Ananta — everything we know about the anime sandbox game

✓ VideoGamer summary

• There’s no confirmed release date for Ananta.
• Ananta is pencilled in for PC, PS5, and mobile.
• Ananta is free-to-play.
• Gameplay is a mix of GTA 6, Yakuza, Marvel’s Spider-Man, and the more action-oriented MiHoYo games.

Fresh off the release of a slick new trailer where cell-shaded anime cliches waltz about a photorealistic cityscape, NetEase’s upcoming free-to-play metropolis-based RPG, Ananta, is back on everyone’s radar. Think GTA meets Marvel’s Spider-Man with a sprinkling of HoyoVerse’s bright, pop visuals, and you’re more or less on the money. 

Though NetEase has been quiet since the big reveal back at Gamescom 2023 under the working title Project Mugen, the new trailer suggests the Chinese publisher is firing up the marketing furnace, which could mean a release isn’t too far off. While we wait, here’s a breakdown of everything we know.

Expected Ananta release date

As it stands, NetEase has yet to confirm an official Ananta release date, nor has it hinted at a possible release window. We’re in the dark, guys. But, again, the new trailer certainly bodes well after hearing nothing since NetEase shed the codename and dropped an announcement trailer back in December 2024.

So, when is Ananta coming out? NetEase has a habit of getting games to players fairly quickly after a big marketing push. Take Marvel Rivals, first announced in March 2024; the hero shooter launched in November 2024, shortly after the announcement, with several playtests along the way. With that in mind and donning our speculative caps, a first-half-of-2026 release window is a good bet for Ananta.

The latest trailer also ends by urging interested parties to visit the Ananta pre-registration website, which suggests NetEase may be gearing up for a playtest or two in the lead-up to launch.

Ananta gameplay and trailer analysis

Described as a “rule-breaking urban open world RPG”, Ananta is a heady mix of city exploration and traversal, fisticuffs with thugs, explosive shootouts, and various wacky side activities. GTA 6, Marvel’s Spider-Man, Yakuza, and MiHoYo games all spring to mind.

Expect to experience swinging, grappling, swimming, riding, and driving, all within what the developer calls “a single, intuitive system.” In the latest Ananta game trailer, we’ve spotted cars, wingsuits, bikes, boats, parkour, and the ability to swing between buildings using black web-like goo in a fashion similar to Marvel’s Spider-Man.

We’re just scratching the surface here, though. The trailer is packed to the rafters with everything from nightclubs, subways, flamethrowers, stealth, intricate building interiors, towering mechs, shops, gadgets, car chases, basketball, spas, a theme park, a professional slap-fighting ring, rainbow vomit, fireworks, hotdog mascots, and toilet racing.

Ananta expected price

The Ananta expected price is the princely sum of absolutely nothing. $0, £0, 0€ (that’s all the currency symbols my keyboard can muster). Much like Marvel Rivals, NetEase is going down the free-to-play route with Ananta, keen for us to part with our pennies in exchange for in-game purchases.

These will likely take on the form of skins, cosmetics, a seasonal battle pass system, and other microtransactions. It may also feature gacha mechanics, but nothing has been confirmed yet. In other words, you’ll be able to download the Ananta game and jump in free of charge, but expect to be tempted to spend cash once you’re there. 

Ananta platforms

The currently confirmed Ananta platforms are the usual suspects: PC, PlayStation 5, Android, and iOS, with the notable omission of Microsoft’s Xbox family of consoles and the Nintendo Switch 2. Although an Ananta PS5 release is confirmed, it doesn’t look like the previous-gen PS4 will be supported.

Head over to the Ananta website and, bookending the list of platform logos, there’s a rather tantalizing “and more…”, which suggests there are more on the cards for the future, including, presumably, Xbox.

Ananta setting and story analysis

Ananta is set in Nova City, a sprawling, sun-soaked coastal metropolis that’s “perfect for ditching winter” as the official blurb goes. Vibrant and nursing a seemingly coherent blend of the old and the hyper-realistic, Nova is home to both humans and Chaos, a mysterious supernatural force responsible for paranormal activity.

As for the Ananta story, details are scarce, but the general gist is that the ACD (Anti-Chaos Directorate) is crumbling as the threat of Chaos looms over Nova City. Explosions, hulking mechs clambering up skyscrapers, pesky thugs in back alleys—it’s a bit of a mess. Specifically, you’ll play as several ACD agents, including the greenhorn captain of a special task force, a hacker, and a well-to-do elite, among others. Through a mix of social media influencing, Yakuza-style shenanigans, and classic police work, they will (surely) save the world.

What makes Ananta different?

The main element that sets Ananta apart from other games is the sheer amount of content NetEase has crammed into the Nova City, at least based on the footage shared to date. This won’t be your typical open-world city playground and appears to be highly ambitious. In that sense, it has far more in common with GTA 6 than games you’d typically bundle alongside it like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero.

Ananta also leans heavily into the absurd, offering a mix of humor, mystery, and adventure with supernatural elements thrown in for good measure. Although an open-world city isn’t exactly uncharted territory, the way NetEase is approaching it certainly feels fresh, despite quite explicitly alluding to the games it’s inspired by.

FAQs

References

1. ANANTA (AnantaGame)