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Ananta launches January 15, 2027: platforms, gameplay, cities, and what to expect
Ananta is a free to play urban open world RPG from Naked Rain and NetEase, formerly called Project Mugen. The game will launch on PS5, Windows PC through Steam and a standalone client, iOS, and Android.
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Key takeaways
- Ananta is a free to play urban open world RPG from Naked Rain and NetEase, formerly called Project Mugen.
- The game will launch on PS5, Windows PC through Steam and a standalone client, iOS, and Android.
- Gamescom’s trailer introduced Chongxiao, a martial arts focused city inspired by Shanghai and Hangzhou, alongside returning footage of Nova City, web swinging, vehicles, aircraft, combat, and civilian activities.
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openai.comCreate a landscape editorial hero image for this Studio Global article: What is Ananta, the free-to-play open-world RPG developed by Naked Rain and published by NetEase Games that was formerly known as Project Mu. Article summary: Ananta is Naked Rain and NetEase Games’ upcoming free-to-play urban open-world action RPG, formerly called Project Mugen. “Anime GTA” is a useful but incomplete shorthand: it pairs anime-styled characters and supernatura. Topic tags: general, general web, user generated. Style: premium digital editorial illustration, source-backed research mood, clean composition, high detail, modern web publication hero. Use reference image context only for broad subject, composition, and topical grounding; do not copy the exact image. Avoid: logos, brand marks, copyrighted characters, real person likenesses, fake screenshots, UI text, readable text, watermarks, charts with fa
Ananta is the new name for Project Mugen, the upcoming free-to-play urban open-world action RPG developed by Naked Rain and published by NetEase Games. It is often described as “anime GTA,” but that label only captures part of the idea: Ananta combines dense-city exploration, cars and aircraft, anime-inspired characters, supernatural investigations, action combat, and optional side activities. 1
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At Gamescom Opening Night Live 2026, NetEase confirmed a worldwide release for January 15, 2027. The game will be available on PlayStation 5, Windows PC through Steam and a standalone client, iOS, and Android. 1
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What is Ananta?
Ananta is set in a contemporary urban world where strange incidents and supernatural phenomena become part of everyday life. Players take the role of “Infinite Triggers,” investigators who respond to anomalous events while moving through large, explorable cities. 15
The game’s appeal comes from the contrast between familiar urban activities and exaggerated action. Characters can traverse the city vertically, fight using weapons and improvised objects, drive road vehicles, and explore a world designed to feel more like a living city than a collection of mission locations. Earlier gameplay footage has also shown swinging traversal, parkour, wall-climbing, driving, and aerial set pieces. 13
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“Anime GTA” is therefore a useful shorthand for the open-world freedom, vehicles, and city-based diversions—but it should not be taken to mean that Ananta is a direct equivalent of Grand Theft Auto. Its supernatural story, anime presentation, character-switching, and fantasy traversal give it a distinct identity.
Ananta release date and platforms
Ananta will launch globally on January 15, 2027. Confirmed platforms are:
- PlayStation 5
- Windows PC through Steam
- Windows PC through the standalone Ananta client
- iOS through the App Store
- Android through Google Play
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PS5 is currently the only announced console platform. That makes Ananta a console exclusive on PS5 at launch, but not a PlayStation-exclusive game overall because it is also coming to PC and mobile. 4
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The release is scheduled for roughly eight weeks after GTA 6’s then-announced November 19 release date. That timing could put Ananta in front of players looking for a free-to-play city sandbox, while also placing it close to one of the most anticipated open-world launches in gaming. The effect on either game’s commercial performance remains analysis rather than an announced outcome. 4
Two major cities: Nova City and Chongxiao
The Gamescom release-date trailer introduced Chongxiao, a second major city inspired by Shanghai and Hangzhou. Its identity is built around kung fu, hidden martial-arts masters, and a different visual and cultural atmosphere from the previously shown Nova City. 1
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Nova City has been presented as a Miami-influenced urban setting, while Chongxiao expands the game’s world with a more East Asian-inspired metropolis. Reported locations and activities in Chongxiao include gyms, restaurants, mahjong parlors, cat and maid cafes, clothing stores, and hot springs. 5
The two-city structure is one of Ananta’s clearest attempts to distinguish it from a conventional single-map open-world game. However, the exact scope of both cities and how they connect at launch should be treated cautiously until the developers provide a complete feature and content breakdown.
