2025
May 4, 2025. First Teaser
Honkai: Nexus Anima was first teased during the Honkai: Star Rail LIVE Concert 2025 with a 20-second PV. The teaser showed Kiana and Blade together, immediately generating excitement from fans who recognized both characters. No gameplay was shown. Just enough to confirm the project existed and that it would bridge the Honkai series.
August 28, 2025. First Dynamic Video
The first animated video was released on HoYoverse's official video channel, one day before the full worldwide reveal.
August 29, 2025. Official Unveiling
The full worldwide reveal dropped on August 29, 2025. HoYoverse released the first gameplay trailer, a recruitment PV, and launched the official website. The trailer showed the auto-chess combat system, open-world exploration, Anima collection, and the seaside town of Iia. Recruitment for the "Nexus Bond Test" (closed beta) opened the same day.
September 17-23, 2025. Nexus Bond Test
The first closed beta ran for one week on PC and iOS only. Android was not included. Beta acceptance emails went out on September 15. The test gave players access to Iia, the auto-chess combat system, exploration, mini-games, and 66 Anima (32 fully revealed, 34 as silhouettes).
Beta Feedback
Coverage from beta participants described the game as a casual, relaxing experience that was rougher in execution than presentation. Specific criticisms included:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Combat too simple | Early-game auto-chess encounters lacked strategic depth. Fights often resolved without meaningful decision-making |
Visual quality | 3D models, textures, and environments needed significant polish compared to other HoYoverse titles |
Quest system | Too text-heavy with insufficient variety in quest types. Players wanted more gameplay variety in story delivery |
Limited skin tones (only 3, all light-skinned), restricted clothing options, female-only protagonist during beta | |
Performance | Optimization issues on lower-tier hardware |
Post-Beta DevTalk
After the beta concluded, the development team posted a DevTalk acknowledging player feedback. The key revelation was a timeline statement: the game is "more than a year away" from launch. This put the earliest possible release around late 2026 or later, significantly further out than some players had hoped.
Specific improvements mentioned in the DevTalk:
Item | Description |
|---|---|
Visuals | Better 3D models, textures, rendering, and lighting. New architectural styles and expanded regions |
Expanded abilities and town interactions for Anima companions | |
Combat | Reworked Kardia combat models and skills. Improved character animations and expressions |
Content | Overhaul of the Infinite Vortex mode with branching choices and replayable checkpoints. New questlines tied to Nexus Association and Nexus Syndicate factions |
Platforms | Android version in active development |
Performance | Optimization for lower-tier hardware |
Localization | More accurate translations and broader language support |
Customization | Expanded clothing, accessories, and other options for the protagonist |
Production Team
The game is produced by David Jiang, who also produces Honkai: Star Rail. Having the same producer across both titles explains the narrative connections and the decision to share characters across the Honkai IP.
Soundtrack
Music for Honkai: Nexus Anima is composed by HOYO-MiX, HoYoverse's in-house music studio. HOYO-MiX is responsible for the soundtracks across all HoYoverse titles, including Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail.
Release Outlook
Based on the "more than a year away" statement from the DevTalk (made in late September/October 2025), the earliest realistic launch window is late 2026. The scope of the improvements outlined suggests the team is prioritizing quality over speed.
Confirmed platforms are PC, iOS, and Android. Android was absent from the first beta but has shipped in both tests since, so all three are established. No storefront has been formally announced for the PC release. Console versions have not been announced, though HoYoverse's pattern with other titles (Star Rail eventually launched on PS5) leaves the door open.
2026 Development Phases
Following the September 2025 Nexus Bond Test, the project moved into a structured DevTalk cadence. Three named phases have been published:
Milestone | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
DevTalk Phase I | December 2025 | Initial production update covering combat tuning and the broader Anima roster expansion plans. |
DevTalk Phase II | February 2026 | Reveal of new Anima Fyrklor and Hoggit, plus environment polish and a tease of an unnamed skyscraper district inside Iia. |
DevTalk Phase III | April 2026 | Confirmation of three new Iia districts (Kakatini Grand Hotel, Pedestrian Street, Fleming Tower), launch of the Aspect Exploration Project closed beta, and combat-improvement framing focused on bigger and tougher enemy encounters. |
The Aspect Exploration Project widens platform coverage to PC, iOS, and Android, but tightens secrecy with a mandatory NDA and no fixed recruitment deadline. This shift signals a move from broad public-facing testing to focused design feedback ahead of release.
June 22, 2026. Evolution Test Announced
HoYoverse opened recruitment for the Evolution Test, the third closed beta, on June 22, 2026, with the test set to start July 9, 2026 on PC, iOS, and Android. The build is named after its headline feature, Anima Evolution, and also introduces Chromatic Anima, a character assist layer with commander skills, redesigned Iia districts, and open-world activities such as Anima riding, racing, and concerts. The test is free, wipes all data, is open to players 18 and over, and lifts the sharing restrictions that applied to the earlier Aspect Exploration Project.
The game received its Chinese publishing license on September 24, 2025, and by the time Evolution Test recruitment opened, pre-registrations had passed 5.5 million across all platforms. The studio's teams span Singapore, Montreal, Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Seoul.
Public Showings
With the Evolution Test running, HoYoverse announced the game's first two public appearances. It is being shown at gamescom in Cologne from August 26 to 30, 2026, where the HoYoverse exhibition area hosts a hands-on demo covering Anima collecting, world exploration, and Nexus Battles beside a giant Umpurrella installation, and it appeared at HoYo FEST 2026 across Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila and Singapore from 30 July to 2 August 2026, with an on-site playable session for visitors who collected a queue card from the experience zone.
These are the first hands-on opportunities outside a closed beta, and they move the game from invitation-only testing toward general public exposure.
July 27, 2026. Evolution Test Wrap-Up
The Evolution Test ended on schedule at 18:00 (UTC+8) on July 27, 2026, and the team published a DevTalk recap the same day. The recap previewed the next round of work: story moments woven into the Anima bonding process and tuned Skein bonding rates, faster and more responsive character movement, a refined opening story, combat with more stage variety and more synergy between characters and Anima (including adjustable Anima dispositions), and continued performance and device-compatibility optimization. It closed by telling players to expect more Anima in the world at the next test.