35 Million Pre-Registrations for Neverness to Everness — Did the Hype Translate Into Streaming Popularity?
- May 18
- 6 min read
Strong Launch Momentum, AI Controversy, and Divided Global Audience Reactions
Kim Jun-su (HealT) | 2026-05-18 08:30:36
Article Link : https://www.thisisgame.com/articles/423651
A look at this week’s hottest title through global streaming indicators, powered by data analytics solution ContentFlux.
Today’s spotlight is on the supernatural urban open-world RPG 'Neverness to Everness'. Nicknamed the “Subculture GTA” even before launch, the game amassed more than 35 million global pre-registrations. We examined how this highly anticipated title performed within the global streaming ecosystem.
35 Million Pre-Registrations for a Highly Anticipated Urban Open-World RPG
NTE is a supernatural urban open-world RPG developed by Hotta Studio and published by Perfect World. Following its Chinese launch on April 23, the game officially rolled out globally—including Korea—on April 29.
Set in the fictional metropolis “Hetero City,” where humanity coexists with paranormal phenomena, players take on the role of an unlicensed anomaly hunter completing supernatural commissions throughout the city alongside a cast of unique superpowered companions.
Beyond combat, the game combines a variety of urban lifestyle activities including racing, housing, café management, fishing, and rhythm mini-games.
Built on Unreal Engine 5, Hetero City is presented as a seamless open world where players can freely explore everything from city streets to underwater areas without loading screens. The game also emphasizes relationship-focused content, including companion rides and interactive housing systems with the game’s superpowered characters.
Global pre-registrations surpassed 35 million, signaling strong anticipation well before launch.
On launch day, April 29, large-scale offline events—including a pop-up store and coffee truck event in Hongdae, Seoul—attracted massive crowds, including many visitors who had not yet played the game itself.
That enthusiasm also translated into revenue. During an investor briefing, Perfect World officially announced that the game surpassed 100 million yuan (approximately KRW 21.5 billion) in revenue on its first day of global release.
Interestingly, spending was heavily concentrated on PC and console platforms rather than mobile:
PC accounted for roughly 65% of revenue in China
Overseas PC and PlayStation console versions accounted for approximately 75% of revenue globally
▶ Crowds gathered at the offline event “Anomaly Management Bureau in Hongdae.”
Strong Metrics in English-Speaking Markets and Japan, But Korea Remains Outside the Rankings
According to the ContentFlux Top 100 charts, NTE entered both YouTube and Twitch rankings immediately after launch in late April.
YouTube Performance
Week 5 of April (April 27–May 3):
17.2 million views (No.52)
Week 1 of May (May 4–10):
24.3 million views (No.36)
Week 2 of May (May 11–17):
5.9 million views (No.64)
The data suggests a noticeable adjustment following the initial surge.
Twitch Performance
Week 5 of April:
850K peak concurrent viewers (No.10)
Week 1 of May:
308K peak viewers
Week 2 of May:
186K peak viewers
Despite declining numbers, the game remained within the Top 28 rankings.
Meanwhile, no ranking-level indicators were recorded on Korean platforms CHZZK or SOOP during the same period.
▶ NTE rankings based on cumulative views and peak concurrent viewers during the fifth week of April 2026.
▶ NTE rankings during the first week of May 2026.
▶ NTE rankings during the second week of May 2026.
Analysis of global audience distribution over the past 18 days (April 28–May 15) showed that Japan accounted for the largest share of YouTube views at 28.9%, followed by:
United States: 26.0%
Indonesia: 15.3%
Spain: 8.2%
Russia: 6.0%
Korea accounted for only 2.8% of total view share.
In terms of content creation volume:
Japan: 17.8%
United States: 11.7%
Indonesia: 10.0%
India: 6.4%
Brazil: 3.6%
▶ Distribution of YouTube views for NTE content by country.
▶ Distribution of YouTube content creation for NTE by country.
On Twitch, English-speaking audiences dominated language-based metrics.
Peak Concurrent Viewership by Language
English: 48.6%
Chinese: 11.2%
Spanish: 10.3%
French: 8.1%
Russian: 7.4%
Number of Streams by Language
English: 41.7%
Spanish: 10.8%
Russian: 10.0%
Chinese: 9.9%
French: 8.7%
▶ Distribution of Twitch peak concurrent viewers for NTE by language.
▶ Distribution of Twitch streaming volume for NTE by language.
