NetEase Details Ananta and Sea of Remnants at Gamescom 2026 With Major Progression Updates

NetEase Games used Gamescom 2026 to provide a much clearer picture of 2 of its biggest upcoming free to play RPGs, Ananta and Sea of Remnants, with both projects now targeting 2027. Ananta will launch worldwide on January 15, 2027 for PlayStation 5, PC and mobile platforms, while Sea of Remnants is scheduled for early 2027 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, PC, iOS and Android. The latter will also receive a global closed beta test in December 2026.

Sea of Remnants from Joker Studio is built around repeated voyages that contribute to a much longer progression journey. Players control a memoryless puppetfolk sailor exploring mysterious islands, ruins and dangerous ocean routes through strategic turn based combat. Each voyage can change the available encounters, enemies, equipment, skills, buffs and dice effects, encouraging players to continually rebuild their crew rather than rely on a single dominant setup. NetEase describes the broader structure as a cycle of setting sail, exploring, extracting resources and returning home, with permanent progression continuing between expeditions through ship improvements, relationships and the development of Orbtopia. The structure expands on the pirate gameplay previously shown during Summer Game Fest 2026, where naval combat and faction activity were already becoming central parts of the project.

One of the more important Gamescom details concerns monetization and progression. Sea of Remnants will include a weekly system that guarantees players a purple rarity crew member or signature weapon by completing the weekly voyage. Players will also receive a 50% chance of obtaining a higher black rarity character or signature weapon each week, with a guaranteed reward during the 3rd week if the previous 2 attempts fail. According to the Gamescom presentation, these progression rewards are earned through gameplay and do not require premium currency. For a free to play RPG built around collecting characters and developing crews, avoiding premium currency for this core progression path could become a major part of how Joker Studio differentiates the game.

Ananta is taking a completely different approach. Naked Rain has built its urban open world around the idea of "Go Viral. Save the World." Players arrive in Nova City searching for their missing father and become involved with the collapsed A.C.D. organization. Instead of relying on a conventional level system alone, social influence becomes part of progression. Completing story missions, helping citizens during unexpected events, completing challenges and broadcasting activities through livestreams expands the player's following, which can then unlock additional story chapters, mechanics, side content and companions. The concept significantly expands the social systems first demonstrated when Ananta showed its anime inspired urban sandbox at Tokyo Game Show 2025.

Gamescom also introduced Chongxiao, Ananta's 2nd major city, inspired by locations across Shanghai and Hangzhou. Its environments reference landmarks and areas including the Bund, West Lake, Wukang Road, Leifeng Pagoda and Longjing tea fields, while transportation expands beyond conventional cars to flying vehicles, boats, bicycles, electric scooters, skateboards and hang gliders. Combat continues leaning heavily into Chinese martial arts, with Shaolin techniques, blade combat and abilities that can be learned by discovering hidden masters throughout ordinary city life. NetEase says Ananta has already surpassed 17 million global pre registrations across 110 countries and regions ahead of its January 2027 launch.

The 2 games represent very different interpretations of the modern free to play RPG. Sea of Remnants is emphasizing long term roguelike progression, strategic crew building and repeated expeditions, while Ananta is attempting to make social influence and urban lifestyle systems part of the actual progression structure. Both also show NetEase continuing to invest heavily in large scale games designed for PC, console and mobile audiences rather than treating mobile as a separate development market.

The most interesting part of NetEase's Gamescom presentation is not that both games are visually ambitious. It is that progression appears to be becoming part of their identity. Sea of Remnants promising meaningful weekly rewards without requiring premium currency directly addresses one of the biggest concerns surrounding free to play collection systems, while Ananta turning followers and online influence into progression gives its urban world a mechanic that fits its social media driven setting.

Execution will decide whether either concept works. Ananta needs its cities to remain interesting beyond spectacle, while Sea of Remnants needs enough variety between voyages to make repeated progression feel rewarding rather than repetitive. If NetEase can deliver on those systems, both games could become much more than attractive open world showcases when they arrive in 2027.

Which progression system sounds more interesting to you, Sea of Remnants rewarding repeated voyages without premium currency, or Ananta using social influence to unlock new stories and gameplay?