By Hold on, what?!
- by Sammy Barker
Well, if NetEase’s forthcoming Ananta truly exists, then the remainder of the free-to-play sector is in major jeopardy.
A Famitsu cover article has disclosed that this astonishing anime open world title features no character gacha whatsoever. Revenue generation occurs through character customization, allowing you to purchase various cosmetics, vehicles, and adornments.
However, the characters themselves – each associated with distinct gameplay mechanics – will be entirely free to acquire through gameplay advancement. This is unprecedented.
Character gachas, popularized by titles like Genshin Impact, have established the norm in free-to-play games of this kind. Typically, there’s an element of chance involved, where obtaining the featured character is not guaranteed without pulling a specified number of times.
Upcoming games like NTE are attempting to compete by decreasing the pull requirements in comparison to other titles, but you will still need to either accumulate in-game currency or spend real money to acquire the characters you desire.
Given that this is a core aspect of the entire business model, Ananta seems poised to be significantly disruptive. Yet, we still require additional information regarding its operation: perhaps its update schedules will be less frequent, or content may be restricted behind specific cosmetics.
Nonetheless, the recent gameplay trailer for this title has already garnered nearly one million views on PlayStation’s YouTube channel, resulting in over 10 million pre-registrations. However, there is no release date associated with the title just yet.
The game will be available for play at the Tokyo Game Show, so hopefully we can obtain further details on the show floor. In the meantime, NetEase is asserting absolutely no character gachas whatsoever.
This is remarkable, to be honest, and will disrupt the market if it turns out to be accurate.
[source famitsu.com, via x.com]
As the Editor of Push Square, Sammy possesses over 15 years of expertise scrutinizing the landscape of PlayStation, from PS3 to PS5 and everything beyond. He’s a connoisseur of PS Studios and industry issues, as well as sports games and simulators. He also enjoys RPGs when he can find the time to dedicate to them, and is somewhat of a gacha enthusiast.