Ever since Ananta was first revealed back in 2023 as Project Mugen, the Pocket Tactics team has kept a very close eye on this unique, free-to-play, urban RPG. What seemed initially like a run-of-the-mill gacha game entering an already saturated market, Ananta soon moved away from the pack, with fairer monetization and the ability to unlock any character you want purely by playing the game.
So I leapt at the opportunity to interview Link, Ananta's Global Publishing Lead, and Rain, Ananta's International Marketing Lead, during Gamescom last week, and made sure I asked the hard-hitting questions about why the game deserves your time, what we can expect from the monetization model, and, most importantly, whether there are hot men?!
Pocket Tactics: Were there any specific inspirations when creating Ananta? For example, we've seen a lot of people compare the game to Spider-Man and GTA
Ananta is positioned as an urban open-world RPG with a high degree of freedom, and many members of our development team are big fans of that genre. They've incorporated their understanding, expectations, and fantasy of the open world into Ananta. For example, [points to an in-game image of Weilan Lake] if you look at this picture, it's based on West Lake, a big landmark of Hangzhou, where you can hang out and go boating.
Then there's a location based on Shanghai, [points to an in-game image of the Mingpu District] you can see a tower, which is also a very famous landmark, the Pearl Tower. Actually, before we came to Germany, we went there and had dinner.
The live service game market is so heavily saturated right now; what sets Ananta apart from its competition?
As we mentioned before, many developers and staff of Ananta are big fans of urban open-world RPGs. What sets Ananta apart is that everyone has their unique experience and understanding of urban life; we've incorporated this understanding and our fond memories into the game. For example, if you like to chill, enjoy urban life, and go boating, you could play Ananta.
You first announced Ananta as Project Mugen back in 2023, and it seems to have evolved quite a bit since then. How has the game changed from your original vision?
Wow, you remember that?! To be honest, we're committed to our original vision. No change. This is a reflection of our fond memories of urban life, and as our developers always say, there's no magic in game development. So we're prepared to present the best on our launch day, January 15. Thank you for staying tuned for our game. You're the very first one to name Project Mugen in our Gamescom interviews.
Where did the idea for the main character going viral come from?
The popularity of the internet and social networks is a shared experience for the younger generation across the world. So, going viral mirrors this. Also, I think it matches the urban world and the high degree of freedom.
You actually have multiple ways to become more famous. For example, you can beat enemies and level up to be a hero, or you could choose a different way, and you could help pedestrians and get more fans. When your fan count increases, you'll know more people, be able to complete more missions, explore new storylines, and get more members to join your team.
Is there a female option for the main character?
We have both.
We know that the game doesn't have a gacha system; does that mean there are no random elements to the money you spend in-game
I have a good example. So, we're at Gamescom; you can see there's a souvenir store here, right? So if you would like to buy a T-shirt or a small souvenir and keep a good memory of Gamescom, you can. It's the same logic in our monetization model. Sometimes you enjoy spending time with certain characters. You can buy them something to keep as such a good memory.
We've seen maybe three or four male characters so far. A lot of gacha games prioritize hot women; will you break that trend and give us some more hot men?
[laughs] So, I probably can't answer that question on behalf of the developers. But I would like to share my personal experience as a player. I think we'll have both female and male "hot" characters. Here, I would like to clarify that the definition of being hot is subjective, and every character is unique, with a very different personality and charm.
I think when you say someone is hot, it depends on many things. For example, good memories and interactions help. Ananta is an RPG game, and we're confident we'll give players fond memories of being different characters. Then they will feel they are hot.
There are different fighting styles in the game, such as sword fighting and kung fu. Where did this idea come from?
We're happy you've noticed that we have kung fu styles and different kinds of combat in the game. We also have hand-to-hand fist fights; they're inspired by kung fu movies. You will notice in Jackie Chan's movies that they present fights in a very fun, humorous way. For example, you could grab a golf club and fight with the enemy during the chase and escape.
The different characters have different combat styles and weapons. For example, the protagonist has his own unique way to fight. Also, Taffy can turn her delivery vehicle into a hammer during fights.
From a marketing perspective, we're interested in knowing if you highlight different features or parts of the game for different regions? Do you think tastes vary when you're looking at audiences in the US, Europe, China, and beyond?
Our demo in Japan and at Gamescom, our communication with the media, brands, and players: the content is the same for all markets.
Pocket Tactics: Thank you, Link and Rain, for taking the time to speak with me at Gamescom. I had a great laugh and can't wait to dive into the world of Ananta on January 15, 2027!