.hack//Link -RIVES-

'"I always though my first day of adventures gonna be the best things on my whole life. But when I realized, it's not something that I even expected. It's Cruel... too Cruel..." - Tokio'

.hack//Link -RIVES- is the anime series and a brand-new .hack titles, which is the first chapter titles to CHRONO RiSING Saga, produced by A-1 Pictures.

Written by Kazunari Ito, and Tatsuya Hamazaki, with Hiroshi Matsuyama as an executive producers for the anime series, which is also involved for the story of anime series, along with others team writers from A-1 Pictures which is under a rightful eyes by Kazunari Ito.

Story focus on Tokio Kuryuu 's first adventure in the next version of the most and massive popular game of MMORPG, The World R:X, along with his brother, Akira Kuryuu which fufilling their promises, however, the massive force appears that brought them in a massive hell of horrors and join force with friends that they had met to fight against them and uncovering the mystery surrounding The World and the major conspiracy.

The story of RIVES will be adapted into .hack//Link -RIVES- RE:CONNECT which includes a brand-new scenario, story arc, additional characters and gameplay elements based from Chrono Link with a brand-new elements adding to it, in order to experiencing The World R:X.

Behind RIVES's Title
RIVES titles is taken based on the most classified files from the operation which known as R.I.V.E.S which stands for The Operation of Road Immediate Virus Extermination System held by the groups conspirators came from CyberConnect Corporation who orchestrated to assassinate those who become virus to the CC Corp by having knowledge and awareness about CC Corps true existence of their goal, also assassinating the collaborators who worked with the traitors that who responsible for the Fire at CC Corp and it's R.A. Plan's failure at 2015 which resulting their reputation is on the line, if those traitor cannot be exterminated and the truth about their dark secrets come out.

And ENTIES, the strongest and ruthless hackers and PKK being assigned for the operation to wipe out every last of the collaborators and the witnesses who become a threat to them. So wiping them in a clean slate would be a best way to prevent any more casualities who witnessing the events being assassinated.

Setting
.hack//Link -RIVES- will set directly two years after the events of .hack//G.U. Vol.4 Reconnection and much importantly that the story begins at 3rd March 2020 which set one and half months after the release of the next version of the massive popular online game, The World R:X as it is a main setting in to the anime series, but although the real-life settings also shown to be in the area of Tokyo.

Following the end service of The World R:2, which the developers company CyberConnect Corporation has already developing the next version of the online game in secret since the AIDA Server incident in 2017 and the news of the development was spread to the public at the Summer Basketball Tournament in 2019 at Tasogare Mugen High School.

The World R:X will be more than just upgrade version to the second version, which now been rebooted to bring back the concept story about The Epitaph of Twlight while it set 1000 years after R:1 online story which featuring a Great War between Fantasia and CyberMachina. It is much kind bringing back all-elements together from R:1 while also the spiritual successor to the R:2 which now been released to the worldwide at 21 January 2020 which you can accessed it using a P-COM which you can log in with VR Scanners.

The third version has received over 500.000 Sells copies in just a few weeks after it's released and continue increased rapidly.

Synopsis
In the year of 2020 A.D. the most worldwide popular companies known as CyberConnect Corporation or known as CC Corp has released the next version of the biggest and massive popular MMORPG, The World R:X which began more trends worldwide, gained most recognition, and reached copies sells over 500.000, which aimed for younger to older audience as well which brought a new wide reach popularity reputation to the company.

The Tasogare Mugen's high school junior student, Tokio Kuryuu become known as Gaming Freak for his love hobbies for Games and the former No.1 Star Players of Blue Flame Devil Basketball and the high school junior student Akira Kuryuu who began to immersed their beginning adventure into The World R:X to fufilled their childhood's promise, something that could get away from real-life problem.

Journey starts as they begin their first experience as Newbie and going through their first trial by accepting The Night of the Glorious Treasure Quest, but sudden things happens with a mysterious PC with a mask known as ENTIES the hackers and PKK, brought the great distortion and terrible horrors in the online game which steers their enjoyment adventures, turn into a bloody hell, resulting people's mind not become coma, but actually died in the real world.

Along their journeys as they met with people along the way, together fighting ENTIES to prevent the massacre against players, while uncover the secret identity of ENTIES and learn unexpected phenomenon that happens between Online Game and Real World due to his existence.

