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Friend Battles
July 22, 2026 at 06:50 AM
Initial version (2026-07-22)
Friend Battles are direct matches between two players' Anima teams. Each side assembles a line-up, both confirm, and the fight resolves under the same Auto-Chess Combat rules used everywhere else in the game. The mode went live inside the Evolution Test build, and HoYoverse ran a dedicated in-game event around it from 15 to 19 July 2026, one week into the test.
Friend Battles are the first player-versus-player feature this wiki can document from a playable build. Earlier coverage described the game as purely cooperative and story-driven; the current build pairs that with a direct head-to-head option against people on your friends list.
The friends system is not available from the start of the game. It unlocks after the player completes the quest "Stranger in a Strange Land", and it appears on the second page of the main menu rather than the first.
Step | Action |
|---|---|
1 | Open the main menu with the icon in the upper-left corner of the screen, or by pressing Escape |
2 | Select Friends. The entry sits on the second page of the main menu |
3 | Switch to the second tab at the top of the Friends screen |
4 | Enter the other player's UID and send a request |
5 | The other player accepts from the incoming-requests button at the lower right of the Friends screen |
Only players on the same server can add each other. During the Evolution Test the servers were numbered, so a request sent across two different test servers will not resolve.
Step | Action |
|---|---|
1 | Find the player in the friends list and press the button to their right to send a challenge |
2 | Once the challenge is accepted, both players enter the battle preparation screen |
3 | Build your line-up, then press Ready at the lower right. Ready can be cancelled at any point until the opponent is also ready, so line-ups can still be adjusted |
4 | When both players are ready, the battle begins |
Because both sides lock in before anything resolves, a Friend Battle is a test of team construction rather than reaction. The same Aspects and Traits that drive the Synergy System in single-player battles apply here, so a roster built for Nexus Battles transfers directly.
HoYoverse opened a limited-time community event on 15 July 2026 to push players into the mode, running until 19 July 2026 at 23:59. Players fought Friend Battles against different people on their list and registered their in-game UID and server to take part. Rewards were physical merchandise rather than in-game items, which fits a test build that carries no monetization and wipes all data at the end.
The event published its counting rules, which are the clearest public statement of how the mode tracks results:
Rule | Detail |
|---|---|
Battles counted per friend | A maximum of 5, no matter how many times the same pair fight |
Wins counted per friend | A maximum of 2 against any single opponent |
Worked example | Ten battles against one friend with three wins counts as 5 battles and 2 wins |
Reward tiers | Three tiers were awarded, covering heavy participation, repeated wins, and a broader draw |
The per-opponent caps matter beyond the event: they show the game already tracks Friend Battle results per pair of players rather than as a flat total, which is the groundwork a ranked or seasonal mode would need.
Everything above is drawn from the Evolution Test build and the official posts that accompanied it. The test wipes all progress when it ends, and HoYoverse has repeatedly noted that test content does not represent the final game. Whether Friend Battles ship at launch in this form, gain matchmaking beyond a friends list, or feed into any kind of ladder has not been announced.
