After months of beta sessions and plenty of community anticipation, Pawprint Studio has locked in the date. Aniimo, the free-to-play creature-capture RPG that first appeared at the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase, is launching on September 16, 2026.
The announcement came through the official Aniimo English Twitter account, where a post highlighting the PlayStation pre-order bundles linked through to a store page confirming the date. No soft launch, no staggered rollout. September 16 is a simultaneous release across Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC, iOS, and Android.
What the pre-order packs actually include
Three tiers are available on the PlayStation Store right now, and here's the thing: the base game is free, so none of this is required to play on day one. These are purely for players who want a head start on cosmetics and companion items.
The Advanced Edition runs $9.99 and includes the Advanced Companion Handbook alongside the Fluffy Friend accessory, which is listed as a PlayStation platform exclusive.
Step up to the Collector's Edition at $19.99 and the contents expand considerably:
- Fluffy Friend accessory (PS5 exclusive)
- Collector's Companion Handbook
- Exclusive Prismana Aniimo Egg
- Evolution Material
- Exclusive Doll
- Exclusive Avatar Frame
- Additional in-game items
The Prismana Aniimo Egg is the standout here. Creature-capture games live and die by their early roster options, and getting a rare variant egg before the servers even warm up is a real advantage for players who want to hit the ground running.
Xbox Game Pass and what free-to-play actually means there
Aniimo was previously confirmed as a day-one Xbox Game Pass title, which raises an obvious question: what does that mean for a game that's already free to play?
The answer isn't fully clear yet. There's no confirmed bonus content for Game Pass subscribers at launch, and the pre-order packs are priced separately regardless of subscription status. It's possible Microsoft and Pawprint Studio have something planned for subscribers, but nothing has been announced.
What is confirmed is that there's no early access window attached to any of the pre-order tiers. Everyone gets in on September 16 at the same time, which keeps the playing field level for players who don't want to spend before launch.
From Xbox showcase to launch day
Aniimo has come a long way since its reveal at the 2025 Xbox Games Showcase. The closed beta periods gave a decent chunk of players hands-on time with the creature-capture systems, and the community response was strong enough to build real momentum heading into this announcement. If you participated in an earlier test or want to get up to speed before launch, the Aniimo closed beta guide covering exact dates and start times has the full breakdown.
September 16 is about five weeks out. If you're planning to pre-order on PlayStation, the store page is live now. For everything else you need before launch, the full Aniimo guide collection covers sign-up steps, beta details, and more as the release date approaches.