Launch Momentum Meets AI Controversy — Divided Audience Sentiment
We also analyzed how global influencers evaluated NTE through gameplay and commentary videos, along with the sentiment trends surrounding those videos.
First, UK-based YouTube creator GameRiot, who has approximately 1.97 million subscribers, introduced the game’s overall gameplay experience through a dedicated video.
From the opening sequence to character selection, basic controls, and combat systems, the creator positively evaluated the game’s mechanics and worldbuilding centered around anomalies and supernatural zones.
The video also highlighted:
Rich interactions with characters and NPCs
Progression systems such as leveling and gear upgrades
Open-world exploration elements
At the same time, concerns regarding the game’s economy and monetization structure were also raised.
YouTube comment sentiment distribution for the video showed:
Neutral: 47%
Positive: 27%
Negative: 26%
While viewers generally praised the graphics, combat, story, and overall gameplay, many also compared the title to games such as Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero, raising concerns about originality and gacha monetization systems.
▶ Comment sentiment distribution for GameRiot’s NTE video.
Key Points
Free-to-play across mobile, PC, and PS5
Distinctive art style and engaging storytelling
Intuitive controls and satisfying combat systems
Interesting mechanics centered around anomalies and supernatural zones
Rich dialogue and exploration systems involving NPCs and characters
Low Points
Early build instability made preview sessions difficult
Some voice acting and lip-sync mismatches
Concerns surrounding monetization and gacha systems
Sudden difficulty spikes during early progression
Balance concerns caused by character level differences
▶ Partial summary of GameRiot’s NTE video by ContentFlux AI.
Positive Summary
Strong praise for graphics, combat, story, and overall gameplay
High satisfaction with character interactions, music, and open-world design
Neutral Summary
Comparisons with titles such as GTA, Genshin Impact, and Zenless Zone Zero
Discussions regarding the game’s long-term potential
Concerns about gacha systems and story-driven progression
Negative Summary
Criticism regarding combat pacing and character design quality
Concerns over lack of originality compared to Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero
▶ Partial summary of comment sentiment from GameRiot’s video by ContentFlux AI.
Meanwhile, Japanese YouTube creator Cabbage (キャベツの人), who has 429K subscribers, focused less on gameplay itself and more on the controversies surrounding the game before and after launch.
The creator discussed:
Allegations regarding the use of generative AI in NTE
Discovery of imagery resembling scenes from the anime Weathering With You
The developer’s official response
Suspension of promotional broadcasts by major overseas VTubers
The video also examined how audience reception became highly polarized and how social media and YouTube algorithms structurally amplify extreme opinions.
Comment sentiment distribution showed:
Negative: 64%
Neutral: 26%
Positive: 10%
Viewers primarily criticized the lack of transparency surrounding AI usage and raised copyright concerns. Negative sentiment was driven less by the game itself and more by distrust toward the developer’s response.
▶ Comment sentiment distribution for Cabbage’s NTE-related video.
Key Points
Allegations of generative AI usage within NTE
Discovery of imagery resembling scenes from Weathering With You
Overseas VTubers suspending promotional broadcasts
Analysis of highly polarized game reception
Criticism of social media and YouTube algorithms amplifying extreme opinions
Low Points
Trust issues caused by undisclosed AI usage
Failure to inform VTubers and voice actors about AI implementation
Confusion caused by sharply divided public reception
Concerns regarding biased information exposure on social platforms
Ethical and copyright controversies surrounding generative AI
▶ Partial summary of Cabbage’s NTE-related video by ContentFlux AI.
Positive Summary
Some viewers expressed positive attitudes toward AI-assisted game development itself
Positive reactions toward other gaming news featured in the video, including Final Fantasy and Star Fox
Neutral Summary
Discussions surrounding copyright and ethics of AI-generated content in gaming and creative industries
Debate over consent and respect in AI-generated works
Negative Summary
Criticism regarding the developer’s lack of transparency about AI usage
Ethical concerns surrounding unauthorized training on copyrighted materials
▶ Partial summary of comment sentiment from Cabbage’s video by ContentFlux AI.
The reactions from the two creators demonstrate how entirely different audience narratives can emerge depending on the framing and approach of the content itself.
Gameplay-focused videos generated a mixture of excitement and concern, while videos centered on controversy shifted audience discussion toward issues of trust and developer transparency.
Hotta Studio later clarified through an official statement that AI usage was limited to certain background and environmental assets, and was not applied to characters or story content.
Restoring trust with the community may ultimately become just as important as refining the game’s core experience itself.
This article is provided in partnership with GC (ContentFlux )
