Multiplayer and Co-op

1:41 Ananta is a single-player game in everything NetEase has shown, with multiplayer still to come: producer Ash told Famitsu in Sep 2025 that it is not an MMORPG and that a multiplayer mode is planned, and NetEase said at gamescom 2026 that the mode is in development, with details to come at the appropriate time (Automaton, Sep 14, 2026). Neither statement promises it for the launch on Jan 15, 2027, and PC Gamer's guide of Aug 28, 2026 says it will not be there at launch. MugenFox reads out Ash's answer to Denfaminicogamer from Tokyo Game Show 2025: besides the solo mode, in which you live a character's life, the team is "considering a multiplayer mode where you can take on missions with friends in an open world". The store pages say more than the developers do: Steam lists MMO, Online Co-op and Cross-Platform Multiplayer among Ananta's features, and the PlayStation Store marks it "Online play required" for "1 online player".

Quick facts

What the developers say

The developers have been consistent since Tokyo Game Show 2025: multiplayer is coming, Ananta is not an MMO, and the details are not ready. Producer Ash told Famitsu on Sep 30, 2025 that "本作はMMORPG（多人数同時参加型オンラインRPG）ではありません" (this game is not an MMORPG, a massively multiplayer online RPG), while confirming that a multiplayer mode is planned as one play element among many. To Denfaminicogamer he described it as a mode, separate from the solo game, in which players take on missions with friends in the open world. Ash Qi described it to the Korean site Inven as creating a world, choosing a character and playing as that character.

12:52 Havian's reading of those interviews adds detail. Most of what has been shown is solo content, he says, but a multiplayer mode is being prepared in which you create a world, select a character and take on high-difficulty missions with friends as that character. From the way it was described, he expects players to load into a separate multiplayer version of the city rather than into each other's own worlds, a guess rather than a NetEase statement.

A year later, NetEase still had no details to give. At gamescom 2026 its representative told Automaton that development of a multiplayer mode is under way, that details will be announced at the appropriate time, and that the current story and map may feel like a single-player game. PC Gamer's guide of Aug 28, 2026 sums up its own reading of the developers: "Not at launch, but the developers have stated that the team is looking into a four-player co-op mode where you'd be able to complete missions or 'dungeons' together." NetEase has not confirmed a player count.

What the demos showed

3:24 Every public demo has been solo. MrPokke describes the Tokyo Game Show 2025 build as split into two modes, a single-player main story quest and an open exploration mode with three characters to switch between. One Japanese preview, Inside Games (Sep 29, 2025), reports hearing of a mode, like PvP, in which players play with others on the same server, and says more details are needed; no NetEase statement has mentioned PvP.

5:03 Braxophone, after his session the same week, found no multiplayer either, "as I can tell", but expects it to be added. Being able to dye and mix outfits is exactly why he thinks the game needs it: customization is something players will want to show off.

6:18 The gamescom 2026 demo was solo too. IGN's Simon, explaining that Ananta sells clothes rather than gacha pulls, points out that "it is single player only at the moment", so "it's not like you're showing off to other people in this online world". He adds that NetEase told him there is about a hundred hours of play at launch.

Is Ananta an MMO?

No, by its developers' account. The "MMO" tag on Steam conflicts with producer Ash's statement to Famitsu that Ananta is not an MMORPG. Steam's feature list for Ananta, read on Oct 10, 2026, shows Single-player, MMO, Online Co-op, Cross-Platform Multiplayer and Family Sharing, and the store's data adds Multi-player and Co-op; its content notes mention "In-game chat" and "Online interactivity". NetEase has not explained these tags.

Is Ananta online?

The PS5 version needs a connection. Its PlayStation Store listing says "Online play required" and "1 online player" (read Oct 10, 2026): an internet connection, with one player online. NetEase has not said whether the PC and mobile versions can be played offline. Ananta is free to play and is planned to be supported with new content for at least seven years after launch (Insider Gaming, Sep 4, 2026).

