NetEase Games has dated Ananta for January 15, 2027, announcing the release during Gamescom Opening Night Live alongside a trailer that spent most of its running time away from combat.
Eurogamer reported that the free-to-play open-world game, developed by China-based studio Naked Rain, launches worldwide that day on PC, PlayStation 5 and mobile devices, years after it first surfaced under the working title Project Mugen. Dot Esports reported that the reveal introduced Lingyun City, the main character's home town and the second city in the game after Nova City, describing it as a vast and much greener metropolis than the first.
Two cities, and a lot to do in them
Where earlier Ananta footage leaned on the game's Spider-Man-style traversal and Watch Dogs-inspired hacking, Dot Esports reported that this trailer put the city itself first: flying cars, busy markets, skateboarding, martial arts fights, swordfights and what appeared to be an amusement park minigame. Polygon reported that players will explore two sprawling open-world cities and move around them on scooters, in cars and in more futuristic vehicles, with mini-games and activities outside the main story. Eurogamer counted open-world driving, cycling, flying, stealth, melee combat and in-game social media apps in the same footage.
Polygon described the story setup as light, with players taking the role of a supernatural investigator. Dot Esports reported that the narrative has players rebuilding the A.C.D., Nova City's peacekeeping organisation, and that the first step is going viral — which earns the protagonist the nickname "Yeet Master." Eurogamer reported that NetEase is promising a heavier focus on becoming an influencer in the full game, with an in-game social platform and a follower count to grow over time.
Free-to-play, with the gacha question still open
Polygon reported that Ananta will be free-to-play and does not appear to follow the gacha model used by Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, with in-game purchases expected to cover cosmetics, vehicles and decorations rather than character unlocks — which the outlet argued places the game closer to a social RPG than to a collection game. Eurogamer was more cautious, noting that Ananta will have multiple playable characters, that NetEase is reported to have removed the gacha elements tied to unlocking them a couple of years ago, and that it is not clear whether gacha-style monetisation turns up elsewhere.
Ananta's first gameplay trailer arrived in September 2025 and already showed concerts, social media, power slap competitions and comic book stores sitting alongside the game's supernatural enemies, Dot Esports reported. More than 17 million people have pre-registered for the game, according to Eurogamer.