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Development History
February 16, 2026 at 07:53 AM
Rewritten with full development timeline from July 2024 through Co-Ex Test, including pre-registration milestones
Neverness to Everness is developed by Hotta Studio, a subsidiary of Perfect World. The game was announced in July 2024 and has gone through three major beta testing phases before its expected launch in 2026.
Hotta Studio officially revealed Neverness to Everness in July 2024. The announcement included the game's setting in Hethereau, its supernatural urban open-world concept, and early gameplay footage. Hotta Studio was already known for Tower of Fantasy, but NTE represented a shift toward a more story-driven, single-player-focused open-world RPG with multiplayer elements.
NTE was showcased at Tokyo Game Show (TGS) in September 2024, providing hands-on demos and additional gameplay reveals to the international press.
The first limited-scale beta launched on November 28, 2024, available only in China. Gematsu reported that this test introduced the core gameplay loop, the city of Hethereau, and early versions of the combat system. It established the game's identity as an urban open-world with anomaly hunting.
NTE was named "Most Anticipated" game on TapTap in January 2025, reflecting growing community interest across Asian markets.
A regional beta test called the Alien Singularity Test ran in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau. This was a localized test between the CN CBT and the global Containment Test.
Signups for the first global beta test opened in May 2025. The Containment Test was announced as a PC-only beta with English-language support.
The Containment Test ran from July 3 to July 16, 2025 on PC. This was the first time non-Chinese players could experience the game. The test expanded Hethereau by 1.5x its original size with two new districts: the Miguel District and New Herland District. Three new playable characters were added. The Containment Test also featured Twitch Drops campaigns.
NTE appeared at Gamescom in August 2025, with booth demos and new trailers shown to the European and international gaming audience. This helped build awareness outside the Asian market.
Recruitment for the Co-Ex Test opened on December 23, 2025, at 09:00 UTC+8. This third beta would be the first multi-platform test.
The Co-Ex Test ran from February 6 to February 20, 2026 on PC, PlayStation 5, iOS, and Android. By launch, the game had surpassed 20 million pre-registrations. This test introduced the Wanted System, Prison, cooperative dungeons (The Bank and The Hospital), Pink Paws Heist, eight new characters, drone flying, and character-specific dodge-counters.
Pre-registration opened for PS5, iOS, and Android on February 6, 2026, coinciding with the Co-Ex Test start. The Apple App Store showed a listing dated May 15, 2026.
Pre-download for the Co-Ex Test client opened on February 3, 2026, three days before the test started.
Pre-registration rewards scaled with milestone tiers:
15M — Pre-registration launch milestone.
20M — 20x Elite Hunter Guides for all registered players.
25M — Additional in-game currency rewards.
30M — Exclusive cosmetic item.
35M — Highest announced tier with premium rewards.
The game reached 20 million pre-registrations by the Co-Ex Test launch in February 2026.
The game is built on Unreal Engine 5. Graphics capabilities expanded between beta tests. The Containment Test established the base visual quality. The Co-Ex Test added improved lighting, day-night cycles, weather effects, water physics, and confirmed support for ray tracing/path tracing and NVIDIA DLSS. See Platforms for full technical specifications.
Based on press reporting and App Store listings, the full launch is expected around May 2026 on PC, PS5, iOS, and Android. Xbox support has not been announced.
Co-Ex Test — The most recent beta test.
Platforms — Technical specs and supported platforms.
Hethereau — The city that expanded through beta tests.