And thus, the journey of the boy name Tokio Kuryuu, begins!!

Main Characters

 * Tokio/Tokio Kuryuu
 * Akira/Akira Kuryuu

PC (Non-Affliated with Guild)

 * Sol
 * Nanami
 * Kuroda
 * Jikanet

Canard

 * Gaspard
 * Shion
 * X7
 * K-J
 * Fei
 * Silabus

Missy Beauty Guild

 * Missy-White
 * Kyori
 * Lycia
 * Peronia
 * Yukii
 * Beauty Grunty

Red Dead Guild

 * Davis
 * Merelonia
 * Yasha-Killer
 * Kruger
 * John77
 * The F
 * Chimney
 * Death Grunty

Sky Rocket

 * Nishijima81
 * Jego
 * Aendo

Blue Moon Guild

 * Yuna
 * Hyokawa1
 * Easteria
 * Allen
 * Terattion
 * Yukio

Raven Guild

 * Seraphora
 * Elgo
 * Kyushu
 * Natsume
 * Gord
 * Pi

Legion Unity

 * Han Shi
 * Reona
 * Kouda
 * Silver Knight
 * Rena
 * Silver Paladin

PK (Player-Killer)

 * Shimano
 * Neil
 * Burosta
 * Elaine
 * Brocker
 * Shin
 * Juroshia
 * Andro
 * Heilzam
 * Judogiri
 * IYOTEN
 * Asta
 * Bordeux
 * Helheimour

Circuss Night Parade

 * Geist
 * Polandi
 * JackMaster
 * Gundola
 * Celebro

CC Corp

 * Takiyoda Kuroda
 * Durga Fiida Sharma/Genius
 * Judi Shwarman
 * Dr. Octa Asgrodia
 * Piros The REBORN
 * Ryuji Sogabe

Hacker

 * ENTIES
 * The Slayer
 * The Raid001
 * Helos-Pierce
 * Ju21

Real World

 * Mr. Kuryuu
 * Mrs. Kuryuu
 * Miyuki Kuryuu
 * Gemomaki
 * Kyon
 * Kajin Sho
 * Shoko Adashino

Other

 * Netto
 * Nagito Shohoyju


 * Relena Northstein
 * Shinra Takeshima


 * Jyotaro Amagi
 * Jun Bansyoya
 * Ayaka Amagi
 * Kazumi Ito
 * Salvador Aihara
 * AIKA
 * Saika Amagi

Episodes
"See .hack//Link -RIVES- List Episodes"

Movie

 * .hack//Link -RIVES- The Movie: The Ways of the True Samurai
 * .hack//Link -RIVES- The Movie: The Key of the Chrono
 * .hack//Link -RIVES- The Movie: ENTIES Rising

Continuation
.hack//Link -Chrono Link- is direct-sequel and continuation to the first one, which also part of IMMORTAL DUSK Trilogy saga and also the remade version of .hack//Link the original 2010s PSP Version which focus continuing Tokio's journey with arrival of the transfer student, Saika Koshizumi and transporting him into The World R:X once again.

Entrusted by Kite's will and helping Saika to free Twilight Knights from mysterious tower known as Akashic Records which is already been there ever since Tokio's first login, and obtain the mysterious items known as Chrono Core which connected inside three legendary heroe and a key to reach to the top of Akashic Records. It must be obtained before the mysterious hired-hackers, Schicksal trying to get it first.

Trivia

 * RIVES story only existed in IMMORTAL DUSK Trilogy Saga, since those events didn't existed in .hack//Link (PSP).
 * Although it wasn't even explained, however, it is revealed the story RIVES is set after the original .hack//Link
 * It is a second time that RIVES anime will be a prequel stories to the remake stories of PSP version, which featured a same protagonist. The first time was .hack//Roots anime.
 * Tokio's login to The World R:X and begin his journey at 3rd March 2020, which is the same date as when the PSP Version of .hack//Link was released.
 * RIVES anime will be considered as reboot stories due to the setting is different from the original one.
 * This might be direct-sequel to .hack//G.U. Vol.4 Reconnection.
 * The events is alternate timeline, different from the real timeline which 2020 A.D. is where COVID-19 outbreak was took place, and this (.hack) universe has no events records about the virus nor it even existed, however, something events could created based inspiration from that events in many ways.
 * RIVES titles is basically based on those classified operation files which was completely hidden by CyberConnect Corporation.