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What is Honkai: Nexus Anima?

Updated 2026-06-26.

Honkai: Nexus Anima is a creature-collecting adventure and auto-battler RPG (gacha) developed by HoYoverse — the studio behind Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero; Nexus Anima is the newest entry in the long-running Honkai series, first teased at a Honkai: Star Rail anniversary concert. You play a Planestrider, exploring a realm of Planes bound together by Nexus and bonding with creatures called Anima. It is free-to-play.

Trailer

The official Honkai: Nexus Anima channel’s Evolution Test gameplay showcase is the best look at the world, the Anima and the auto-battler combat:

The story: Nexus and the Sundering

The world is built on Nexus — the invisible bonds between paired forces such as Light and Dark, Love and Hate, and Life and Death. A cataclysm called the Sundering shattered those bonds, scattering their remnant power across the Planes as the creatures you collect: Anima. You begin in the tranquil town of Iia before venturing into uncharted realms.

Genre & gameplay

It blends creature collection, open-world adventure and an auto-battler. Rather than a fixed party, you build a deck of Anima and deploy it in Nexus Battles, which resolve automatically based on Aspect synergies. Anima also explore with you, serve as mounts and flying companions, and join minigames. More on Anima →

Platforms

Honkai: Nexus Anima is in testing on PC, iOS, Android.

How does it compare to Genshin Impact and Palworld?

Like other HoYoverse titles it’s a free-to-play gacha with gacha-based acquisition and a story-driven open world. The creature collecting, taming, mounts and evolution draw frequent comparisons to Palworld and Pokémon — but the combat is an auto-battler rather than direct action, and it sits inside the established Honkai universe with crossover characters like Blade and Kiana.

When does it release?

No confirmed release date as of 2026-06-26. The next milestone is the July 9 2026 Evolution Test — one of several closed beta tests. See the release date tracker for the full breakdown.

Sources