HoYoverse has officially kicked off closed beta testing for its latest project, Honkai: Nexus Anima. As an open-world creature collecting title, it represents a significant expansion of the Honkai-verse, bringing together familiar faces from other entries in the franchise in a way that goes beyond simple cameos.

Quick Facts

  • Genre: Open-world creature collecting
  • Developer: HoYoverse
  • Key Features: Creature collection, gacha-based Eidos acquisition, and multi-plane exploration
  • Platforms: Multi-platform (2026)

For those familiar with the series, Honkai: Nexus Anima makes its connections clear immediately. It is not just about "expy" characters; the game features direct transfers, including Honkai: Star Rail’s Blade—who appears as a "Novarch" and master of a Plane—and Honkai Impact 3rd’s Kiana Kaslana, who appears as a traveler. The game establishes a mysterious premise where the player character, who suffers from memory loss, is being hunted by a group that blames them for the shattering of the old world into 81 distinct Planes.

The Role of Anima and Combat

In this world, Anima are central to daily life, used for everything from solving puzzles to running businesses. When it comes to disputes, players settle them through combat. The combat system is easy to pick up but adds depth as you progress. You deploy a team of Anima to the field, while Eidoses (the playable characters) remain off-field to provide tactical abilities, buffs, or attacks when charged.

As you build your roster, you will need to consider 15 different aspects and two damage types—physical and magic—to create synergistic teams. Positioning also plays a role, as players must account for obstacles on the battlefield to ensure their Anima can effectively target opponents.

Collecting and Progression

Obtaining Anima is handled through two methods: catching them in the wild using an apparatus called Twine, or through the game’s gacha system. The gacha is primarily focused on obtaining Eidoses, which are essential for high-level play. Players can also enhance their Anima through a system called Rapport. While energy for Rapport can be gained via gacha, the most efficient method appears to be catching duplicates in the wild, which grants the necessary energy to unlock six Rapport slots per Anima.

World Interaction and Story Choices

Character customization in Honkai: Nexus Anima focuses on stats rather than appearance, with players allocating points into Strength, Charisma, and Intelligence. These choices influence how you gather information throughout the story. Additionally, the player carries a special Relic that allows them to "anchor" events and tweak history. If you miss objectives, you can revisit story moments via the Infinite Vortex to fill in gaps, which provides lore-rich details about why the world was shattered and why the player is being pursued.

With features like city management, mini-games, and various sidequests found in hubs like Utoplia, there is a substantial amount of content to explore. The closed beta is currently unrestricted, allowing players to get a firsthand look at the mechanics before the eventual full launch.