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CyberConnect2 announces.hack//Z.E.R.O after 15 years for 30th anniversary

Kagi News | 2026-02-16 11:15 UTC | source

🎮 Japanese developer CyberConnect2 has revealed.hack//Z.E.R.O., a new game in the.hack series and the franchise’s first major new entry in many years 43. The announcement came as part of the studio’s 30th anniversary celebrations, and CyberConnect2 is positioning it as a complete reset aimed at newcomers—no prior knowledge required 1.

CyberConnect2 says the project has been in development for around a decade and is planned for “home consoles,” though the studio hasn’t confirmed specific platforms yet 12.

The teaser trailer nods to earlier.hack works, with Kite running through a dungeon, references to The World MMORPG, and the line: "This world is at ‘Dusk.’ It matches with us so well" 5.

Screenshot from.hack//Zero's reveal trailer, showing a blue haired protagonist with headphones on looking into the camera. A blue sky stands behind him while ominous black threads creep toward his face.
Screenshot from.hack//Zero's reveal trailer, showing a blue haired protagonist with headphones on looking into the camera. A blue sky stands behind him while ominous black threads creep toward his face. — gamesradar.com

Sources

  1. CyberConnect2 has announced .hack//Z.E.R.O for 30th anniversary [mynintendonews.com] (2026-02-16)
  2. .hack//Z.E.R.O. announced [gematsu.com] (2026-02-16)
  3. Brand New .hack Game Announced as CyberConnect 2 Revives Classic RPG Series [pushsquare.com] (2026-02-16)
  4. Cult JRPG series is getting a new game for the first time in 15 years, and Bandai Namco is giving the OG devs full control of the project [gamesradar.com] (2026-02-16)
  5. New .hack game is JRPG .hack//Zero [siliconera.com] (2026-02-16)
  6. CyberConnect2's 30th anniversary game revealed as .hack//Z.E.R.O. action RPG for consoles - RPG Site [google.com] (2026-02-16)

Highlights

  1. Developer-led production: CyberConnect2 says.hack//Z.E.R.O. is a fully new, original project handled entirely in-house, with Bandai Namco no longer involved in this entry 54
  2. ‘Dusk’ callback: The trailer’s closing line about the world being at “Dusk” appears to reference earlier.hack works, including.hack//Legend of the Twilight 5
  3. Trailer specifics beyond the dungeon: The teaser begins in the real world, with a person in a hospital bed browsing the internet as multiple blocking notices pop up before the visuals glitch into The World. It also flashes an image of a young woman with Aura’s infinity symbol and shows a Heavy Blade resembling BlackRose fighting an armored, white-haired antagonist 5
Promotional image for.hack//Zero featuring the game's logo and visual elements
Promotional image for.hack//Zero featuring the game's logo and visual elements — siliconera.com

Perspectives

CyberConnect2: The studio says this is a totally new, original entry produced entirely in-house, and it’s presenting the project as one without Bandai Namco’s direct involvement this time.

Push Square: The publication leaned on the “starting from ZERO” framing, calling it a clean revival for home consoles—rather than a mobile-only spin-off—and a reset point for the series.

Games Radar: The outlet framed the announcement as a shift toward creator control, highlighting that the original developers have full control of the new.hack project after years of dormancy.