Ananta is not being built as a three-month splash and disappear act. Naked Rain and publisher NetEase Games told the public they plan to support the free-to-play urban open-world RPG for at least seven years after launch. If that timetable holds, new quests, characters, and maps could still be landing in 2034.
The game is dated for release on January 15, 2027 on PlayStation 5, Windows (Steam and NetEase’s PC client), iOS, and Android. Gamescom Opening Night Live locked the release day. Pre-registration is over 17 million across more than 110 countries. Hangzhou-based Naked Rain, under NetEase Thunderfire, also has a Montreal studio on the project. The working title was Project Mugen. The Sanskrit rename means "without end."
Publishing and marketing leads sat for the support interview after hands-on at Gamescom, where press played two story missions and walked part of the city. They put launch content at 100 hours or more if you do the main story, roam, and hit side activities. Live ops are supposed to keep adding after that. Seven years is the current internal floor, not a contract carved in the EULA. Plans can move. The point they wanted on tape is that Ananta is not a season-one-and-done app.
The synopsis on the Steam and store pages sets the game as stranger than a standard anime open world. The tagline of: go viral, save the world. You play as an influencer in cities built to feel like Shanghai, Hangzhou, and Tokyo. Algorithms and attention are part of the loop. Missions, crises, and citywide set pieces feed reputation, social reach, and perks. Named cities so far include Nova City and Chongxiao. The Gamescom trailer put Chongxiao on the skyline next to driving, bikes, skateboards, flight, stealth, melee, in-game social apps, and a UFO that does not belong on a commute.
Combat is a mix of martial arts with the city as a toybox. Everyday objects become weapons. You recruit agents, rebuild the A.C.D. team, and swap playable characters for different storylines and movement kits. NetEase has said characters themselves are not on a gacha banner. You unlock them by playing. Cosmetics, vehicles, and housing are the paid layer. Store pages still flag chance-based purchases for some of that dressing. If you hate gacha characters, this is the claim to watch at launch. If you hate gacha anything, read the cash shop before you pre-download.
Ananta is single-player with online required on PS5’s listing. It is not an MMO. It is a live-service single-player city that wants a seven-year patch pipe. That model lives or dies on whether Nova and Chongxiao stay interesting after the 100-hour tour, and whether “influencer” is a mechanic or a trailer word.
NetEase has spent years trying to land a global open-world hit next to its other live games. Naked Rain’s public line is urban life first, combat second. Quality over a rushed ship was the 2025 earnings talk when the date was still fog. January 2027 is the fog lifting. Seven years is the promise after the ship.
No Xbox date. No Switch date. No statement that every year of the seven is a full map. No price on the battle pass if one exists. Wishlist and pre-reg are the current ask. The January 15 build is the first test of whether "at least seven years" is a plan or a slide.
If Genshin and the other live anime worlds burned you, the no-character-gacha line is a major selling point. If open-world cities burn you, 100 hours plus seven years of Live Ops is another good point. Naked Rain is selling both on purpose.
Are you pre-registering for January 15, or do you need to see a year of patches before you trust a seven-year promise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.