miHoYo Reveals Honkai: Nexus Anima, A New Creature-Collector Adventure

miHoYo, the studio behind Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact, has announced its next big project: Honkai: Nexus Anima, a creature-collector adventure strategy game set within the wider Honkai universe. The reveal immediately caught the attention of fans, not just because it carries the Honkai name, but because it marks the first time the series is experimenting with creature bonding and tactical exploration.

At the heart of Nexus Anima are the mysterious beings known as Anima. These creatures are said to be fragments of ruptured metaphysical bonds concepts like light and darkness, love and hate, or life and death, which once existed in balance. When those connections were shattered, their leftover power manifested as sentient companions. Players step into the role of a traveller who has just escaped captivity and sets out from a quiet town into a world teeming with undiscovered Anima.

Unlike a straightforward RPG, Nexus Anima places heavy emphasis on forming bonds with these companions. Each Anima has its own personality and abilities, and the depth of your relationship influences both combat and exploration. In the field, certain Anima can help unlock hidden pathways or reveal secrets, while in battle they stand beside you in what the developers call “Nexus Battles.” From what has been shown, combat blends real-time action with strategic decision-making, leaning on synergy between your collected Anima.

The project is launching its first closed beta dubbed the Nexus Bond Test on PC and iOS, with registration open until September 12, 2025. Android support has not been confirmed for this initial test, though it is expected further down the line. Languages available during the test include English, Japanese, Korean, and both simplified and traditional Chinese. As with other HoYoverse trials, progress will be wiped before the full release.

One particularly exciting detail is the crossover potential. Familiar faces from the Honkai series, including Kiana from Honkai Impact 3rd and Blade from Star Rail, are confirmed to appear. While it remains to be seen how central they will be to the story, their inclusion ties Nexus Anima firmly into the broader Honkai multiverse.

What miHoYo hasn’t shared yet is just as intriguing. The number of Anima available at launch, the scale of the open world, and how the monetization model will work are still under wraps. Reports suggest there may be around sixty-plus creatures already designed, but only half of them have been revealed publicly. Given the studio’s track record, it’s safe to expect a steady rollout of updates and expansions after launch.

For long-time Honkai fans, Nexus Anima represents a fascinating pivot-less about piloting powerful Valkyries or cosmic travelers, and more about building connections with otherworldly creatures. For players who enjoy monster-taming and tactical adventure games, it could become one of miHoYo’s most approachable titles to date.

Whether it can capture the same global momentum as Star Rail or Genshin will depend on how well the core creature-bonding loop resonates. But if nothing else, Honkai: Nexus Anima shows that miHoYo isn’t afraid to take its flagship franchise in bold new directions.