Both publisher Netease Games and developer Naked Rain have given a name to their ‘Project Mugen’, an open-world role playing game titled Ananta. Sources at Sports Illustrated indicate that the name is another translation of Mugen, meaning infinite. Following the release of the game’s title on December 4 2024 came the ‘Announce’ trailer and a brand new promotional website detailing scenes from the game as social media posts. Ananta is currently being developed for the PlayStation 5, PC, iOS and Android devices.
The setting of Ananta is Nova City, a sun-soaked coastal hub which is home to the paranormal and other abnormalities. You will assume the role of a nameless agent of the Anti-Chaos Directorate. Players can explore the different locations in Nova City including the Sonic Boom Club, the Whalebone Library, and the Lively Eve Art Museum; players can engage in missions whilst traveling.
Newsweek has shared that Ananta may be borrowing ideas from few different series, including the traversal aspects seen in Spider-Man, particular the ability to swing; that as well as the combined deep anime aesthetic. IGN indicated in an interview last year that the main inspiration behind Ananta is the Prototype series of games. Ash Qi, Lead Producer of Ananta commented on the matter “When I was maybe 10 or 12, I played Prototype and Prototype 2,” explained Qi, referring to both games developed by Radical Entertainment and published by Activision. “Those are the games that inspired me to make Project Mugen. [Prototype] reminded me of the Venom character from Spider-Man, and it was so cool. And I loved the city.”
Ananta does not have a set release date at the present moment. While the game shares some aesthetic similarities to its gacha counterparts, the game is leaping into territory uncharted by the genre by blending western influence with eastern design.