It has been nearly a year since ANANTA — the free-to-play anime open-world RPG from Naked Rain and NetEase Games — last made waves in public. Singapore gamers who’ve been tracking this one since its Project Mugen days finally have a date: ANANTA is confirmed for Gamescom 2026‘s Opening Night Live showcase on 25 August, delivering a fresh gameplay look at what may be the most ambitious anime open world currently in development.
What Is ANANTA?
Originally announced at Gamescom 2023 as Project Mugen, the game was officially renamed ANANTA — Sanskrit for “without end” — in November 2024. Built by the 800-strong team at Hangzhou studio Naked Rain, it is one of the most sprawling free-to-play titles in active development: an open-world urban RPG set in the stylised metropolis of Nova Inception Urbs, where players lead a four-character squad, parkour and rope-swing across rooftops Spider-Man-style, and dive into combo-driven melee combat against gangs and supernatural threats alike.
What sets ANANTA apart from most gacha-adjacent titles is its monetisation model: no gacha for characters. Every playable character unlocks through in-game progression — real-money spending covers cosmetics like outfits, vehicles and apartments only. For Singapore players worn down by banner pulls and limited banners, that is a genuinely meaningful distinction.
Watch the Gameplay Trailer
Gamescom ONL — When Singapore Fans Can Watch
Geoff Keighley confirmed during pre-show announcements that players will get “a fresh look at the game live on the Opening Night Live stage.” The ONL stream begins at 8pm CEST on 25 August — which lands at 2am SGT in the early hours of Wednesday, 26 August. Not the most forgiving watch time, but recordings go live on the official ONL YouTube channel immediately after broadcast. We’ll cover whatever is revealed as soon as it drops.
Will ANANTA Still Launch in 2026?
The Famitsu special supplement for Tokyo Game Show 2025 listed ANANTA as targeting a 2026 release window, but the developers have consistently declined to commit to a specific date. Given the game’s scope — a living city with dozens of mini-games, a day-night cycle, and what NetEase describes as a fully voiced narrative campaign — many in the industry have quietly revised their expectations toward 2027. A Gamescom showing could either confirm a surprise near-term window or set up a global pre-registration push ahead of a longer wait.
ANANTA is in development for PS5, PC (Steam), Android and iOS. As a free-to-play title, the base game will cost nothing at launch — particularly relevant for Singapore players wanting to experience the open world before deciding whether cosmetics are worth their SGD.
Follow GameTrader.SG’s game news for our full Gamescom ONL coverage after the show. Set that alarm or check back on the morning of 26 August.