Steam’s next big free-to-play obsession is shaping up to be Ananta, an urban open-world RPG promising at least 100 hours of story, exploration, and side content for completionists, all without an upfront price or subscription.
Developed by Naked Rain and published by NetEase Games, Ananta is slated to launch on January 15, 2027, with a simultaneous release on PlayStation 5, Windows via Steam and NetEase’s own PC client, plus iOS and Android devices. The team has already racked up more than 17 million pre-registrations across over 110 countries, signaling massive global interest in the free-to-play project before it even lands on Valve’s storefront. For PC players, that means a full-scale open-world RPG is arriving on Steam day one, treated more like a long-running service than a one-and-done boxed product.
According to early details, Ananta is pitched as a “free urban open-world RPG” with launch content estimated at around 100 hours if you follow the main story, roam its cityscape, and dive into side activities. That puts it in the same ballpark as many premium, big-budget RPGs, but here the cost of entry is zero. The focus on a dense urban setting rather than traditional fantasy fields and forests helps Ananta stand out in a crowded genre, while its cast of stylized characters and creatures is clearly being positioned as a major part of the appeal for fans drawn to colorful, character-driven worlds.
NetEase and Naked Rain aren’t just shipping Ananta and walking away, either. The studio has committed to at least seven years of post-launch support, with live operations planned through 2034 if everything stays on schedule. That long-tail roadmap suggests a steady cadence of new quests, characters, and areas over time, putting Ananta in conversation with other “forever games” on Steam like long-running free action RPGs and MMOs that offer 100+ hours of content at launch and expand year after year. For players, the promise is that the world they invest in now will keep growing well into the next decade.
Ananta also arrives amid a broader wave of free open-world action RPGs hitting Steam, including recent additions like Zenless Zone Zero, another stylish, combat-heavy title that’s entirely free to play but monetized through optional in-game purchases. That context matters: it shows that players are increasingly comfortable with the idea of spending hundreds of hours in games they never technically “bought,” provided the content feels substantial and the monetization doesn’t get in the way. Ananta’s early positioning as a 100-hour, story-driven experience backed by years of planned updates puts it squarely in this new normal for PC RPGs.
For Steam users looking for a long-term world to settle into, Ananta is essentially being pitched as a full-scale console-grade RPG you can pick up on PC without paying a cent up front, then keep coming back as new content rolls out. The combination of urban fantasy vibes, a sprawling open world, and a seven-year support promise makes it one of the more ambitious free offerings in the pipeline. If the finished game delivers on its hundred-hour claim with compelling quests and lovable creature companions, it could become a staple in RPG players’ libraries for years to come, all starting from that “no strings attached” download button on Steam.
