ANANTA is more than combat missions. A large chunk of the game is about living in Nova City: talking to NPCs, doing side activities, and generally existing in the world between anomaly investigations.
NPC Behavior
NPCs carry smartphones, post on in-game social media, and follow daily routines. Official gameplay copy describes "intelligent and lifelike behavior." NPCs react to the player: steal someone's phone and they get angry. Cause a public scene and it might show up on the social feeds.
Confirmed Activities
Based on TGS 2025 demos, developer interviews, and CBT1 coverage:
Playing basketball
Going to the gym
Visiting cafes, galleries, and nightclubs
Attending concerts and festivals
Playing arcade games and UFO catchers
Taking in-game selfies
Dancing with citizens
Browsing in-game social media
Going on dates with party members
Shopping for clothes and vehicles
Slapping contests
Petting stray cats
Watching movies in movie theaters
Riding amusement park attractions
Amusement parks and movie theaters are planned to expand over time with updates.
Interactive Hotspots
The city has interactive locations where specific activities are available. Cat parks let you pet cats. Clubs let you dance. Courts let you play basketball. These are scattered across Nova City's districts.
Activities By Venue Type
Venue Type | Confirmed Activities |
|---|---|
Cafes and galleries | Conversation scenes, ambient socializing, bonding hooks |
Nightclubs | Dancing with citizens, social mini-games, bonding scenes |
Concert and festival venues | Attending performances, ambient crowd interaction |
Sport courts | Basketball with NPCs or party members |
Gyms | Fitness activities, stamina-track progression |
Arcades | UFO catchers and arcade games |
Cat parks | Petting stray cats, ambient bonding |
Movie theaters | Watching movies; venue planned to expand over updates |
Amusement parks | Riding attractions; venue planned to expand over updates |
Slapping rings | Slapping contests as a comedic mini-game |
Shops | Clothing and vehicle purchases tied to Character Customization |
NPC Behavior Detail
NPCs carry smartphones and post on in-game social media; public actions can ripple through their feeds (see Social Media Influence)
Crowd reactions to player behaviour are confirmed: stealing a phone causes hostility, public spectacles draw attention, friendly approaches return friendly responses
NPCs follow daily routines; routine specificity (work hours, sleep cycles, weekly events) is hedged until more material is shown
Hotspot Network
Activities are anchored to interactive hotspots scattered across Nova City's districts. The Delirium Block is the most-documented district in current materials; other districts are referenced but not all hotspots are mapped publicly yet. The hotspot model also feeds the Identity System: Richie's police calls, Taffy's delivery routes, and Seymour's hacking opportunities all surface as hotspot-flavoured open-world ambient gameplay.
Official Venue List (August 2026)
The feature list published with the Gamescom 2026 announcement gave city life the heading "Explore a Living Modern World" and named the venue types directly. It is the first time the publisher has enumerated them.
Venue | Note |
|---|---|
Cinemas | Previously described as planned; now named in the confirmed list |
Mahjong parlors | New to the published list |
Arcades | Matches the arcade and claw machine activities on Mini-Games |
Cat cafés | New to the published list |
Maid cafés | Consistent with Dream Garden |
Gyms | Already documented |
Restaurants | Already documented |
Clothing stores | Ties into Character Customization |
Open-air hot springs | New to the published list |
More Than 100 NPCs
The same feature list states that players meet more than 100 NPCs with individual stories and quests, and that building relationships with them lets the player recruit allies and unlock exclusive items, badges, and combat abilities. That is the first hard number the game has attached to its cast of citizens, and it makes city life a progression path rather than only atmosphere.
The feature is published under the heading "Build Your Own Yeet Squad," which ties the NPC network directly to the Yeet Squad and to Character Acquisition.