How combat works in ANANTA: kung fu, counters, telekinesis and each character’s style

Combat in ANANTA is hand-to-hand martial arts inspired by kung fu films: you strike, dodge, block and counter, grab whatever is lying around and finish enemies off against the scenery. The timing is lenient on purpose, and every character fights in their own way. This summary draws on NetEase’s materials, developer interviews and the press who played the 2025 and 2026 demos (fact in the registry).

What inspired ANANTA’s combat?

Kung fu cinema. The developers told Famitsu in September 2026 that combat is a pillar of the game and its moves draw on kung fu films. A NetEase representative told AUTOMATON that those films mix intense action with comic scenes, and ANANTA’s fights take after them: natural moves that fit city life, chases, and objects at hand used as weapons. Producer Ash told IGN Japan in 2025: as in Jackie Chan’s films, trash bins, desks, chairs and cars can all be used in a fight.

Game Informer writes that the action is rooted in real martial arts such as Shaolin kung fu, and Wccftech adds blade techniques (martial arts combat).

Dodge, block, counter

NetEase’s 2025 press release describes the basics: precise dodges and blocks set up counterattacks, and you can take enemies’ weapons to try other styles. GamesRadar compared the rhythm of the Tokyo Game Show 2025 demo to Batman: Arkham Asylum, with timed melee strikes and counters against crowds. AXYO found simple melee combos and a block in the Gamescom 2026 build.

In Tokyo AUTOMATON noticed that an effect flashes when a counter is possible, and that attacks and counters fill a second gauge under the enemy’s health bar; when it is full, the enemy is stunned and a knockout attack deals heavy damage.

The lenient timing is deliberate. Producer Ash told Famitsu in 2025 that the team wanted anyone to pull off advanced moves like Jackie Chan, so input timing is relatively forgiving. Fights range from one against many to brawls on moving platforms and in narrow alleys, so exhilaration matters more than hard technique (fact in the registry).

Street weapons and finishers

NetEase’s press releases name golf clubs and trash bins as weapons; the 2026 release suggests combining martial arts with the environment to build a personal style. In the demos GamesRadar saw finishers that toss enemies into trash bins or crush them into the ground, and AXYO flung an enemy onto the hood of a parked car. The official 2025 gameplay video opens with the Captain slamming a gang member into a dumpster (0:20).

Guns appear too: in the same video the Captain shoots at gang trucks from a convertible (2:11). AUTOMATON couldn’t tell whether guns are always available or only in set scenes.

Telekinesis

GamesRadar reported from Tokyo that every playable character can pull objects in with telekinesis and throw them at enemies; the writer spent much of the fight pulling in stray bats (fact in the registry). In 2023 the developers listed telekinesis among the special abilities a team could equip, along with crowd control and buffs. NetEase’s press releases don’t mention it.

Hidden masters who teach new moves

Wccftech reports from NetEase’s Gamescom 2026 presentation that martial arts masters hide among ordinary people, such as a man with a yo-yo and a neighborhood masseuse; finding them brings new abilities, weapons and allies (hidden masters); Game Informer also says you can learn techniques from masters. The official site shows Tie Shan of Longqi Village sparring with the Captain, and in the Launch Date Trailer someone begs to come along to hunt for martial arts masters and legendary weapons (1:48).

Each character’s style and weapon

Characters have different combat styles and weapons, Link and Rain told Pocket Tactics; GamesRadar found a shared core with unique skills on top. What the sources say:

• The Captain: Venom-style tendrils for super attacks and grabs that hit at range and can lift several enemies for a slam (GamesRadar, 2025). IGN China saw the same black tentacles assist attacks in 2026, and AUTOMATON notes that swinging on them between buildings is the Captain’s alone.
• Taffy: turns her delivery vehicle into a hammer during fights (Pocket Tactics); in 2023 producer Ash Qi said the hammer works as a weapon and as a ride.
• Richie: the NCCA officer’s official bio advises thugs to cooperate unless they fancy dodging her fists. In AUTOMATON’s Tokyo demo she got into a fight with thugs surrounding a woman in an alley.
• Wei Yinglong: in the Gamescom 2026 section she had no notable combat mechanics, AXYO writes; Famitsu describes stealth and parkour instead.

Other characters’ styles haven’t been described. The 2025 gameplay trailer shows unnamed fighters with a badminton racket, a giant golden hammer, a rocket launcher and a flamethrower (1:51), but NetEase hasn’t said who they are (fact in the registry).

Switching characters and the team of four

In 2023 the developers described battles with a team of four chosen characters and a shared special ability. In 2025 Ash Qi told GamesRadar that the team is developing a feature for several characters to team up against enemies, without giving a number. In the demos, journalists switched characters in free roam; none of the previews we read describes swapping in the middle of a fight. The team of four stays an open question.

Quick-time events

Set pieces use QTEs. In the Tokyo demo’s chase GamesRadar went through a quick-time sequence straight out of Uncharted 4: the Captain is dragged behind a truck while dodging barrels. The fight with the truck is at 7:50 in the 2025 gameplay video. AUTOMATON also mentions QTEs in the chase, and IGN China saw them at critical moments in 2026 and found them easy to pass.

How hard is it?

Easy so far. AUTOMATON called the counter window lenient and the aim assist strong, IGN China found the difficulty low, and the Famitsu interviewer was struck by how easily perfect dodges and counters from a block came out. AXYO is unsure whether more moves will add depth later, and Denfaminicogamer found the kung fu far more restrained at Gamescom 2026 than in Tokyo. The developers told Famitsu in September 2026 that they plan to add much more than what players tried at TGS and Gamescom. Our assessment: a show-floor demo may be tuned down; the full verdicts are in what the press said after playing ANANTA.

What hasn’t been announced

• Skill trees or leveling up moves; so far new techniques come from masters and recruited allies.
• Gear or equipment with stats.
• How to customize the Captain’s fighting style: asked by AUTOMATON in September 2026, NetEase said to wait for later announcements.
• Difficulty settings.
• How many characters can fight together in co-op or team-ups.

ANANTA launches on January 15, 2027 (fact in the registry).