HoYoverse set its next Honkai game, Honkai: Nexus Anima, for a Spring 2027 launch on PC, iOS, and Android, and confirmed in its November 5 announcement that the game’s Final Closed Beta begins November 25. The free-to-play title is the studio’s first confirmed launch window for a brand-new game, and its genre bet is an odd one for a publisher this size: a creature collector whose battles are fought auto-battler style.
A Pokémon-style catch loop, an auto-chess fight
The game splits its roster into two layers. Eidos are the larger playable characters with unique abilities, while Anima are the creatures that make up your battle teams. Many Anima can be caught directly in the wild, and they double as exploration tools, working as mounts or as the key to areas you cannot otherwise reach. Once you have a team, battles play out as strategic, auto-chess style clashes between your Anima rather than turn-by-turn commands.
The setting leans on the franchise’s own vocabulary. The world is managed by Nexuses, invisible bonds woven between opposing concepts such as love and hate, light and darkness, and life and death, which are severed and transformed into Anima. In the beta, players take on the role of an Animaster setting out from the town of Iia.
What the final beta adds
The Final Closed Beta is a limited-slot test with a data wipe at the end, available on PC, Android, and iOS. According to the announcement, the beta will be as close to launch-feature complete as possible, with full creature-acquiring, base-building, and auto-battler systems playable. The test also introduces a competitive ranked mode called Nexus Arena, where players build any lineup, get matched against opponents, and push for higher ranks. HoYoverse’s beta recruitment page is open now, and applications close at 1:59 AM UTC on November 22.
Combat and the Event Bond gacha system have both been upgraded for the test. HoYoverse said in its press materials that “the first 5-star Eidos or Anima a player obtains is guaranteed to be the current limited one, and obtaining the current limited Eidos also lets them claim the matching Anima Companion for free.” The example banner pairs the five-star Reality character Bai Mei with her five-star Reality Anima Seroplumanth.
Two trailers accompanied the announcement: a gameplay showcase running through the beta’s systems and a cinematic teaser titled “Get Nexergized.” The beta’s end date and full schedule have not been announced, and no console versions are confirmed; only PC, Android, and iOS appear in HoYoverse’s announcement.
