Development

Aniimo is developed by Pawprint Studio, a studio based in Hangzhou, China and described in official material as a FunPlus publishing label, and is released under the Kingsglory label. It was first revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase in June 2025.

Storefront listings name Pawprint Studio as both developer and publisher, which is a store-page simplification rather than a contradiction. The Kingsglory attribution is corroborated structurally: the game's Microsoft Store package is registered under a Kingsglory games identifier.

A Cross-Platform Creature-Catcher

From the start, Aniimo has been built as a free-to-play, cross-platform title, intended to connect players across PC, console, and mobile in a single world. The game's executive producer is Jovi Zhang. Its original soundtrack theme, UNSTOPPABLE, released in August 2025, has lyrics and music by GALACTIKA and vocals by jasyours.

The studio's own genre self-description at launch is an open-world action RPG, and its Chinese-language material frames it as a multiplayer online open-world creature-catching RPG.

Platforms and Release

The release is staggered by platform family: the PC, console and Xbox cloud gaming versions launch on September 16, 2026 at 10:00 (UTC+8), and the mobile versions follow a week later on September 23, 2026. The PC and console date was announced in mid-August 2026 alongside the opening of pre-orders, the separate mobile date was confirmed on August 26, 2026, and the studio restated both in a letter to players on September 3, 2026, which is where Xbox cloud gaming was first named as a launch platform.

The PlayStation 5 version was added later in development, after an initial reveal focused on Xbox, PC and mobile. PlayStation support is PlayStation 5 only and Xbox support is the ninth-generation consoles only. Mainland China is served by a separate build, site and operator, and Taiwan by a regional agent.

The game supports thirteen languages, five of them with full voice acting. Published hardware targets, storage size, age ratings, and the supported controller and multiplayer features are collected on System Requirements, and the platform and server picture on Servers and Cross-Play.

Pre-orders opened on the PlayStation Store on August 13, 2026, and on Xbox the following day. The base game is listed on five storefronts, and the two paid packs, the Advanced Edition at $9.99 and the Collector's Edition at $19.99, are sold only on the console stores; see Pre-Orders and Editions for the full breakdown.

Pre-Registration

Ahead of launch, Aniimo opened global pre-registration, which passed 10 million sign-ups by mid-2026 and stood above 30 million a week before release, clearing every published milestone tier. A separate Chinese-language pre-registration campaign passed 1.85 million.

Beta Testing

Aniimo ran three closed beta tests before launch. The first was held on PC from July 4 to July 11, 2025. A second closed beta followed in early 2026 across PC and mobile, ending on February 8, 2026, with player data reset afterward. The third and largest was the Global Closed Beta, a limited, free, data-wipe test on PC, iOS and Android. A separate regional test wave for Chinese-language servers was dated to July 2, 2026.

Sign-ups for the Global Closed Beta closed on July 5, 2026, and qualifying players were notified by email from July 8, when pre-download opened.

Because the test wiped all progress, the studio ran a farewell event called the Bond Pact, also published as the Bonded Promise, over July 24 and 25. Each Pathfinder could seal one favourite Aniimo inside an Egg, with three chances to change that pick, and reclaim it at global launch by logging in with the same account and channel. The egg hatches only once its creature's Form is unlocked in the Aniilog. Prismana Forms, a set of special Aniimo, and part of the Whisperwake Isles roster were excluded from sealing, and a hatched Aniimo is bound to its owner and cannot be traded. Where a player sealed on more than one server, only the egg from the highest-level test character is kept.

After the test closed, the studio published a recap. Testers caught more than 10.7 million Aniimo in total, with Helmut, Emberpup and Wisptis the most-caught species and a Prismana Glynsera the rarest recorded catch at 397. Pathfinder Challenges were completed more than 174,000 times over the test. The closing notice was signed by Polaris Institute Operations; whether the Polaris Institute exists as an organisation inside the game has not been confirmed.

From Beta to Launch

The build that ships is not the build the testers played. On September 3, 2026 the studio published an itemised account of what changed, including a progression system removed outright, a rebuilt approach to catching Legendary Aniimo, and a substantially expanded Homeland. See Launch Version Changes.

Two community-designed creatures also ship at launch. The studio's Design Your Aniimo contest drew around 600 entries, and the two grand prize winners' designs were confirmed to join the game and roam Idyll from global launch.

Post-Launch Companion Interaction

On August 26, 2026, the studio announced a post-launch update intended to let Pathfinders interact with their creatures directly through voice and natural language. The stated goals are chatting with an Aniimo, teaching it new skills, and sending it out to gather resources by voice input, with the creature responding with changing emotions based on what the player does. The studio framed this as a planned update after release rather than a launch feature, and has not given a date, a platform list, or hardware requirements for it.

What Is Confirmed

Much about Aniimo's story remains unannounced, including any named protagonist or antagonist. This wiki covers only what has been officially confirmed. Return to the main overview for a summary, or see The World of Idyll to start exploring. Aniimo has also appeared at public events since its reveal; see Events and Showcases for the full list.