{"id":2112616,"date":"2026-08-26T12:40:06","date_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2112616"},"modified":"2026-08-26T12:40:06","modified_gmt":"2026-08-26T09:40:06","slug":"hugely-anticipated-anime-rpg-ananta-gets-a-january-release-date-as-pre-registrations-hit-a-whopping-17m-sign-ups","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2112616","title":{"rendered":"Hugely anticipated anime RPG Ananta gets a January release date, as pre-registrations hit a whopping 17m sign-ups"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/games\/ananta\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Ananta<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Hugely anticipated anime RPG Ananta gets a January release date, as pre-registrations hit a whopping 17m sign-ups<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">Grand Theft Anime.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Ananta_5q4mv6M.jpg?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt=\"Screenshot from Ananta, showing a dark haired anime character laying agonised on a massage table while a yellow-dressed woman presses into his back.\" loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Ananta_5q4mv6M.jpg\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"321\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>NetEase<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Kaan Serin avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1633424287.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"216\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Kaan Serin avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1633424287.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"216\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/kaan-serin\">Kaan Serin<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\n<p>Published on   <time datetime=\"2026-08-26T12:40:06+00:00\" data-auto-time-zone=\"true\" data-year=\"numeric\" data-month=\"short\" data-day=\"numeric\" data-hour=\"numeric\" data-minute=\"numeric\">Aug. 26, 2026, 12:40 p.m.<\/time>\n              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"mypop-header-wrapper\">\n<p><button class=\"mypop-button button wide\" data-state=\"follow\" data-type=\"tag\" data-uuid=\"3ae04386-8e1d-4ed9-af73-d33b6b4a9d9b\" data-name=\"Ananta\" data-follow-text=\"Follow Ananta\" data-unfollow-text=\"Following Ananta\" data-aria-follow-text=\"Follow Ananta\" data-aria-unfollow-text=\"Following Ananta\" data-popup=\"true\" data-force-login=\"true\" aria-label=\"Follow Ananta\" title=\"Follow Ananta\"><br \/>\n  Follow Ananta<br \/>\n<\/button>          <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/free-to-play-anime-rpg-ananta-officially-revealed-with-gta-6-inspired-trailer\">Ananta<\/a>, the free-to-play open-world game that looks a whole lot like Grand Theft Auto&#8217;s urban sandbox got an anime makeover, finally has a release date.<\/p>\n<p>Publisher NetEase and China-based developer Naked Rain announced that Ananta is launching worldwide on 15th January, 2027 for PC, PlayStation 5 and mobile devices, years after it first debuted under the working title of Project Mugen.<\/p>\n<p>A snazzy new trailer also debuted at last night&#8217;s Gamescom Opening Night Live show, showing off some giant skylines and, well, a bit of everything, really &#8211; open-world driving, cycling, skateboarding, flying, stealth, melee combat, in-game social media apps, a seemingly massive cast of characters, and an even more massive UFO that comes out of nowhere. I did say everything, after all. Take a look.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ef2IgRmOYHU\">Ananta &#8211; Official Release Date Trailer | gamescom 2026 &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While punching up thugs and getting into car chases are a big part of the trailer above, Ananta&#8217;s promising that the full game will be much more focused on becoming an influencer in pursuit of endless attention. NetEase says there&#8217;s a unique social media platform in the game, and you can take steps to grow your follower list over time, presumably by punching up thugs and livestreaming a UFO invasion, that is. A few Gamescoms ago, we saw a toilet with legs running about, which should also be good algorithm fodder when the time comes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>And, even though we&#8217;ve only been focused on one character so far, Ananta will have multiple playable characters who apparently open up new opportunities in the open-world cities. NetEase reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/game8.co\/articles\/latest\/ananta-character-gacha-removed-according-to-reports\">removed the gacha elements<\/a> related to unlocking those extra characters a couple years ago, but it&#8217;s not clear if gacha-type monetisation will appear elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Over 17 million people have already pre-registered for the game. You can join them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anantagame.com\/501\/\">here<\/a> if you&#8217;re interested in potentially earning some free cosmetics and in-game currency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/free-to-play-anime-rpg-ananta-officially-revealed-with-gta-6-inspired-trailer\">Ananta<\/a>, the free-to-play open-world game that looks a whole lot like Grand Theft Auto&#8217;s urban sandbox got an anime makeover, finally has a release date.<\/p>\n<p>Publisher NetEase and China-based developer Naked Rain announced that Ananta is launching worldwide on 15th January, 2027 for PC, PlayStation 5 and mobile devices, years after it first debuted under the working title of Project Mugen.<\/p>\n<p>A snazzy new trailer also debuted at last night&#8217;s Gamescom Opening Night Live show, showing off some giant skylines and, well, a bit of everything, really &#8211; open-world driving, cycling, skateboarding, flying, stealth, melee combat, in-game social media apps, a seemingly massive cast of characters, and an even more massive UFO that comes out of nowhere. I did say everything, after all. Take a look.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ef2IgRmOYHU\">Ananta &#8211; Official Release Date Trailer | gamescom 2026 &#8211; YouTube<\/a><\/p>\n<p>While punching up thugs and getting into car chases are a big part of the trailer above, Ananta&#8217;s promising that the full game will be much more focused on becoming an influencer in pursuit of endless attention. NetEase says there&#8217;s a unique social media platform in the game, and you can take steps to grow your follower list over time, presumably by punching up thugs and livestreaming a UFO invasion, that is. A few Gamescoms ago, we saw a toilet with legs running about, which should also be good algorithm fodder when the time comes.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>And, even though we&#8217;ve only been focused on one character so far, Ananta will have multiple playable characters who apparently open up new opportunities in the open-world cities. NetEase reportedly <a href=\"https:\/\/game8.co\/articles\/latest\/ananta-character-gacha-removed-according-to-reports\">removed the gacha elements<\/a> related to unlocking those extra characters a couple years ago, but it&#8217;s not clear if gacha-type monetisation will appear elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p>Over 17 million people have already pre-registered for the game. You can join them <a href=\"https:\/\/www.anantagame.com\/501\/\">here<\/a> if you&#8217;re interested in potentially earning some free cosmetics and in-game currency.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Ananta Hugely anticipated anime RPG Ananta gets a January release date, as pre-registrations hit a whopping 17m sign-ups Grand Theft Anime. Image credit: NetEase News by Kaan Serin Contributor Published on Aug. 26, 2026, 12:40 p.m. Follow Ananta Ananta, the free-to-play open-world game that looks a whole lot like Grand Theft Auto&#8217;s urban [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-2112616","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112616","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2112616"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2112616\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2112616"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2112616"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2112616"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}