Neverness to Everness Tops $298 Million: Inside the 'Anime GTA' Everyone Is Playing

For years, fans of anime open-world games asked the same question: what if the next one was set not in a fantasy kingdom but in a modern city, with cars, apartments and neon? In 2026, Neverness to Everness answered, and the internet quickly gave it a nickname: the "anime GTA".

Published by Perfect World and developed by Hotta Studio, the free-to-play urban RPG launched in China on 23 April 2026 and worldwide on 29 April 2026. By 18 August, its cumulative revenue had passed 2 billion yuan, about $298 million, according to figures reported in the Japanese press. Nearly $98 million of that arrived in the roughly six weeks after early July.

A city full of strange things

Neverness to Everness, often shortened to NTE, is set in a sprawling city where supernatural anomalies hide among skyscrapers and convenience stores. You explore on foot and by car, take on cases, and fight with a team of characters who each have their own powers. The city is the star: streets you can drive, shops you can enter and districts that feel lived-in.

The game is available on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, iOS and Android. On PC, it launched through its own client and Google Play Games at first, then arrived on Steam and the Epic Games Store on 8 July 2026.

The numbers so far

The launch was big from the first day. The global release generated more than 100 million yuan worldwide on day one. By 30 June, revenue was over 1.4 billion yuan, more than $200 million. After Version 1.1, both the Chinese and global versions set single-day records.

Two details stand out. First, the global version reportedly earned more than the Chinese version, which is rare for a Chinese-made gacha game. Second, around 60% of revenue came from official platforms, including the game's own PC and Android versions, rather than Apple's and Google's stores. App-store-only trackers therefore capture only part of the picture; on the App Store and Google Play, the game was approaching about $50 million after two months.

Why the publisher still lost money

Here is the twist. Despite the hit, Perfect World reported a first-half 2026 loss of about 118 million yuan, roughly $18 million. The company pointed to timing: launch marketing costs were booked up front, while player spending is recognised as revenue over a longer period. In other words, the bill arrived before most of the income did.

Why it works

NTE stands out in a crowded genre with one clear idea: a modern city instead of a fantasy world. That makes it instantly different in trailers and streams. Launching on PC, console and phones at once, with an official PC client, also helped it reach players who might never install a mobile game.

What's next

The test now is staying power. Revenue growth has slowed four months in, though it remains strong. Each new version must give players a reason to return, and the competition, from Genshin Impact to Arknights: Endfield, is fierce.

WGC's take: Neverness to Everness is 2026's clearest sign that the anime open-world genre still has room to grow, as long as a game brings a genuinely new idea. A city you can drive through turned out to be that idea. If Hotta Studio keeps the anomalies coming, NTE could become one of the long-runners of the genre.