Ananta Gets a January 2027 Release Date at Gamescom — and 17 Million Have Already Signed Up
A free-to-play open-world game called Ananta now has a worldwide release date: 15 January 2027, for PC, PlayStation 5 and mobile devices.
Publisher NetEase and developer Naked Rain, a studio based in China, announced the date during the Gamescom Opening Night Live showcase on 26 August 2026. A release-date trailer debuted on stage at the event, revealing new gameplay details centred on a location called Chongxiao City (Eurogamer; Game8).
More than 17 million people have already pre-registered for the game, according to Eurogamer. That figure matters because Ananta's official website ties pre-registration milestones to free rewards — cosmetics and in-game currency — at thresholds of 7 million, 30 million and 35 million sign-ups (Ananta official site). Players can pre-register through the game's website.
Ananta first surfaced under the working title Project Mugen. NetEase formally announced the game on 5 December 2024, describing it as an urban open-world RPG and opening pre-registration at the same time (NetEase Games newsroom). A year of trickle-fed marketing followed, including a trailer and gameplay details at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2025 (NetEase Games newsroom).
One detail may set Ananta apart from the crowd it is entering. NetEase has reportedly removed the gacha mechanics — randomised, lottery-style pulls players previously used to unlock extra characters — from the game, according to Eurogamer. Gacha systems are common in free-to-play titles from Asian publishers; stripping them out, if confirmed at launch, would be a notable choice for a game of this scale.
For now, the pitch is straightforward. An open world to explore, a January 2027 date on the calendar, and an audience that has already queued up in the tens of millions — well before anyone has played the finished product.
