Honkai: Nexus Anima sets July closed beta with Evolution Test

• Honkai: Nexus Anima opens its Evolution Test on July 9th
• Focuses on bonding with Anima that evolve alongside you
• New regions, characters, and systems debut during the beta

HoYoverse's creature-collecting adventure has been building anticipation for a while now, and Honkai: Nexus Anima has a date for its next closed beta. The Evolution Test opens on July 9th across PC, iOS, and Android. Recruitment is live now via the official website, though a survey needs to be filled out and selection isn't guaranteed.

The premise has some depth to it. The Nexus refers to bonds between paired Aspects, Love and Hate, Light and Dark, Reality and Illusion, that kinda thing. A cataclysm called the Sundering broke those bonds apart, scattering their energy as creatures called Anima.

You collect them, battle with them, and the connections you build with them shape how you explore the world. Each Anima can evolve too, framed as a sign of the bond developing rather than just a power-up, which is a nice way to think about it.

There's a naming system and a photo mechanic too, so you can preserve the moment you first met a particular Anima. On lucky days, you might find a rare Chromatic Anima, which sounds like this world's version of a shiny.

The Evolution Test introduces new stories, characters, and regions alongside expanded gameplay systems. The starting area is Iia, a town in the Reality Plane where your traveller escapes captivity and begins the journey.

The New Quarter, Nexus Hall, the True Nexus Building, and new characters named Nanafey, Bai Mei, and Olympia are all introduced here. The world opens gradually from there. Data gets wiped after the test ends, so what you're signing up for is a preview and not a head start.

Honkai: Nexus Anima has no confirmed release date yet. If you want to get into the Evolution Test, registration is live now.

If this is your thing, check out our list of the best RPGs on iOS to keep you busy in the meantime.