NetEase's 'ANANTA' Announces January 15, 2027 Release, Debuts 'Chongxiao' City Map Blending Hangzhou and Shanghai Landmarks

Summary

During tonight's Opening Night Live at Gamescom, Naked Rain Studio under NetEase Thunderfire officially confirmed that its urban open-world title ANANTA will launch globally on January 15, 2027. The game will be free-to-play and available at launch on PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile platforms. The official Chinese website has also launched a countdown page, marking the final stretch for a title that has drawn intense industry and player attention since its first reveal in August 2023. In contrast to previous promotional materials focusing on urban spectacle, the new announcement trailer unveiled a brand-new city area called 'Chongxiao.' According to the development team, this map is not purely fictional but a surreal fusion of Hangzhou and Shanghai, incorporating iconic landmarks such as West Lake and the Bund while adding futuristic elements like floating buildings and three-dimensional transit systems, creating a distinctive 'Eastern cyberpunk' aesthetic. This design approach highlights the studio's effort to explore local cultural elements and reflects a broader trend in open-world games that blend cultural identity with imaginative world-building. From an industry perspective, ANANTA's simultaneous global release across multiple platforms underscores the maturity of Chinese game exports and cross-platform publishing. Meanwhile, the free-to-play model combined with an open…