Guides › System
Do missed Aniipod throws use up the pod?
No. A pod is spent only when it hits and the capture fails. Misses come back to you, and cancelling with F or L2 costs nothing.
The short version
- A missed Anipod throw is not lost: the pod returns to you automatically.
- An Anipod is consumed only when it hits an Aniimo and the capture attempt fails.
- You can cancel a capture attempt or catch mode with F on PC or L2 on controller without using up a pod.
- The catch chance shown while aiming is not a promise; anything below 100% can still fail after the pod shakes.
- Throwing from behind a creature, or from hiding inside foliage, increases your capture chance.
Short answer: no. A throw that misses does not cost you the pod. The only throw that spends one is a throw that lands and then fails to hold the creature.
That makes the whole system cheaper to learn than it looks. You can miss, back out, and try again without burning your stock, so the real costs come from hitting at a bad chance. This page covers how aiming and throwing work, exactly when a pod is used up, how to cancel cleanly, and where to throw from so the hits that do count are more likely to stick.
When a pod is actually used up
An Anipod is consumed only when it hits an Aniimo and the capture attempt fails. That is the single case that costs you anything.
A miss is free. If your throw sails past the target, the pod returns directly to you automatically. You do not have to walk over and pick it up, and it does not vanish from your inventory. So a fast, awkward target is not a drain on your supplies. It just costs you time and another throw.
Missed throw
- The pod returns to you automatically
- No Aniipod is used up
Hit but capture fails
- The pod hit the Aniimo
- The capture attempt failed
- This is the only case that uses up an Aniipod
Backing out of a throw
You can also stop before anything is thrown. A capture attempt or catch mode can be cancelled with F on PC or L2 on controller, and cancelling does not consume an Anipod.
This matters because the expensive outcome is a hit that fails. If you raise your aim and the number you see is poor, cancelling is the sensible move. Reposition, improve your odds, then come back. Nothing is lost by stepping out of catch mode, while a low-chance hit that breaks free does cost you the pod.
Reading the catch chance
Wild Aniimo are caught in the open world by aiming an Anipod at them and throwing it. Anipods are the standard capture device for this; the different pod tiers and how to craft them are covered in the Aniipod tiers and crafting guide.
When you aim at a wild Aniimo, the game shows you a catch success chance. Treat that number as a forecast, not a guarantee. Any throw below 100% can still fail after the pod shakes, and a failed hit is exactly the case that eats a pod. The lower the number, the more often you are paying for nothing, which is the reason to look at it before you let go rather than after.
100%
Shown catch chance
Where to throw from
Position changes the odds. Throwing from behind a creature, or from hiding inside foliage, increases your capture chance.
Put that together with everything above and the routine is simple. Approach from behind or from cover, aim, and check the chance. If it is low, cancel with F or L2 and work your way into a better spot. Misses come back to you, so do not worry about the throw itself. Worry about the hits, because those are the throws that can cost you a pod.
Where to start
Throw freely and cancel freely. Missing and backing out cost nothing. Save your pods for hits you have set up from behind or from cover, and check the catch chance before you let go, because a failed hit is the only thing that uses one up.
Most of this page was re-checked against the released game on 2 October 2026. The rest has not been re-confirmed since release.