What the trailers show about gameplay
Ananta’s footage has emphasized movement and spectacle as much as traditional RPG combat. Demonstrated or previewed elements include:
- Swinging across the city in a Spider-Man-like fashion
- Parkour and wall-climbing
- Driving cars and motorcycles
- Using aircraft, flying cars, and gliders
- Hanging from or moving around aircraft during set pieces
- Combat with conventional weapons and improvised objects
- Mini-game-style diversions and everyday city activities
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These demonstrations explain why comparisons to GTA, Spider-Man, and Watch Dogs appear frequently in coverage of the game. They also create a high bar for the final release. Trailer footage can show the intended breadth of a game without proving how every system will work across the full launch experience, so the complete activity list and long-term content plan remain important unanswered questions.
Ananta will not use character gacha
One of Ananta’s most notable design decisions is its planned approach to monetization. According to developer statements reported through coverage of a Famitsu interview, the game will not use a character-gacha system. Playable characters are intended to be unlocked through story progression and gameplay rather than random pulls. 21
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The announced monetization focus is instead customization. Paid options are expected to include items such as:
- Character outfits
- Vehicle customization and skins
- Homes and interior decoration
- Other cosmetic personalization options
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That does not mean every detail of the live-service economy is known. The no-character-gacha statement is clear, but systems such as premium currencies, passes, events, and the full cosmetic shop structure should be judged against the final product and updated announcements.
Pre-registration and the 35-million reward claim
Pre-registration reports passed 15 million, with one report placing the total above 17 million around the release-date announcement. 3
A separate claim said that rewards could extend to 35 million sign-ups, but that milestone could not be independently verified from the official evidence available here. Until NetEase’s current registration page confirms the target and its associated rewards, the 35-million figure should be treated as unconfirmed rather than as a guaranteed launch bonus.
From Project Mugen to Ananta
The game was first revealed at Gamescom in 2023 under the name Project Mugen. It was renamed Ananta in 2024, after which NetEase and Naked Rain continued to show gameplay, expand the world beyond Nova City, and present a playable demo at Tokyo Game Show 2025. 2
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That long public runway has helped build interest in the game’s apparent scale and freedom. It has also made expectations more demanding: comparisons with major open-world games and visually ambitious free-to-play RPGs mean that players will be watching closely to see whether the final version delivers the same variety and polish shown in promotional footage.
The phrase “unlimited budget” has appeared as promotional or preview framing, not as a disclosed financial figure. It should not be interpreted as evidence that NetEase literally assigned Ananta an unlimited development budget.
The bottom line
Ananta is best understood as a free-to-play anime-style urban RPG with supernatural investigations, high-mobility traversal, vehicles, combat, and two distinct city environments. Its confirmed January 15, 2027 launch on PS5, PC, iOS, and Android gives it a clear place in the early-2027 release calendar, while its planned no-character-gacha model could help it stand apart from other large-scale free-to-play RPGs. 1
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The biggest unknown is not the concept but the execution. The trailers promise an unusually broad city sandbox, yet the final depth of its activities, monetization systems, and post-launch support will only become clear closer to release and after launch.
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Ananta is a free to play urban open world RPG from Naked Rain and NetEase, formerly called Project Mugen.
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Ananta is a free to play urban open world RPG from Naked Rain and NetEase, formerly called Project Mugen. The game will launch on PS5, Windows PC through Steam and a standalone client, iOS, and Android.
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Gamescom’s trailer introduced Chongxiao, a martial arts focused city inspired by Shanghai and Hangzhou, alongside returning footage of Nova City, web swinging, vehicles, aircraft, combat, and civilian activities.