Today at noon (November 5, 2026), miHoYo announced that their anime-style sprite raising, adventure, and strategy game, Honkai: Fate Sprites, will officially start its closed beta with paid elements on November 25, available on PC, mobile, and cloud gaming platforms.
Alongside this, a new PV titled "A Whiff of Fate" and a gameplay demo video were released. A more significant announcement was hidden at the end of the video: Honkai: Fate Sprites officially confirmed that the game will launch for open beta in Spring 2027.
2027 marks the 15th anniversary of the Honkai IP. As miHoYo's only announced anime-style game, Honkai: Fate Sprites has released its monetization details for the first time. The gameplay video showcases more core mechanics and story content, introducing new characters, sprites, areas, and gameplay designs.
Latest PV for Honkai: Fate Sprites:
The developers' imagination for sprites extends beyond animals; plants, food, weather, and emotions (referred to as "Principles" in-game) can all serve as inspiration for a sprite. In the gameplay video, various interactions between sprites and characters are shown. Due to the nature of anime-style games, each character has unique models and complex outfits. To ensure high-quality presentation, interaction animations have been custom-made for each sprite.
Sprites in Honkai: Fate Sprites do not have individual stat variations, and the acquisition threshold for alternate-color sprites has been significantly lowered. During the second test, the game will push notifications about alternate-color sprites, allowing players to "spot rare sprites just by looking up." Combat follows a similar philosophy: players can easily copy auto-chess lineup codes to "borrow strategies" and clear levels, but the depth of combat remains high. From PVE roguelike tower climbing with maximum randomness to the newly added PVP duels, there is still ample room for hardcore players to explore.
In the gameplay video for the Happiness Test, the realistic urban life feel of Honkai: Fate Sprites is further enhanced with day-night cycles and newly added rainy weather. Players can not only form bonds with Fate Sprites in the wild, but sprites also have their own place in the city ecosystem—they work part-time jobs, prank passersby, and are attracted to habitats built by players. Each shop features a unique theme designed for sprites, with functionalities closely mirroring real life.
The monetization innovation in Honkai: Fate Sprites can be summarized as "no pity loss on the first limited-time bond pull," meaning players receive the corresponding sprite directly upon obtaining a character for the first time. In both "Mind Image Limited-Time Bonds" and "Sprite Limited-Time Bonds," the first 5-star Mind Image or Sprite obtained is guaranteed to be the current limited edition. Additionally, when obtaining a Mind Image for the first time, players can also claim the corresponding companion sprite for free.
In this "Happiness Test," many new characters and sprites have joined the adventure. These include counterparts from the Honkai series, such as Blade with a new look, Senti Lufei, and previously introduced Otto and Kiana. There are also newly revealed characters, such as Gloria, who constantly eats junk food, Lori President Zhuli, and Competition Supervisor Hyperis.
During exploration, players will encounter more alternate-color forms of sprites, with increased appearances of these rare variants. More juvenile sprites will also join the adventure, accompanying players, facing challenges together, and evolving. Honkai: Fate Sprites will further refine sprite companionship methods in this test—holding hands, hugging, being lifted high by sprites, and more interaction details will be unlocked one by one.
As the adventure progresses, more areas in the first plane, which serves as the starting point of the journey, will be unlocked. In this test, players can rest in their exclusive "RV" at any time or create dedicated "habitats" for their sprites while exploring the map.
Finally, combat gameplay has also been upgraded. The new mode "Fate Arena" is now live, allowing players to freely assemble their teams, match against opponents, and climb the ranks. Stronger enemies will also appear in the open world and various challenge stages, offering a more challenging combat experience.
