If you grew up bouncing between Jet Set Radio’s cel-shaded rebellion, Shenmue’s slice-of-life detail, Spider-Man 2’s swinging freedom, and the open-world swagger that culminated in GTA and Yakuza, ANANTA reads like a love letter to our era—just translated for 2025 attention spans and platforms. NetEase and developer Naked Rain have taken the codename Project Mugen, given it a proper name, and planted it in a sprawling, anime-styled metropolis called Nova City. It’s free-to-play, cross-platform (PC, PS5, and mobile), and pre-registration is live—a strong signal that the team is gearing up for broader tests.
Before we get into the weeds, some quick, verified basics:
- Who’s making it? NetEase Games publishing; development by Naked Rain (a Thunder Fire Studio subsidiary with Montreal collaboration roots). The game debuted as Project Mugen at Gamescom 2023 and later rebranded to ANANTA.
- What is it? A high-freedom, urban open-world RPG centered on agents battling “chaos” anomalies while also living city life—shopping, socializing, exploring vertical zones, the works.
- Where can you play? PC, PS5, and mobile platforms are confirmed in NetEase’s latest communications; global pre-register is open on the official site. (Some earlier press mentioned PS4, but the current official line emphasizes PC/PS5/mobile.)
- When? There’s no official date; press speculation currently pegs 2026 as likely, with tests expected along the way. Plan for betas and staggered rollouts.
Nova City is the playground—and the pitch
The hook is simple: ANANTA wants to give you a city that feels like a toy box. One minute you’re parkouring up a tower, then you’re web-swinging across a boulevard, then you’re scrapping with supernatural anomalies using hand-to-hand combo strings, aerial juggles, and weapon swaps. It’s unabashedly anime in presentation, but the kinetic energy looks closer to a mash-up: a bit of Spider-Man’s flow, some Gravity Rush looseness, and action timing that nods to Devil May Cry. That blend isn’t just marketing sugar—watch the recent seven-minute gameplay showcase and you can see traversal, verticality, and combat systems stitched together in a way that invites experimentation.
From a Gen X perspective, the pitch lands because it balances earnest cool with playfulness. Nova City isn’t just “neon wallpaper”; there are alleys, rooftops, transit structures, and interior nooks that feel designed for movement toys. It channels that late-’90s/early-’00s sense of freedom—when discovering a new corner of Tony Hawk’s map or an oddball Shenmue shop felt like a small personal victory—then supercharges it with modern draw distance, density, and speed.
Combat: Saturday-morning flash, arcade fundamentals
Combat footage shows kung-fu-flavored brawling, particle-heavy specials, and team-style character swaps. The rhythm is more “arcade action” than “stats spreadsheet,” which—let’s be honest—is how many of us prefer it after work. Big tells, cancel windows, launchers, and stylish finishers sit at the core. Enemies aren’t just street toughs; there’s an urban-fantasy layer of anomalies and “chaos” distortions that justify over-the-top powers and set-piece boss arenas. If you’ve ever wished Yakuza’s heat actions married Bayonetta’s runway sparkle, ANANTA is flirting with you. The official material repeatedly frames the game as a “rule-breaking urban open world” with a focus on having fun in motion—a polite way of saying it’s not trying to be a dry sim.
Life between boss fights: shopping, hangouts, and side-stories
What sells an urban sandbox isn’t just the main quest—it’s the in-between. NetEase’s own materials talk up the “city life” angle: shopping spots, social spaces, seasonal vibes, and leisurely detours that keep the world from becoming a corridor between markers. This is where the Gen X sensibility kicks in: we like our games with texture. Give us a ramen counter with a local gossip thread. Let us stumble into a retro arcade cabinet, a night market minigame, or a music spot tucked under a flyover. The official site and trailers lean into that slice-of-life promise, which—if delivered—will be the difference between a “checklist open world” and a place you pop into nightly.
Traversal toys: the Spider-Man test
Let’s be real: the second a trailer shows swinging, everyone thinks Spider-Man. That’s a high bar. Swinging is only satisfying when physics, speed, and camera grace come together. The early ANANTA footage suggests the team knows this; swings chain into wall-runs into ledge vaults, and momentum carries through rather than snapping off. The parkour piece looks equally central—think Dying Light’s roofline flow, minus the grimdark. If those “toys” work as advertised, the city naturally becomes your level editor, and that’s when an open world really sings. The latest gameplay cut is pretty explicit about traversal being a pillar, not a garnish.
Free-to-play realities: what a Gen Xer watches for
A fair warning from someone who remembers when expansions came in big cardboard boxes: free-to-play is a business model, not a genre. It can be fantastic when monetization stays in the lanes of cosmetics, convenience, and generosity. It’s a buzzkill when progression turns into energy timers, gacha power spikes, or limited-time pressure cookers that punish lapses in daily play.
NetEase is upfront: ANANTA is F2P and built for PC/console/mobile. That likely means seasonal updates, events, and some form of character/gear collection loop. The re-reveal and recent press materials focus on the fantasy, not the shop; that’s normal at this stage. As a Gen X player, the tells I’ll be watching for:
- Cosmetic gacha vs. power gacha: Skins and flair? Great. Stat walls? Hard pass.
- Stamina/energy: If the game limits free exploration or story progress behind timers, that’s a red flag.
- Event FOMO: Time-gated story beats or must-have gear create fatigue fast.
For now, all we can say with confidence is F2P, cross-platform, pre-registration open; the rest will surface with tests.
