.hack//G.U. Returner

After the destruction of "The World" in 2015, CC Corporation rebuilt the game using data from what was previously to be another game. "The World R:2" was then released in 2016. A newcomer to the game, Haseo, is instantly PKed and then revived by a mysterious man known as Ovan. With the problem of PKs occupying the game, Haseo soon after receives help from a female Harvest known as Shino. Amidst curiosity and confusion, Haseo is lead to joining the guild known as the Twilight Brigade. The guild that searches for the legendary object known as the "Key of the Twilight". Set before the .hack//G.U. game.

As an expression of gratitude for the heroes of both the ".hack//Sign" and the ".hack" game series, Helba has prepared a special event for all the characters to find the newly established 'Twilight Hot Springs'. The characters can get their well deserved rest and relaxation by having a soak in the wonderful hot springs, but there is only one problem -- the hot springs are hidden and there have been mysterious player murders. With the only clue being the word “GIFT”, the race has begun to find the culprit and the location of the hot springs.

Tobias, Mary, and Sakuya challenge the impregnable "The One Sin", but they lose their way in the maze and unintentionally trap other guild members. A mysterious cat is watching their blunder. Is it another player character or NPC?

Somewhere in the MMORPG called ‘The World’, a group is gathered at a pub, awaiting the start of an event. There, old friends and acquaintances are reunited, including those who rarely log on. Some are even forging new relationships for the first time. Together, invited by the hacker Helba, the group leaves for the event in the Net Slums where a celebration awaits them all.