After another year without any news, the ultra-ambitious Project Mugen (now Ananta) seems to be gearing up for release. NetEase opened pre-registration for ANANTA as far back as December of last year without any news in between but now we have a new gameplay trailer (and it’s super hype).
Ananta’s History So Far
Formerly known as Project Mugen, ANANTA was first unveiled in 2023 as an open world anime RPG like a mix of GTA and ZZZ.
Even more ambitiously, they’ve added Spider-Man-style web swinging, melee combat reminiscent of Sleeping Dogs, and quick-cut character swapping similar to Grand Theft Auto V. Not to mention other sequences highlight prop-based street brawls in the vein of Yakuza, large-scale monster encounters, and a stylized social media interface. Basically, it’s a behemoth of a game, so there’s no surprise release is still up in the air.
Not A Gatcha (Almost)
One of the few pieces of news we have gotten for the game includes a piece form Famitsu saying that you won’t have to gamble for characters like in Genshin Impact or ZZZ. Instead, you’ll unlock all characters through gameplay. Of course, you’ll still be able to roll the dice for some clothing and car customs, so there’s still enough gambling to entice the whales.
Audience Reaction
Developed by NetEase’s Naked Rain studio, ANANTA is a free-to-play open-world RPG for PlayStation 5, PC, iOS and Android. You play as Anti-Chaos Directorate agents, shifting between characters to manage city-wide threats. So think something like Chainsawman mixed with Saints Row: The Third.
Fans loved the trailer, excited by how much variety there is in gameplay.“Watch Dogs city hacking, Sleeping Dogs combat and executions, and GTA 5 character swapping,” one comment read.
In true NetEase fashion, they’re cribbing from as many successful games as possible. “It’s copying a lot of games or referencing them, but it looks fun anyway.” Another user pointed to the swinging segments, asking if the animations were “literally the exact” ones from Marvel’s Spider-Man.
Of course, NetEase is a giant chinese conglomerate, and hasn’t been without its scandals. Games being left unfinished, never coming out, etc. Skeptics asked if the showcase was “genuine or another bait and switch.” Others countered that the publisher’s presence at Tokyo Game Show, where playable demos are expected, is a sign of confidence in what’s on display. Indeed, Ananta is looking strong and will likely be another big hit after their massive success with Marvel Rivals.
Ananta Release Date?
Pre-registration is live here, with a technical test scheduled ahead of launch. A release date has not been announced.