stated conversion goal cannot be assessed.

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