HoYoverse, the studio behind Genshin Impact, may be heading into legal trouble over its newly revealed title Honkai: Nexus Anima. The creature-collection game, teased in May 2025 and officially announced in August with a beta test incoming, features gacha mechanics, rideable creatures, and the Traveler character. According to patent analyst Florian Mueller, gameplay footage shows mechanics that “clearly infringe” on Nintendo’s creature-switching patent—currently central to its lawsuit against Palworld. Nintendo recently broadened this patent (JP7528390), expanding it from smooth mount-switching to a wider system of summoning and boarding aerial mounts. This revision could put Honkai: Nexus Anima and other games at risk, even if their mechanics differ. While it’s unclear if Nintendo will pursue HoYoverse, Mueller warns the broadened patent poses “a greater threat to the games industry at large.” If Pocketpair wins its defense against Nintendo, the patent could still be invalidated or narrowed.
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