If you’re into supernatural, city-set open-world games, two titles keep coming up: Neverness to Everness (NTE), which launched globally on April 29, 2026, and Ananta, which is still on the way. They look similar enough that a lot of players are bouncing between “I’m playing NTE while I wait for Ananta” and “wait, are these the same game?”
They’re not. They share a lot of DNA, but they make one very different bet. Here’s an honest comparison to help you figure out which fits you — or whether you’ll just play both.
Same genre, not the same game
Different studios, for a start: NTE comes from Hotta Studio and Perfect World, Ananta from Naked Rain and NetEase. Neither one is a port, a rebrand, or a sequel of the other — different city, different cast, no shared story. If a trailer left you wondering whether you were looking at two builds of one game, you weren’t.
The overlap is real, though, and it’s why the question keeps coming up: both are free-to-play, both are set in a modern city where the supernatural leaks into ordinary life, both build around “anomalies” and real-time action combat, and in both of them you can drive around town. What should actually decide which one you install isn’t anywhere in that list — and it isn’t graphics or combat feel either. It comes down to how each game hands you its characters, and on that one question the two sit at opposite ends. The rest of the gap is about how much is knowable yet: one of these shipped in April, the other is still describing itself.
Where each piece of that lives:
- Characters and monetization — the split that decides this for most players
- Setting and vibe — Hethereau vs Nova City
- Open world and activities — how much of each city is a known quantity
- Combat — where they feel alike, and which one we can actually judge yet
- Availability — platforms, status, and who makes each one
Setting and vibe
Both games drop you into a modern city where the supernatural bleeds into everyday life — and both lean on “anomalies” as their hook.
In NTE, you play the Appraiser in the city of Hethereau, working with the Bureau of Anomaly Control to keep reality and the supernatural in balance, between plenty of laid-back city activities. In Ananta, you’re an “Infinite Trigger” in Nova City, investigating anomalies and paranormal events as one of the Espers — people with supernatural abilities.
Same genre, similar premise, different flavor. NTE’s city has been described as a GTA-style sandbox; Ananta’s Nova City leans into a stylish, traversal-first take on the same idea.
The big difference: characters and monetization
This is the line that actually separates them.
NTE is, by its own design, a gacha game. Characters come in rarity tiers (S-class, A-rank, and so on), you spend premium currency (annulith) on pulls, and reviewers have noted a real power gap between the top-tier and lower-tier characters. If you enjoy the collection-and-pull loop, that’s a feature.
Ananta is positioning itself as the opposite: no character banners, with the roster unlocked through story and gameplay progression instead. For players who are gacha-fatigued, this is the entire appeal — and it’s the thing the Ananta community talks about most.
Neither approach is “better.” They’re different deals: NTE offers the familiar live-service collection loop; Ananta is betting that a no-gacha model can stand out in a crowded market.
Open world and activities
NTE leans hard into the sandbox. On top of story and combat, you can drive around the city, fish, buy apartments and real estate, run a cafe, take side jobs, and go on dates with companions — a lot of “second life in the city” systems.
Ananta’s headline is traversal: a unified movement system of parkour, swinging, wall-climbing, and driving, plus a city you can interact with in small ways (you can even pick up cats). The full breadth of Ananta’s side activities hasn’t been detailed yet — so on this front, NTE is the known quantity and Ananta is still partly TBA.
Combat
NTE uses a team-switching action system with parry windows and elemental synergy via its Esper system — reviewers have compared the feel to Zenless Zone Zero and Wuthering Waves. It’s responsive and flashy, with meaningful differences between characters.
Ananta is also real-time action, with each character bringing unique movement and weapons. Beyond that, the specifics of Ananta’s combat depth aren’t fully confirmed — what’s been shown so far comes from trailers and the January 2026 closed test.
Availability
| NTE | Ananta | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Released (Apr 29, 2026) | Upcoming, no confirmed date |
| Platforms | PC, PS5, iOS, Android, Mac | PC, PS5, iOS, Android |
| Model | Free-to-play, gacha | Free-to-play, no gacha banners |
| Developer | Hotta Studio / Perfect World | Naked Rain / NetEase |
Which should you play?
- Play NTE if you want a polished urban open-world to dig into right now, and you enjoy (or don’t mind) the gacha collection loop.
- Hold out for Ananta if the no-gacha, progression-based model is what excites you, or if its traversal-first take on the city is the specific itch you’re trying to scratch.
Realistically, a lot of players will do both: NTE to fill the wait, Ananta when it finally lands. If that’s you, NTE is a genuinely solid stopgap — and you’ll be primed for exactly what makes Ananta different.
Waiting on Ananta? Track every update on our Ananta Release Date — Everything We Know So Far hub, and pre-register here so you’re ready at launch.
AnantaDex.com is an unofficial fan site and is not affiliated with NetEase Games. Neverness to Everness is developed by Hotta Studio and published by Perfect World Games.