Honkai: Nexus Anima is reshaping Honkai into a creature-collector — should you care?

Why this matters: Honkai goes creature-collector, not just another spin-off

When miHoYo – now operating as HoYoverse – announced Honkai: Nexus Anima on August 28, 2025, the headline wasn’t the usual anime visuals or slick action. It was the pivot: Nexus Anima moves the Honkai franchise toward a creature-collector core while promising to keep the quick, fluid combat the series is known for. That’s a big deal. This isn’t just a cosmetic genre mashup – it changes the design questions that will shape how fans actually play, collect, and spend.

• New loop: collecting creatures becomes central, not just characters.
• Combat continuity: HoYoverse says Nexus Anima keeps the series’ fluid action feel.
• Monetization unknown: the game had closed testing in Sept 2025, but no pricing or gacha details were confirmed.
• Release window: rumored early 2026, but nothing official yet.

Breaking down the announcement: what we actually saw

HoYoverse released two trailers: a gameplay reel and a closed-test teaser that ran during September 2025. The footage shows charming anime aesthetics, a roster of collectible creatures, and combat that still favors flashy combos and dodge-timed encounters — familiar to anyone who played Honkai: Impact 3rd. But the way creatures are framed in cutscenes and menus hints at persistent ownership, evolution, and perhaps team synergies that resemble creature collectors more than previous Honkai entries.

That footage is carefully curated — every developer does that — so the real questions are about scale and systems. How deep is the creature collection? Are these “pets” that buff you, party members with full move sets, or something in-between? The trailers suggest a mixture: creatures that fight beside you, but also systems for growth and customization. If HoYoverse leans into complex evolution trees, we could be looking at a deeper meta loop than, say, mobile pet systems of the past.

Why now: market timing and HoYoverse’s trajectory

HoYoverse has spent the last few years expanding beyond the fast-action template of Honkai: Impact 3rd into different playstyles — most notably with Honkai: Star Rail’s turn-based take in 2023. Pivoting to a creature-collector model fits a pattern: the studio experiments with accessible collect-and-build loops that scale well as live services. Creature collectors are having a renaissance (look at the success of spin-offs and hybrid titles), and they’re naturally sticky — players keep returning to collect and optimize.

That “why now” also has a commercial angle. Collection loops are monetizable in predictable ways: gacha-style draws, evolution shortcuts, cosmetics for creatures, and seasonal events. HoYoverse knows how to operate a live service; the concern isn’t whether they’ll monetize, but how. Will Nexus Anima be generous with free progression? Or will important creature unlocks sit behind paid walls? The company hasn’t said.

What players should watch for next

• System depth: Are creatures companions with their own skill trees or simple buffs? The answer will define longevity.
• Crossplay and platforms: HoYoverse typically launches on mobile and PC, sometimes console. Expect a multi-platform push, but wait for confirmation.
• Monetization reveal: This is the make-or-break detail. Preorder models are unlikely if it’s free-to-play, but gacha mechanics probably won’t be far behind.
• Test frequency: Nexus Anima had a week-long closed test in Sept 2025. More tests would reveal balance, grind pace, and the quality of matchmaking or social features.

If you care about fairness and long-term playability, concentrate on how HoYoverse structures progression in the next round of tests or official deep dives. A collection game can be incredibly rewarding if it respects players’ time, or painfully predatory if progression gates are too steep.

The gamer’s verdict (so far)

This caught my attention because HoYoverse rarely changes its core loop without reason. Nexus Anima isn’t just another Honkai skin; it’s an experiment in marrying frantic action with the methodical joy of collecting. That’s exciting. The combat promises to keep the series’ DNA, which is the most important part — if battles feel shallow, the collection won’t save it. But I’m also skeptical: live-service creature collectors can tip into relentless monetization. Until HoYoverse shows detailed systems and a monetization model, keep your expectations guarded.

TL;DR

Honkai: Nexus Anima aims to mix Honkai’s slick anime action with a creature-collector backbone. That could be brilliant — or it could be a polished funnel for gacha spending. Closed tests happened in Sept 2025 and a release is rumored for early 2026, but the real winners will be the players if HoYoverse balances depth, fairness, and the social hooks that make collection games fun long-term.