Honkai: Nexus Anima (HNA for short) officially launched its promotional campaign yesterday. The team released two videos on their official Twitter: a teaser and a gameplay clip. Here’s a roundup of everything we’ve seen so far.
What Is Nexus Anima?
According to its official description, Honkai: Nexus Anima is a “brand-new creature collector adventure strategy game”. It looks like an ambitious mix of mechanics, blending elements from both Pokémon and Riot’s Teamfight Tactics. Players will meet Anima companions, each with their own unique personalities.
This is where the creature-collector and adventure aspects come in. You’ll bond with your Anima through exploration and Nexus Battles while building a diverse roster to support you along the way.
The gameplay footage also revealed something new: an auto-chess mode, adding another layer of strategy to the mix.
While the footage teased several different modes, the auto-chess style Nexus Battles appear to be the game’s primary strategic focus. If you’re a fan of Teamfight Tactics, this could be right up your alley. In fact, Zenless Zone Zero’s recent event featuring auto-chess style gameplay now feels like it was hinting at what HoYoverse had planned with HNA.
In Nexus Battles, Animasters face off by deploying Anima onto the board to outplay their opponents. Each Anima comes with both an Aspect and a Trait, offering plenty of room for creative team-building and strategy.
Curious about the full roster of Anima and Animasters? You can check out the current list on the game’s official website!
A Highly Detailed World Development
HoYoverse has a knack for making games that seem simple at first glance but are packed with deep lore and rich character dynamics. And Honkai: Nexus Anima is no exception.
In HNA’s world, the Nexus represents the hidden connections between opposing concepts, such as Love and Hate, or Life and Death. Before an event known as the Sundering, these forces were closely connected. When the rupture occurred, however, those bonds were shattered and scattered across the land as Anima.
Players take on the role of Animasters, who are split into three main factions: the Sovereigns, the Novarchs, and the Others. The Sovereigns were the 39 holders of Old World Aspects before the Sundering. After the disaster, their power was divided among 81 Novarchs, who now embody the Aspects of the New World. As for the mysterious “Others,” they’re likely characters we’ll meet along the journey, though their full story remains unclear.
And if you’ve played Honkai: Star Rail or Honkai Impact 3rd, you might have noticed a surprise in the footage: familiar faces like Blade and Kiana appear!
As for Blade’s role in Honkai: Nexus Anima and why he shows up as a Novarch, that’s still a mystery. HoYoverse has been weaving a shared Honkai universe since 2014, so his appearance isn’t completely out of left field. Whether HNA’s story will directly tie into the other Honkai titles, though, is still too early to call.
What we do know is that the teasers hint at the arrival of plenty of fresh faces joining the cast. The YouTube trailer, in particular, showcases several brand-new characters who will debut in HNA
Is It Going To Be Another Gacha?
The community’s excitement is undeniable, but one big question still lingers: how will Honkai: Nexus Anima handle monetisation? So far, HoYoverse hasn’t shared any details, leaving fans to speculate on what a potential gacha system might look like. The possibilities seem to come down to three main areas: cosmetics, Anima, and Animasters.
It’s also unclear whether every Anima and Animaster will be freely available. In the auto-chess footage, a lineup of three Animasters could be seen in the bottom-left corner, which raises some questions. Will players need to pull for them? Could certain Animasters offer synergy bonuses with specific Anima?
Most of the Anima appear to be collectable through exploration, but a few seem tightly linked to specific Animasters. If that’s the case, they could function like the ‘signature weapons’ we’ve seen in other Honkai titles.
Another likely avenue for monetization is cosmetics. The gameplay footage showcased a customisation menu with various outfits and facial features, suggesting that this could be where HoYoverse anchors its gacha system.
If HNA does turn out to be another gacha-driven title, balance could become a sticking point, especially if the core gameplay really is centered on auto-chess battles. Gacha mechanics and PvP have always had a complicated relationship, and keeping things fair is never easy. That said, Nexus Battles could also lean more toward PvE content, which would disappoint players hoping for competitive action.
A lot has been revealed in the past few days, and more information is sure to be released, so be sure to check out our Other Games section if you’re interested!
