NetEase and Naked Rain are treating Ananta as much more than a one-and-done open-world RPG.
The developer currently plans to support the free-to-play game for at least seven years after launch, with new quests, characters, maps, and other content already envisioned as part of its long-term Live Ops strategy. The team also says players can expect more than 100 hours of content at launch before any of those future updates arrive.
Ananta launches globally on January 15, 2027, with confirmed versions for PC, PlayStation 5, iOS, and Android.
What You Need to Know
- Ananta launches worldwide on January 15, 2027.
- Naked Rain currently plans at least seven years of post-launch support.
- The launch version is expected to contain 100+ hours of content.
- Future updates are planned to introduce new quests, characters, cities, maps, and activities.
- The seven-year figure is a current development plan, not a contractual guarantee.
- Ananta is free to play.
- The game was previously known as Project Mugen.
- PC, PS5, iOS, and Android versions are officially confirmed.
Ananta Could Be Receiving New Content Through 2034
Naked Rain discussed its long-term plans during an interview conducted at Gamescom 2026.
According to Insider Gaming, the studio’s publishing and marketing leads said the current plan is to support Ananta for at least seven years after release. If that roadmap remains intact, major content updates could continue into 2034 and potentially beyond.
That does not mean Naked Rain has already locked in seven years of individual updates.
Live-service roadmaps inevitably depend on player numbers, commercial performance, development priorities, and how the game evolves after launch. For now, the seven-year commitment should be understood as the studio’s planned support window rather than a guaranteed endpoint.
Still, it demonstrates the scale at which NetEase and Naked Rain are approaching the project.
More Than 100 Hours Are Planned for Launch
The post-launch roadmap isn’t intended to compensate for a small initial game.
During the same Gamescom interview, the developers said Ananta is expected to offer at least 100 hours of content from day one. That figure encompasses the story, open-world exploration, and the many activities spread throughout its cities.
| Ananta | Current Details |
|---|---|
| Release Date | January 15, 2027 |
| Developer | Naked Rain Studio |
| Publisher | NetEase Games |
| Business Model | Free-to-play |
| Launch Content | 100+ hours planned |
| Post-Launch Support | At least 7 years planned |
| Main Settings | Nova City, Chongxiao |
| Platforms | PC, PS5, iOS, Android |
The official website describes Ananta as an urban open-world RPG built around multiple playable characters, exploration, social interactions, nightlife, combat, and a large collection of activities rather than a strictly linear campaign.
New Cities Are Part of the Long-Term Plan
One reason a seven-year roadmap makes sense is that Ananta isn’t restricted to a single city.
Nova City has been central to the game’s marketing since its original reveal as Project Mugen, but Naked Rain has since revealed Chongxiao, a second major city with a distinctly different cultural identity.
NetEase officially introduced Chongxiao alongside the January 2027 release-date announcement. The company also revealed that Ananta had already surpassed 17 million pre-registrations across 110 countries and regions by late August.
Future cities are expected to form part of the ongoing update structure.
That could allow Ananta to expand geographically rather than simply adding more missions to the same launch areas.
Ananta Is Designed as a Long-Term Live-Service RPG
The overall approach puts Ananta firmly in live-service territory, despite the game presenting itself more like a large single-player urban action RPG in its trailers.
Naked Rain has discussed regular content updates comparable to other ongoing free-to-play titles, with additional characters, locations, and story content planned over time.
The studio has also previously said that monetization will focus on cosmetics rather than selling playable characters through a traditional character-gacha system. That is particularly notable given NetEase’s position in the free-to-play market and the comparisons Ananta regularly receives to games from HoYoverse.
Exactly how aggressively other cosmetics, vehicles, properties, or customization options will be monetized remains something worth watching once the game is live.
Ananta Had a Huge Gamescom 2026
The ambitious roadmap comes after a strong Gamescom showing.
According to GamesRadar, Ananta gained an estimated 302,000 new Steam wishlists during Gamescom 2026, making it one of the event’s biggest wishlist winners.
Its appeal isn’t difficult to understand.
The game mixes anime-styled visuals with urban exploration, driving, combat, character switching, social-media mechanics, and movement systems that have drawn comparisons to everything from Grand Theft Auto and Watch Dogs to Spider-Man.
Naked Rain has repeatedly stressed, however, that Ananta is intended to establish its own identity rather than simply becoming an anime version of GTA.
January 2027 Is Only the Beginning
Seven years is an enormous commitment for any live-service game, particularly one that hasn’t launched yet.
Whether Ananta actually reaches 2034 with the same level of support will ultimately depend on what happens after January 15.
But Naked Rain is clearly planning for success rather than treating post-launch content as an afterthought.
More than 100 hours at launch, multiple cities, and a roadmap potentially stretching across the next seven years make Ananta one of NetEase’s most ambitious upcoming games — and January 15, 2027 may only be the starting point.
