Is ANANTA free? Monetization, no character gacha and the “random items” label in stores

Yes, ANANTA is free. NetEase calls it a free-to-play urban open-world RPG, Steam marks it Free To Play, and the PlayStation Store lists in-game purchases as optional (fact in the registry). The money is meant to come from cosmetics. Characters, NetEase says, aren’t for sale: you unlock them by playing. The mobile stores, though, declare paid random items, and NetEase hasn’t explained them.

Does ANANTA have gacha?

On September 23, 2025, Famitsu reported that ANANTA has no character gacha and that every playable character can be obtained in the game (fact in the registry). Producer Ash explained the choice to Denfaminicogamer: the team wants players to choose freely whose life to live in the city.

The official site presents six playable characters (who they are). New ones are promised with free story updates, and Ash Qi told GamesRadar they won’t be sold through gacha either (fact in the registry). He compared the structure to Marvel films: each hero has a separate story, and they come together for big events.

NetEase hasn’t published exact unlock conditions. The producer’s comments tie the roster to the main story, which grows with updates, and he told Denfaminicogamer that new characters will follow the jobs that exist in the city. The roles named so far are NCCA officer, hacker, delivery rider and content creator; how switching between them works is covered in ANANTA gameplay explained.

That sets ANANTA apart from a game it is often compared with. Neverness to Everness, another urban open-world RPG, sells characters through limited banners; we compare the two in ANANTA vs Neverness to Everness.

What will you pay for?

Famitsu describes paid content as mainly cosmetic, with customization: outfits, vehicles and homes (fact in the registry). Ash told Denfaminicogamer that special items such as limited event outfits will be sold. NetEase hasn’t said how these items will be sold: through a direct shop, in bundles or some other way.

Our database page on outfits and customization collects what has been shown so far, from clothing dye to the car paint set among the pre-registration rewards.

The “random items” label in the stores

The US App Store page for ANANTA carries a loot box advisory, and Google Play marks “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)” (fact in the registry). Characters aren’t sold through gacha, so the label must refer to something else. NetEase hasn’t said what.

Both mobile listings, with their age ratings and requirements, are covered in ANANTA on iPhone and Android.

Our assessment: the label means at least one paid item gives a random result. It could be an outfit box, a paint roll for vehicles or a pack with random contents; we don’t know, and we won’t guess further. Whether outfits or cars will be sold through gacha is in our open questions.

Will there be a battle pass?

Not confirmed. Producer Ash told IGN Japan in September 2025 that monetization details would be decided once there is more content. Icy Veins, summarizing the Tokyo Game Show interviews, says a season pass is being considered, but NetEase hasn’t announced one (open question).

In-game currencies seen so far

The pre-registration rewards name two: Golvent, the in-game currency, and Jillion Vouchers (fact in the registry). The first milestone gives 10,000 Golvent, the fourth gives 100 Jillion Vouchers. NetEase hasn’t explained what Jillion Vouchers buy or whether either currency can be bought with real money. The full reward list is in ANANTA pre-registration rewards.

What is still unknown

• Prices for outfits, cars and homes
• What the random paid items are
• Whether there will be a battle pass or a subscription
• Whether purchases carry over between platforms

Pre-registering costs nothing in any store; the steps are in our pre-registration guide.