Aniimo Opens Closed Beta Test Recruitment for Japan
This is the first time the public can play Aniimo, a title that combines monster collection with a transformation mechanic, giving players their earliest look at how the game's world and systems actually work.
Reporting from 3 sources: 4Gamer.net, ASCII.jp, Denfaminicogamer.
Pawprint Interactive Entertainment announced on June 7 that it will hold the first closed beta test for Japan of its free-to-play open-world monster-collecting RPG Aniimo in early July. Recruitment for participants began the same day. The test is open to residents of Japan and will run on PC, Steam, iOS, and Android. The game, showcased at the Future Games Show: Summer Showcase 2026, is set in the vast open world Idyll (also called Adel in some materials) where players collect creatures called Animo. A key mechanic is the Chain or Link system, which lets players transform into Animo they have befriended. The beta will include exploration, real-time battles, puzzles, and multiplayer elements. Data from the test will be deleted, and no in-game purchases will be available. A new trailer was also released alongside the announcement. The full game is planned for release within 2026 on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, Epic Games Store, iOS, and Android with cross-play support.
The developer, Pawprint Interactive Entertainment, is based in Singapore and operates globally. The closed beta test is the first time the game's world, exploration, and multiplayer elements will be shown to players in Japan.
The game's setting includes two key locations: the continent of "Idyl," where players explore using Animo abilities, and the floating near-future city "Astra," which features multiplayer elements such as interaction, cooperation, and competition with other adventurers. Players take on the role of adventurers called "Trippers."
A new trailer released alongside the announcement shows gameplay footage of the player character transforming into Animo and flying through the air. The latter half of the trailer shows player-versus-player battles taking place in a stadium-like venue.
To commemorate the beta test, the official X account is running a follow-and-repost campaign where participants can win Amazon gift cards. The development team stated the game is being developed under the themes of "symbiosis with unknown life forms" and "new adventure experiences through integration."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 3 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.