Aniimo is a free-to-play open-world creature-taming ARPG by Pawprint Studio, published by Pawprint Interactive. Revealed at the Xbox Games Showcase, it launches on September 16, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series and PC (Steam, Epic, Microsoft Store), then September 23 on iOS and Android, with over 15 million pre-registrations. Here is everything we know, backed by official sources.
The world: Idyll, and you are a Pathfinder
The adventure takes place on the continent of Idyll, home to creatures called Aniimo. You play a Pathfinder: exploring, catching, raising and battling alongside your Aniimo forms the core of the game, plus a customisable home.
Twining: the signature mechanic
Aniimo's big twist on its inspirations: Twining lets you merge with your Aniimo and become them. Depending on the creature, you run on their paws, fly or swim, unlocking new abilities and perspectives: exploration literally changes point of view.
Nine elements
Aniimo span 9 elements, confirmed by the official index: Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Ice, Rock, Wind, Holy and Dark. The official index currently lists 94 revealed Aniimo, all in our Aniidex, and the launch roster is expected to be larger.
The starters: Lunara or Helion
In the beta, no classic trio: after the tutorial you choose between two unique Holy (Light) creatures, and the choice is permanent:
- Lunara, a lunar fox who attacks at range, heals and deals area damage. She evolves into Fennelun.
- Helion, a solar lion built for melee, tanky with heavy close-range damage. He evolves into Soleon.
Both are in our Aniidex under the special numbers 9997 and 9998, with full stats and skills. Among the first catchable companions along the way: Emberpup, the Fire wolf pup.
Environmental forms and conditional evolutions
Official showcases revealed two promising systems:
- Environmental forms: some Aniimo change with the climate, like Stellarys' Rainy Form (evolving from Celestis on rainy days) or the Snowfield Form of Skippy, Pranky and Glacy.
- Branching evolutions: in the Helmut family, most evolve into Rookey (a defensive metal sphere), but the bravest become Pawney to face the boss Infergon. Other confirmed names: Helgon, Ignitis.
Closed beta: underway, and NDA-free
The global closed beta started July 9, 2026 (PC, iOS, Android). Notably: no NDA, participants are free to publish their content. Test sessions are limited with data wipes, and an official creator program supports the launch.
Free-to-play: what model?
The game is free-to-play on every platform. The details of the monetisation model (cosmetics, pass, gacha or not) have not been fully specified yet: we will break it down as soon as official information lands.
PikaMMO is preparing its Aniimo wiki for launch day: full Aniidex, locations and tools, built from the game data.