Ananta beta: closed beta, tests and demos so far

Ananta has had very few tests open to players, and no open beta. The only confirmed player test was a small offline session on PC in Hangzhou, China, in January 2025^[1]. After that, the game was shown mostly at trade shows: Tokyo Game Show 2025 and a press demo at Gamescom 2026^[3][5]. A closed beta in China in January 2026 was reported by a leaker but never confirmed on the global official channels^[2].

Was there an Ananta beta?

Not in the usual sense. There has never been an open beta, and none is expected before the January 15, 2027 launch^[4][7]. The tests below were either limited to a small group, restricted to China, or reserved for trade show visitors and press.

The full timeline is also on our calendar.

What was the January 2025 offline test?

It was a small-scale offline technical test on PC, held in Hangzhou, China, on January 3 and 4, 2025. Recruitment closed on December 18, 2024^[1]. "Offline" here means an in-person session at a physical location, not a download.

Was there a closed beta in January 2026?

Not officially. A leaker reported a first closed beta running from January 16 to 20, 2026, on PC only and in China only^[2]. The same report came with leaked system requirements for that test^[2]. However, this beta was not announced on the global official channels, and NetEase has not confirmed it in the sources we reviewed. We list it here because players ask about it, but treat it as unconfirmed.

Could you play Ananta at Tokyo Game Show 2025?

Yes. Ananta was playable at Tokyo Game Show 2025, from September 25 to 28, 2025, at Makuhari Messe, Hall 6, booth C06^[3][4]. The show came right after the 7-minute gameplay trailer, which you can find in our trailers list.

What did the Gamescom 2026 demo show?

A hands-on demo was available at Gamescom 2026, in the business area, so for press and industry visitors rather than the general public^[5]. According to Automaton, it included a story segment with Wei Yinglong and exploration of Chongxiao, the second city^[5]. Inven played a separate segment of about 15 minutes set in Nova City^[6].

Those impressions are the most recent hands-on reports available. For background, see our pages on Wei Yinglong and Chongxiao and Lingyun.

Will there be another test before launch?

Nothing has been announced. Press reports say no open beta is expected before January 15, 2027^[4][7]. Whether another closed test happens, and whether the January 2026 closed beta will ever be officially confirmed, is not announced yet. If NetEase opens a new test, we will add it to this page with the source.