Do you remember the .hack series? Are you even old enough to know what it is? Don’t worry if your answer is negative, as even RPG veterans admit it wasn’t particularly big in the West. Still, it remains one of the most fascinating series out there, albeit a hard one to follow due to its complicated titling and transmedia characteristics.
Now, just in time for studio CyberConnect2’s 30th anniversary, a new project has been announced out of nowhere: .hack//Z.E.R.O. marks the return of the franchise, which had been dormant on the games front since 2017’s .hack//G.U. Last Recode remaster. You can watch the first trailer below:
“Bandai Namco Entertainment has given CyberConnect2 permission to manage the entirety of the project from planning and development to release. It will be a title that is fully self-published by CyberConnect2,” the official website reveals. Yes, it appears Bandai Namco isn’t letting go of the IP rights and doesn’t want to put money into the project, but thankfully, the entertainment giant has allowed it to happen with the original developers.
Shortly after the reveal, Famitsu has published an interview with CyberConnect2’s CEO Hiroshi “Piros” Matsuyama, who’s serving as executive producer on Z.E.R.O. It’s unclear right now if the game will follow an episodic format or happen over several entries in the style of the original series and the G.U. trilogy. However, more details were uncovered.
First, Matsuyama has said Z.E.R.O. isn’t connected to previous entries in the franchise, which should help newcomers jump in without previous knowledge of the universe. The World, the online game inside which the bulk of the stories was set, will also return, but they’re pushing 10 years into the future with the setting in order to double down on social media as a central part of our lives. Moreover, there will be a special focus on real drama between humans and “multiple layers of society as the main enemies,” including an evil corporation (of course).
You’ll have to wait for more details and the first in-game footage, but CyberConnect2 has also stated they’ve been trying to get this game done for nearly a decade, so chances are this is being treated as a big new beginning for the franchise rather than a one-and-done spinoff.
