While details on Honkai: Nexus Anima have yet to be revealed, it is looking likely that it will be an auto-chess game with exploration elements.
Renown Chinese gacha game developer miHoYo, and its global publishing subsidiary HoYoverse, have filed a trademark application with the South Korean government for the title ‘Honkai: Nexus Anima’. While details on this new title have yet to be revealed, the name ‘Honkai’ suggests that this will be a new game, and the third title in the developers' Honkai series.
MiHoYo's trademark application for Honkai: Nexus Anima was discovered online through the Korea Intellectual Property Information Search (KIPRIS), with four separate applications found. In addition to the trademark applications, miHoYo also seems to be in the midst of preparing to announce this new title as multiple Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) pages under the name ‘Honkai: Nexus Anima' have recently appeared.
If Honkai: Nexus Anima is indeed a new miHoYo game, it will be the fifth title in the developer's Honkai series after FlyMe2theMoon (2011), Houkai Gakuen (2012), Houkai Gakuen 2 (2014), Honkai Impact 3rd (2016), and Honkai: Star Rail (2023).
Honkai Impact 3rd and Honkai: Star Rail are the two latest and flagship titles of the Honkai series. Both titles share similar overall themes and characters, with some even crossing over directly from one game to the other, the two games take place in their own distinct universes and fall under different genres. Honkai Impact 3rd is an action RPG while Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based RPG, though both games also make use of a gacha system through which players can acquire new characters and equipment.
MiHoYo have yet to say anything official regarding Honkai: Nexus Anima, but recent job postings by the developer found online have given the public a glimpse into what this new title may be all about. Translations of the aforementioned job postings revealed that miHoYo are working on an ‘auto-chess’ game where players can collect, train, and evolve so-called ‘Destined Spirits’ to use in battle.
Auto-chess, also known as 'auto battlers', is a relatively recent genre of games that spawned from a popular custom game created through mod tools in the MOBA title Dota 2. The original Dota Auto Chess mod has since been turned into a standalone game by Drodo Studio, while other developers like Riot Games created its own version in Teamfight Tactics when the genre first took off.
In auto-chess games, players pick and choose between units of different types to create their teams and place them in different spots on a grid. In each round of play, the chosen units will then automatically engage in battle against the units of other players–which gave the genre its name–with damage being dealt to losing players until a lone victor is decided.
Aside from the possibility that Honkai: Nexus Anima possibly being the auto-chess game that miHoYo is working on, the aforementioned job posting by the developer also revealed other elements that may be present within the game. MiHoYo's upcoming auto-chess title will let players traverse and explore “a tranquil seaside town and diverse locations" as they collect Destined Spirits to build unique teams.
With that said, the Latin word ‘Anima’ translating to ‘soul’ or ‘spirit’ in English further lends credence to Honkai: Nexus Anima being miHoYo's upcoming auto-chess title.
MiHoYo is also apparently planning to add exploration elements to the game, as the job posting also mentions that players can use the powers of their Destined Spirits to “fly, glide, and surf while uncovering hidden secrets."
If this news has you pumped for a new miHoYo auto-chess game, then you might want to temper your excitement for a bit, as the game is very likely at least a year or two away from a full release. Given the developers' track record with Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero, auto-chess fans and newcomers to the genre alike can expect a fun and engaging title nonetheless.