Cross-play

Steam lists "Cross-Platform Multiplayer", but NetEase has made no statement about cross-play or about sharing progress between PC, PS5 and mobile as of Oct 10, 2026. Until it does, neither is confirmed. Which versions exist is on Platforms.

What players are asking for

9:00 Creators who played the demos mostly want multiplayer as an option. One of Braxophone's complaints after Tokyo Game Show 2025 is not knowing whether there will be multiplayer at all: he does not want an always-online game where everyone has to play together, but he wants to challenge friends at the city's minigames, such as basketball, and at racing, which he sees as what would bring the city to life. His biggest concern, he adds, is how replayable the game will be alone. Many of those activities are on City Life and Activities; clothes and dyes are on Customization and Homes.

Frequently asked questions

Is Ananta multiplayer? Not yet. Ananta's developers say a multiplayer mode is planned and in development, but as of Oct 10, 2026 they have not said it will be in the game at launch on Jan 15, 2027.

Does Ananta have co-op? A co-op mode is planned: producer Ash said in Sep 2025 that the team was considering a mode for taking on missions with friends in Ananta's open world, and PC Gamer reports a four-player co-op mode being looked into, not at launch.

Is Ananta an MMO? No. Producer Ash told Famitsu in Sep 2025 that Ananta is not an MMORPG, even though its Steam page lists "MMO" among its features.

Is Ananta online only? The PS5 version of Ananta requires online play, according to the PlayStation Store listing; NetEase has not said whether the PC and mobile versions can be played offline.

Can you play Ananta with friends? Not at first, as far as NetEase has said: Ananta's story and open city are single-player, and a mode for missions with friends is planned without a date.

Does Ananta have crossplay? Unconfirmed. Steam lists "Cross-Platform Multiplayer" for Ananta, but NetEase has made no statement about cross-play or cross-progression as of Oct 10, 2026.

Is Ananta single player? Yes, as shown so far: Ananta's story, open world and every public demo are single-player, with a multiplayer mode planned for later.

Sources

• ANANTA on Steam, Valve (features and content notes, read Oct 10, 2026)
• ANANTA, PlayStation Store (read Oct 10, 2026)
• 『無限大ANANTA』プロデューサーインタビュー。基本無料＆キャラガチャなしなのはキャラの人生を見てほしいから【TGS2025】, Denfaminicogamer, Sep 26, 2025
• 無限大 "여성 주인공? 정식 출시 버전에 등장한다", Inven (interview with lead producer Ash Qi), Sep 26, 2025
• 『無限大ANANTA』は自由度たっぷり！クライム系の行動から職質、不当逮捕まで出来ちゃうぶっ飛びすぎなオープンワールドだった【TGS2025】, Inside Games, Sep 29, 2025
• 『無限大ANANTA』開発者に"最深"インタビュー。キャラガチャなしで大丈夫と判断した真意とは。, Famitsu, Sep 30, 2025
• All the key details about 'anime GTA' game Ananta, PC Gamer, Aug 28, 2026
• Ananta Will Be Supported For At Least 7 Years, Insider Gaming, Sep 4, 2026
• 基本プレイ無料オープンワールド『無限大ANANTA』開発者いわく、本作は「各都市たっぷり遊べるボリューム」になる, Automaton, Sep 14, 2026
• 10 BIG DETAILS REVEALED for ANANTA by Devs (Multiplayer,No Gacha & More!), MugenFox, Sep 26, 2025 (video)
• ANANTA Gameplay DEEP DIVE - City Life Simulation in an Anime RPG World, Havian, Oct 4, 2025 (video)
• My First Impressions of Ananta | Ananta Exclusive Demo Gameplay, MrPokke, Sep 28, 2025 (video)
• I played Ananta EARLY and it Blew My Mind, Braxophone, Sep 27, 2025 (video)
• Ananta Is Weird, but Is It Good? - We Played It | gamescom 2026, IGN, Aug 29, 2026 (video)