ANANTA is set in two main cities: Nova City and Chongxiao. According to the publisher, both draw on real metropolises, namely Shanghai, Hangzhou and Tokyo. This guide covers what NetEase has announced about each city, which locations the official website has shown so far, what there is to do in town and how you get around according to pre-release demos. The game launches on 15 January 2027. Everything here is current as of 9 November 2026 and based on official announcements and hands-on previews.
Two cities, two adventures
The game’s Steam page sums it up as “Two Cities, Two Adventures”. The first city is Nova City. The second, Chongxiao, was revealed by NetEase on 25 August 2026 at Gamescom Opening Night Live, in the same story trailer that announced the release date.
| City | What we know |
|---|---|
| Nova City | the first city |
| Chongxiao | the second city and the Captain’s hometown, revealed on 25 August 2026 |
| Inspiration | Shanghai, Hangzhou and Tokyo (per the publisher’s press release) |
| More cities | planned over time according to the producer, no names announced |
Chongxiao: going home
According to the descriptions on Steam and the App Store, Chongxiao is the Captain’s hometown, the character you play. The publisher calls it his “old stomping grounds”. You get there from Nova City by plane, which Steam teases as “One plane ticket”.
Chongxiao draws on Shanghai and Hangzhou, so it is a Chinese metropolis. Outlets spotted two nods in the trailer: a song from the film Chungking Express plays, and Shanghai’s Oriental Pearl Tower appears at the end. For the people you will meet in both cities, see our overview of ANANTA characters.
Official locations from the website
The official site anantagame.com has a Locations section that shows five places as of 9 November 2026. For most of them the site does not say which city they belong to, so we do not assign them either.
| Location | What the publisher says |
|---|---|
| Weilan Lake | a lake with Bachong Pagoda; the description mentions Lingyun |
| Mingpu District | a district whose description mentions Lingyun and Zenith Tower |
| Downtown | the heart of Nova City |
| Longqi Village | a small tea village |
| Veluxity Zone | the place for street racing and fight clubs |
The name Lingyun only appears in these location descriptions and in the profile of Yinglong, who is Lingyun’s 21st Director. The publisher has not explained how Lingyun relates to either city.
How the city is built
The publisher promises a world where you “go where you can see”. Steam puts it as “If you can see it, you can go there”. According to the press release for Tokyo Game Show 2025, interiors come in three vertical layers: rooftops, middle floors and street level. The idea is that the city is more than a backdrop you drive past.
The publisher says the city is home to more than 100 NPCs with their own stories and quests. You build relationships with them, and some of them can join your team. How that ties into fame and followers is covered in our ANANTA gameplay guide.
What you can do in the city
The press release lists the kind of places you will find: cinemas, mahjong parlours, arcades, cat cafés, maid cafés, gyms, restaurants and clothing stores. Game Informer adds hot springs and carnival minigames after its hands-on session.
- Everyday life: eat at restaurants, take selfies, hit the gym or play basketball as a minigame.
- The streets: according to the publisher, you can pet cats in the park, run into street gangs or peek at passers-by’s phones.
- Night-time: Steam teases “3AM street racing”. Street racing is also part of the Veluxity Zone description.
All of this comes from announcements and from demos that journalists played at Tokyo Game Show 2025 and Gamescom 2026. How much of it the full game offers will only be clear at launch.
Getting around
According to the publisher, transport is varied: cars, motorbikes, a helicopter, a yacht, the metro, a hang glider, buses and taxis. Outlets that played the demos also mention skateboards, bikes, scooters, flying cars and speedboats. On foot, the previews show swinging between buildings, wall climbing and parkour. Travel between Nova City and Chongxiao is by plane. The gameplay guide has the details on movement and combat.
What we do not know yet
As of 9 November 2026 the publisher has not released a map, the size of the cities or the number of districts. We also do not know exactly how the official locations split between Nova City and Chongxiao. Producer Ash Qi told GamesRadar that more cities and districts are planned over time, delivered in free updates. Until the publisher shows a map, treat any unofficial maps with caution. For the big picture, read what ANANTA is.
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FAQ
At launch the publisher lists two main cities, Nova City and Chongxiao. According to the producer, more cities and districts will arrive in updates.
According to the publisher, on the real cities of Shanghai, Hangzhou and Tokyo. Chongxiao mainly draws on Shanghai and Hangzhou.
By plane, according to the official description. Chongxiao is the Captain’s hometown, so the trip is a return home.
Not as of 9 November 2026. The publisher has not released a map, the city size or the number of districts. The official website only shows five selected locations.
According to the publisher, yes. If you can see it, you can go there, and interiors have three layers: rooftops, middle floors and street level.
Information verified on 9 November 2026. We will update this article after launch. All our guides to the game are in the ANANTA section.