Ananta has not yet launched globally. This page includes details from official posts, developer interviews, hands-on previews, and the January 2026 Closed Beta Test as of February 22, 2026.
Overview
Ananta is free-to-play with no character gacha system. This has been confirmed by Producer Ash Qi in multiple interviews across different outlets during and after TGS 2025. All playable characters are earned through gameplay progression. The player begins with the Captain and gradually recruits allies like Taffy through the story. No characters are locked behind paid random draws.
No character gacha
The decision to avoid character gacha is one of Ananta's most-discussed design choices, particularly because the game draws frequent comparisons to Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, both of which use character gacha as a primary revenue driver. Ash Qi addressed this directly:
"Locking characters behind gacha would have clashed with ANANTA's intended playstyle and high degree of freedom."
This is not just a marketing talking point. The Team Switching system, where players control four characters spread across Nova City with GTA 5-style camera transitions, relies on each character being a fully realized individual with their own job, schedule, and personality. Locking some of those characters behind random chance would undermine the narrative and mechanical framework the game is built on.
Cosmetics-focused monetization
Revenue comes from cosmetic purchases. The confirmed categories of paid items include:
Item Type | Details |
|---|---|
Outfits and clothing | Alternate costumes and fashion items for playable characters. |
Vehicleskins | Visual customization for vehicles including cars, bikes, and other transport. |
Furniture and housing decoration | Items for personalizing player housing spaces. |
Many cosmetics are also purchasable with in-game currency earned through regular play. The paid items focus on unique designs that go beyond what is available through gameplay alone. The exact split between free and paid cosmetics has not been detailed.
Season pass
A season pass system is under consideration but has not been finalized. No details about what a season pass might include (exclusive cosmetics, currency, progression boosts, etc.) have been shared. Whether this would be a battle pass style system with free and premium tiers or a different structure is unknown.
Developer philosophy
Ash Qi framed the monetization approach as a matter of confidence in the product:
"If we can deliver a truly great game, we believe everyone will support the creators in whatever way they see fit."
This stance positions Ananta's business model as a bet on quality over extraction. Whether it holds up under the financial pressures of a 700-to-800-person development team remains to be seen after launch. But as a pre-release commitment, the no-gacha stance has generated considerable goodwill in the gaming community.
How characters are acquired
Since there is no gacha, all characters are obtained through gameplay. The primary method is story progression: as the Captain advances through the main narrative and builds relationships, new allies join the team. Some characters may also be recruitable through side content, faction reputation, or specific in-game achievements. For a full breakdown of how recruitment works, see the Character Acquisition page.
Comparison to other free-to-play games
Ananta's model stands out among current free-to-play action RPGs. Here is how it compares to notable peers:
Genshin Impact: Character gacha + weapon gacha + cosmetics. Characters are the primary revenue driver.
Honkai: Star Rail: Character gacha + light cone gacha. Similar model to Genshin.
Wuthering Waves: Character gacha + weapon gacha. Follows the Genshin template.
Ananta: Cosmetics only. All characters free through gameplay.
This positions Ananta closer to the model used by games like Fortnite or Apex Legends (cosmetics-driven) rather than the gacha-driven model common in Chinese and Japanese free-to-play RPGs.
Sources
PC Gamer, No character gacha confirmed (accessed February 22, 2026)
IGN, Producer interview TGS 2025 (accessed February 22, 2026)
Icy Veins, TGS 2025 interview details (accessed February 22, 2026)
NetEase Games press release (Dec 2024) (accessed February 22, 2026)
MMORPG.com, Developer interview (accessed February 22, 2026)