HoYoverse, the renowned developer behind the massively popular Genshin Impact, has officially unveiled their latest project: Honkai: Nexus Anima. The game has now opened pre-registration for its inaugural closed beta test, accompanied by an exciting gameplay trailer and a dedicated official website. Set within the expansive Honkai: Star Rail universe, this new title introduces players to a captivating creature collection autochess experience centered around mysterious entities known as "Anima."

The journey to this announcement began back in April when eagle-eyed fans discovered that HoYoverse had filed trademarks for the name "Honkai: Nexus Anima" in both South Korea and China. The speculation intensified when multiple multilingual Twitter accounts bearing the game's name suddenly appeared online. The rumors were virtually confirmed when a teaser trailer featuring familiar characters Kiana and Blade from Honkai: Star Rail engaged in Pokemon-style battles was showcased at a recent gaming event. This sequence of events has finally culminated in the full revelation of what promises to be the next major installment in the Honkai franchise.

The development team has announced that recruitment for the closed beta, officially named the "Nexus Bond Test," will commence on August 29th. Prospective testers can submit their applications through the game's official website from August 29th at 12:00 PM (UTC+8) until September 12th at 11:59 PM (UTC+8). The application process requires players to create a HoYoverse account and complete a comprehensive questionnaire. While the exact start date for the beta remains undisclosed, the official FAQ indicates that this information will be shared at a later time. Notably, HoYoverse has explicitly stated that participants will have complete freedom to share their gameplay experiences and footage from the Nexus Bond Test without any restrictions.

The Nexus Bond Test will be available exclusively on PC and iOS platforms. For optimal performance on PC, the developers recommend an 11th Generation Intel i5 processor, an RTX 2060 GPU, and 16 GB of RAM. Mobile users will need at least an iPhone 12 Pro to ensure smooth gameplay. The game will feature cross-platform compatibility, allowing players to access their accounts across both supported devices, though account sharing between different users will be strictly prohibited. Following the conclusion of the beta phase, all player progress and save data will be completely wiped from the servers.

Alongside the beta announcement, HoYoverse released an extensive four-minute gameplay trailer that provides a comprehensive look at the game's various features. The footage showcases open-world exploration elements, detailed character customization options, numerous mini-games, and a diverse array of Anima creatures that players will encounter. A significant portion of the trailer focuses on the combat system, which appears to draw inspiration from popular auto-battler games like Teamfight Tactics. This connection is further reinforced by one of the application questions that specifically asks about applicants' highest achieved rank in Teamfight Tactics, suggesting notable mechanical similarities between the two games.

The Nexus Bond Test represents only the first phase of closed beta testing for Honkai: Nexus Anima. HoYoverse has indicated that additional opportunities to participate will become available in the future. This multi-stage testing approach aligns with industry standards for gacha games, which typically undergo two or three beta phases before official launch to identify and resolve potential issues, optimize gameplay mechanics, and gather valuable player feedback.