After the termination of the incredibly popular virtual reality MMORPG The World, a new version of the game—The World R:2—is brought online. On his first day in the game, newcomer Haseo thinks he has made some friends to quest with. However, as if mocking his sentiments, they kill his character just for fun. Luckily, he is saved by a mysterious, one-armed player named Ovan who offers to show him around The World. Alongside Ovan and his cleric friend Shino, Haseo enjoys a wonderful first year in the game. But this peaceful life is shattered when Shino's character is killed by a familiar figure notoriously known as Tri-Edge, whose victims have all fallen into comas in the real world. In a fit of rage, Haseo vows to find the elusive Tri-Edge and kill him. Taking place during Haseo's first year in The World, .hack//Roots explores the friendships Haseo built in the game before Tri-Edge ripped them away.

In the game, the player takes the role of an unnamed former little senior league baseball ace who lost his or her baseball career after suffering an unspecified injury. The character moves to his or her grandmother's hometown and enrolls in the local high school, resolved never to enter the world of baseball again. When the character meets Tsubasa Arihara, he or she is persuaded to be the manager of the school's baseball team, and to take the team to the high school nationals at Koshien. (Source: ANN)

The characters from previous .hack//G.U. Games and .hack//Roots receive an email from Ovan. He is requesting them to go to Hidden Forbidden Festival where is set up a mysterious summer festival. There they find an AIDA Chim Chim who wishes to peacefully co-exist with the other players of The World. It then transforms into the word Returner, so they assume it to mean that Ovan will return to The World. (Source: ANN)

Based on the CyberConnect2 HIT GAME, now will be released in a CG Movie! The Movie will be placed in the storyline of each .hack//G.U. games trilogy. The story follows Haseo, a player in the online MMORPG called The World:R2 at first depicted as a PKK (Player Killer Killer) known as the Terror of Death, a former member of the disbanded Twilight Brigade guild. Haseo encounters Azure Kite (believing him to be Tri-Edge and blaming him for what happened to Shino) but is hopelessly outmatched. Azure Kite easily defeats Haseo and Data Drains him, reducing his level from 133 to 1 and leaving him without any items, weapons, or member addresses. He is left with a mystery on his hands as to the nature of the Data Drain and why Azure Kite is in possession of such a skill. Eventually Haseo gains the Avatar of Skeith. Acquiring the ability to call Skeith and wield his abilities, such as Data Drain. With Skeith as his strength, Haseo begins the quest for a way to save Shino. He is seen seeking out a PK (Player Killer) known as Tri-Edge, whose victims supposedly are unable to return to The World after he PKs them. Haseo's friend, Shino, was attacked six months prior to the events of the game by Tri-Edge, and the player herself, Shino Nanao, was left in a coma. (Source: AniDB)