Game Length and Roadmap

Ananta launches on Jan 15, 2027 with "at least 100 hours of content", two cities and at least 10 characters, NetEase's publishing and marketing leads said at gamescom 2026, and it is planned to be supported for "at least seven years" with new storylines, characters, maps and a multiplayer mode. NetEase has published no dated roadmap, season plan or battle pass as of Nov 1, 2026.

Ananta will have "at least 100 hours of content" at launch on Jan 15, 2027, counting the main story, the open world and side activities, its publishing and marketing leads told Insider Gaming at gamescom 2026, and Naked Rain plans to support it for "at least seven years" afterward with new quests, characters and maps. NetEase's international marketing lead, Rain, put the plan in one line to Prima Games: "When we launch, players will have two cities to explore, and long-term, we will add new storylines, characters, and the multiplayer mode." He also said there will be "at least 10" characters at launch. That is the whole of the plan as of Nov 1, 2026: NetEase has published no dated roadmap, no version schedule and no season or battle pass. What launches is on Release Date and Time.

Quick facts

Content at launch	"At least 100 hours" (Insider Gaming, Sep 4, 2026)
Cities at launch	Two: Nova City and Chongxiao
Characters at launch	"At least 10" (Prima Games, Sep 2, 2026)
Support planned	"At least seven years" (Insider Gaming, Sep 4, 2026)
Planned additions	New storylines, quests, characters, maps and a multiplayer mode
Dated roadmap	None published (Nov 1, 2026)
Battle pass or season pass	No statement from NetEase (Nov 1, 2026)
Model	Free to play, live service, cosmetics sold

How long is Ananta?

About a hundred hours at launch, by NetEase's own estimate. Insider Gaming asked how long the average player would take to work through it and was told "at least 100 hours of content", covering the main story, exploring the open world and the side activities (Sep 4, 2026). One of IGN's hosts at gamescom 2026 says he asked the same question and was told about a hundred hours. No one outside NetEase has played more than a demo, so how long the main story alone takes is not known. The story's set-up is on Story.

How long will Ananta be supported?

At least seven years, if the plan holds. Insider Gaming reports that Naked Rain's current plan is to support Ananta after launch for "at least seven years", which would carry new content into 2034 by its count, with the live team adding "new quests, characters, maps and more" regularly. It is a plan, not a promise: Insider Gaming notes that plans can change.

What will updates add?

New stories, characters, places and multiplayer. Rain told Prima Games that "live ops will be long-term for our players", with new storylines, characters and the multiplayer mode to come after the two launch cities. Because every playable character joins through the story rather than a gacha, new characters will presumably arrive with new story content; NetEase has not said how often (How to Get Characters). New maps fit the developers' earlier plan of more cities from across Asia, which Havian's deep dive of Oct 2025 relayed from the producers' interviews (Map and Cities). The multiplayer mode is in development, and NetEase said at gamescom 2026 that details would follow at the appropriate time (Multiplayer and Co-op).

Is there a roadmap or battle pass?

Not yet. NetEase has published no roadmap with dates, no version numbers after launch and nothing about seasons, as of Nov 1, 2026. It has made no statement on a battle pass either, and figures for one that circulate online have no official source. What NetEase does say it sells is cosmetics, such as outfits, skins and vehicle customization (Monetization).

How many characters are there at launch?

At least 10, Rain told Prima Games. NetEase's official site profiles six: the Captain, Shi Ye, Taffy, Richie, Yinglong and Seymour, and PC Gamer counted 16 characters seen across trailers and posts by Aug 28, 2026, not all confirmed as playable at launch (Characters).

Frequently asked questions

How long is Ananta? Ananta launches with "at least 100 hours of content", including the story, open-world exploration and side activities, NetEase's publishing and marketing leads told Insider Gaming in Sep 2026.

How long will Ananta be supported? Naked Rain plans to support Ananta for "at least seven years" after its Jan 15, 2027 launch, with new quests, characters and maps, according to Insider Gaming.

Does Ananta have a roadmap? No dated roadmap had been published as of Nov 1, 2026. NetEase has said only that updates will add new storylines, characters, maps and a multiplayer mode over the long term.

Does Ananta have a battle pass? NetEase has made no statement about a battle pass or season pass for Ananta as of Nov 1, 2026.

How many characters will Ananta have at launch? At least 10, NetEase's international marketing lead told Prima Games in Sep 2026; the official site profiles six of them.

Will Ananta get new cities? NetEase plans to add new maps after launch, and the developers have spoken of more cities from across Asia; none has been named beyond Nova City and Chongxiao as of Nov 1, 2026.