Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero developer HoYoverse is expanding its Honkai universe, this time as an adventure strategy title (of sorts). Described as a “creature-collector adventure strategy,” Honkai: Nexus Anima will introduce a fresh story, a roster of new characters and mythical creatures, and gameplay with auto-battling elements.
Following a tease during an anniversary concert for Honkai: Star Rail, the forthcoming title is now opening pre-registration for its first closed beta (called the Nexus Bond Test) until 12 September. An announcement trailer was released to mark the occasion, alongside a separate gameplay video that showcases various features and content, such as on-foot exploration, character customisation, and tactical combat mechanics involving Anima companions, each with their distinct personalities.
The game puts the connection between players and Anima into focus, as the overarching narrative slowly reveals the mysteries of the protagonist’s past. Per the website, Anima listings include their names, traits, aspects, height, energy levels, and a blurb of their personalities, with the humanoid Animasters sorted into three categories: Sovereigns, Novarches, and Others. Keep an eye out, and you’ll spot familiar faces like Honkai: Star Rail’s Blade and Honkai Impact 3rd‘s Kiana.
The official synopsis of Honkai: Nexus Anima is as follows:
“In this world, Nexus is the unseen bonds woven between paired concepts, such as Love and Hate, Light and Dark, Life and Death, among many others. However, this balance is unexpectedly shattered when a sudden rupture severs those connections, scattering their remnant powers across the land in the form of Anima.
“From this fractured order, players embark on a journey: through missions and combat, they forge bonds with these Anima, unlocking abilities that reflect the unique concepts each embodies. Moreover, these abilities can be combined to create diverse battle tactics and influence how players explore and engage with the expansive overworld.”
There’s no word on the release date for the game, but players can try it out early by signing up for the Nexus Bond Test between now and 12 September. The test is available on both PC and iOS, with support for English, Japanese, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese language options. Do note, however, that saved data from the beta will be wiped afterwards.
In the meantime, check out the rest of the official images below:
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