Platform spread: PC, PS5, and mobile
The modern reality is that many big F2P RPGs need to live everywhere to thrive. NetEase’s most recent updates call out PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile specifically, and the official site’s pre-registration counters reinforce a global push. That matters for social momentum—friends can try it no matter what they own—and for cadence: live games need a wide funnel. (Earlier press cycles also mentioned PS4; follow the official channels for the final platform grid.)
From a Gen X angle, here’s the pragmatic ask: performance and parity. If I’m on PS5 after work, I want smooth frame pacing, sharp UI, and controller-first combat. If I’m traveling, I’ll tolerate mobile concessions—reduced crowd density, simplified shadows—so long as the feel remains intact and cross-progress cloud saves are a thing. We’ll have to see how the team handles this; the seven-minute demo gives promising signs on the visual side.
The name change actually helps
Branding matters. Project Mugen had a cool code-name vibe, but ANANTA (Sanskrit for “endless”) communicates the “boundless city/life” pitch in a single word—and avoids confusion with the many other “Mugen” projects floating around the web. The re-reveal in late 2024 did more than rename; it clarified the tone and (crucially) the free-to-play positioning. For a game trying to cultivate a long-term player identity, sticking the landing with the name was smart.
Structure we can reasonably expect (reading the tea leaves)
Even without a public design doc, you can infer a likely loop from what’s been shown and said:
- Story arcs: Episodic missions dealing with “chaos” anomalies—think stylish boss fights and set pieces.
- City life: Social hubs, shopping, event pop-ups, and optional activities that feed soft currencies or unlocks.
- Exploration: Collectibles (data shards, photo spots), traversal challenges, hidden interiors, and time-of-day variations.
- Build/playstyles: Character roster or modular skills that define combat flavor—still to be fully detailed publicly, but implied by the multi-ability clips.
- Live cadence: Seasonal theming, new districts/encounters, and a cosmetic conveyor belt—industry-standard for F2P sandboxes. (This one’s inference, but consistent with the model and messaging.)
For the skeptical Gen Xer: what could go wrong?
Look, we’ve been around the block. We’ve seen feature-complete dreams buckle under live-service pressure. Here are the failure modes to watch for—and what would alleviate them:
- Style without substance. If the city becomes a pretty hallway between identical fights, the illusion breaks. Fix: varied enemy kits, systemic traversal challenges, and micro-stories inside shops, parks, and rooftops.
- Gacha overreach. If combat cadence feels gated behind loot probabilities, you’ll feel the grind almost instantly. Fix: cosmetics-first monetization and generous earn-rates for playable content.
- Mobile dictates all. If UI, font sizes, and encounter design skew too hard to phone ergonomics, PS5/PC play feels like a port. Fix: platform-native UIs and performance settings.
- Long beta purgatory. If tests drag for years, momentum dies. Fix: clear testing windows, transparent patch notes, and visible iteration on feedback.
Right now, the communications cadence—new trailers, official site counters, and open pre-reg—suggests real traction rather than vaporware.
Why ANANTA hits differently for Gen X players
- Arcade DNA in a modern shell. The combat and traversal read like they were made by people who grew up with set-play, cancels, and momentum tricks—not just cooldown wheels.
- City as character. We’ve always loved open worlds that feel lived-in—Shenmue, Yakuza, Sleeping Dogs. ANANTA is swinging for that “hangout” vibe over checklist fatigue.
- Drop-in play. Cross-platform means you can noodle around on your phone at lunch and pick up on PS5 at night—assuming cross-progress lands. (Not officially detailed yet; watch for it in tests.)
- A modern anime coat without homework. It looks stylish without demanding you absorb an encyclopedia of factions before the fun starts. The trailers lead with motion and mood, not exposition walls.
What we know right now (hard facts)
- Rebrand & positioning: ANANTA, formerly Project Mugen; urban open-world, free-to-play; NetEase + Naked Rain.
- Setting & style: Nova City, dense vertical traversal, parkour and swinging showcased; anime-styled presentation.
- Platforms: PC, PS5, and mobile; pre-registration open on the official site.
- Timing: No official release date; press consensus estimates 2026, with beta tests likely ahead of launch.
How to approach ANANTA as a Gen X player (practical advice)
- Treat launch as early days. Live games evolve. If you like the feel, hop in; if monetization feels off, check back post-patch.
- Pick your platform lane early. If you plan to main on PS5 or PC, start there so your habits (and friends list) gel on the “big screen” version.
- Chase movement mastery. These systems reward practice. If the swing/parkour tech is as flexible as it looks, you’ll find lines the trailers never show.
- Budget like it’s 1999. Set a monthly cap for cosmetics and stick to it. F2P is great when you decide what you value.
Pre-register and keep tabs
If this is ticking your boxes, pre-register and follow the official channels; they’re publishing trailers, event beats, and recruitment calls for vanguards/testers. That’s also where you’ll see beta dates first.
Final take
ANANTA is aiming squarely at the sweet spot that many of us chased in arcades and early open worlds: movement that feels like a superpower and cities that feel like stages. The rebrand brought clarity, the latest gameplay cut shows a confident vertical playground, and the business model—while always a question mark—doesn’t have to be a dealbreaker if the team keeps monetization in the cosmetic/comfort lanes.
If you’re a Gen X player who still lights up at the memory of discovering a weird shop in Shenmue, finding an off-angle line in Tony Hawk, or nailing a clean swing in Spider-Man, ANANTA has a real shot at becoming your “log in and vibe” game—something you don’t just beat but live in.
Keep your expectations grounded, your wallet disciplined, and your eye on those test announcements. If the feel holds up under our thumbs the way it does in the trailer, Nova City could be the rare neon sprawl that earns a permanent place in the rotation.