NetEase Games and Naked Rain have confirmed that ANANTA will launch worldwide on January 15, 2027. The free-to-play urban open-world RPG will arrive on the official PC client, Steam, PlayStation 5, and mobile. The game has already passed 17 million pre-registrations across more than 110 countries and regions.
A new story trailer also officially unveils Chongxiao, the second major city in the game. Inspired by real-world metropolises such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Tokyo, ANANTA’s urban spaces are built around freedom of movement, everyday city life, and player-driven chaos. The easiest way to describe the fantasy is an anime-styled take on Grand Theft Auto: a living modern city full of vehicles, side activities, sudden encounters, and the ability to turn ordinary streets into a playground.
Check out the new trailer below:
ANANTA’s central hook is social influence. Players operate as influencers in a city shaped by algorithms and online culture. Missions, crises, and citywide events become opportunities to grow a reputation, unlock resources, and gain perks tied to attention and clout. That framing sets it apart from more traditional open-world crime or hero fantasies while still leaving room for the same kind of sandbox freedom.
Players can recruit agents to rebuild the A.C.D. team, switch between playable characters, and experience multiple identities. Roles include NCCA officer, hacker, delivery rider, and content creator, each changing how the city can be approached. Combat mixes dynamic martial arts with environmental interaction, letting players turn everyday objects into improvised weapons when a fight breaks out.
The world is designed around ordinary urban spaces as much as spectacle. Players can visit cinemas, mahjong parlors, arcades, cat cafés, gyms, restaurants, and clothing stores. Transportation options include cars, motorcycles, helicopters, yachts, the subway, hang gliders, and more. NPCs come with individual stories and quests, and building relationships can unlock exclusive items, badges, and combat abilities.
Chongxiao joins the first city as another densely packed playground with its own culture and atmosphere. The combination of high-freedom traversal, character switching, and street-level interaction is what makes the Grand Theft Auto comparison land, even though ANANTA wraps that structure in anime presentation and influencer-driven systems rather than a purely criminal campaign.
Pre-registration is open now ahead of the January 15, 2027 launch. NetEase has not yet detailed monetization beyond the free-to-play model, but the scale of the pre-registration numbers suggests the studio is aiming for a wide simultaneous release across PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile.
ANANTA is trying to carve out a space between stylish urban sandbox games and character-driven RPGs. If the finished product delivers on the freedom shown in its trailers, it could become one of the more distinctive open-world releases of early 2027. The January launch date now gives players a clear target as more city and combat details roll out.
What are your thoughts? Do you think it has to potential to go big? Let us know your answers in the comments!