During its Q1 2026 earnings call, NetEase VP Zhipeng Hu addressed the increasingly competitive open-world gaming landscape, outlining a distinct, quality-first strategy for its upcoming title, Ananta (formerly known as Project Mugen).
“In 2026, the open world category is indeed more crowded… but from another point of view, it also shows that the ceiling of this category is very high and the user demand is very strong,” Hu stated.
The company believes high-quality, innovative products naturally expand the overall market ceiling rather than simply fighting over existing players.
To achieve this breakthrough, NetEase Games is moving away from established genre formulas, positioning Ananta not as a traditional action-RPG or anime-style game, but as a dedicated urban life simulation, noted Mr Hu.
Ananta focuses on the concept of ‘living in the city’
According to Hu, NetEase’s path to success relies entirely on Ananta’s unique positioning. He explicitly noted that the title is fundamentally different from traditional open-world RPGs or conventional two-dimensional (anime-style) action games.
The core driver of the gameplay loop is centered on “living in the city.” Progression and exploration will be deeply tied to everyday modern activities, including shopping, socializing, and neighborhood exploration, rather than traditional fantasy or sci-fi tropes.
Mr Hu’s commentary explicitly noted that Ananta is not being developed as a niche or traditional anime game. The art direction, narrative tone, and gameplay structures are specifically engineered to appeal to a much broader, mainstream demographic.
About the game’s launch window, The development team is currently fully focused on polishing content, with leadership stating they “would rather take the time to make the quality truly solid than rush out a mediocre product.”
NetEase’s commentary from the earnings call reflects a broader confidence in the underlying global demand for open-world experiences. And I’m honestly not surprised looking at the sheer number of new open-world game launches in recent months. At the time of writing this piece, Ananta has already crossed over 17 million global pre-registrations.
With the open-world category reaching a historical peak in terms of player choices this year, Ananta represents NetEase’s definitive bid to carve out an entirely new sub-genre in the global gaming market.
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