During the Xbox Games Showcase, part of Summer Game Fest 2025, Kingsglory Games and developer Pawprint Studio revealed Aniimo, an action-RPG creature collector. Aniimo is launching as a free-to-play title on PC, Xbox, and mobile in 2026.
Aniimo is an open-world action-RPG inspired by Pokémon’s creature designs, alongside collecting and training for them battle. However, Aniimo introduces a cool new feature: Twine. With Twine, players can merge with their Aniimo, gaining new abilities and traversal tools.
You mean I get to catch ’em all, AND transform into them? This is a dream come true for Pokémon fans!
Well, almost. There’s the little stickler known as free-to-play. Will it feature a battle pass? Seasonal updates? Is it a gacha game with randomized pulls? We don’t know yet, but I’m eager to find out more.
Aniimo may at first glance look similar to Palworld, another big 3D creature-collector inspired by Pokémon. But Palworld is not free-to-play (though it’s still in Early Access), and focuses more on crafting, gathering, and base-building. Also, Palworld has like, AK-47s, and that doesn’t appear to be the case with the far cuter and fuzzier Aniimo.
A better comparison might be to other free-to-play open-world games such as Genshin Impact, or Infinity Nikki.
For now, interested players can sign up for the game’s closed beta test by taking a short survey and filling in their PC specs. A date for the Aniimo closed beta test has not yet been revealed.
