After Pokémon and Palworld, a new license lets you breed and battle creatures with special powers. Discover Aniimo, a brand-new game presented at Summer Game Fest 2025. Developed by South Korean studio Pawprint, this open-world action-RPG is due for release in 2026 on PC, consoles and mobile.
As with Pokémon, the aim of this free-to-play game is to capture, evolve and battle creatures endowed with different powers. Players explore this new world in search of the Aniimo, and face off against other "Pathfinders" in real-time (not turn-based) battles.
" Welcome to Aniimo, the new free-to-play next-gen open-world creature-capture game coming to console, PC and mobile in 2026! Your adventure begins when you meet your very first Aniimo in Idyll, a vast, lively and interactive open world. There, you can collect these magical creatures, evolve them and forge unique bonds with them. Get ready to explore unfamiliar landscapes and mysterious dungeons, face real-time enemies in both PvE and PvP, solve ancient riddles and take control of a truly dynamic gaming experience."
This trailer reveals an enchanting island, and equally cute creatures . The first Aniimo shown resemble dogs, sheep, otters, dragons, hamsters and slightly modified crabs. The graphics are more realistic than Pokémon, the benchmark of the genre, but remain whimsical: the emphasis is on the kawaii side of this universe and these adorable little monsters.
According to these first images, players can become one with their Aniimo, using its powers to fly, swim or run faster. The trailer also shows that creatures evolve in three stages, and that they are divided into several categories, such as Water, Fire, Plant... This world is made up of very different spaces, to accommodate these diverse and varied Aniimo.
This brand-new license could be of interest to many gamers. We look forward to finding out more.
