The .HACK (referred to as "Dot-Hack") storyline and universe originated as PlayStation 2 video game in 2002, and has since spread to a variety of manga and anime forms. In the .HACK world, it is the near-future, and a massive multi-player online role-playing game called "The World" dominates every aspect of both virtual and physical reality. "The World" comes into crisis with the appearance of player-killers that can send gamers into real comas. Through videogames, comics, and anime, the story of the .HACK world is told through various perspectives. In the .HACK//ROOTS series, the first version of a "The World" was destroyed when a fire burned down the critical datacenters. Now a new version "The World R:2" has appeared, and it is particularly dangerous to players. Newbie player Haseo must avoid being hunted down by the player-killers and the unfriendly guilds, and develop into one of "The World's" most famous player-killer bounty hunters.