While many anime franchises will rely on hard-hitting, universe-shaking battles or slice-of-life romantic comedies that bring a smile to viewers’ faces, some stories in the medium can be exceptionally thought-provoking. Steins;Gate, for example, is a time-traveling epic that might not have fisticuffs, but it is still regarded as an anime classic to this day. First released as a visual novel in 2009, the franchise would receive an anime adaptation in 2011 that helped spread the story worldwide. This summer, a brand new take on Steins;Gate is set to return, following a major delay, giving Rintaro Okabe another crack at travelling the timeline.
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On August 20th this summer, Steins;Gate Re:Boot will arrive on quite a few video game platforms. Originally planned to release last year in 2025, the remake will return to the franchise’s roots, dropping the latest entry on Nintendo Switch & Switch 2, PlayStation 4 & 5, XBox Series X/S, and Steam. In the build-up to this new entry, you can read out the description along with a trailer below: “The universe has a beginning, but it has no end, infinite. Stars too have a beginning, but are by their own power destroyed, finite. History teaches that those who hold wisdom are often the most foolish. The fish in the sea know not the land. If they too hold wisdom, they too will be destroyed. It is more ridiculous for man to exceed light speed than for fish to live ashore. This may also be called God’s final warning to those who rebel.”
Open The Gate
For those wondering how this new game will change from the original outing, here’s how the game developer, MAGS, breaks down the big differences of Re:Boot, “Based on the scenario of “Steins;Gate Elite,” this version has been adjusted to be more fast-paced and easier to read. Furthermore, new worldlines and ending scenarios have been added!
A story no one has ever seen before awaits you. All characters, backgrounds, and event stills have been redrawn from scratch, resulting in a major update. Compared to the Xbox 360 version, the number of event stills has approximately doubled, and the background graphics have increased by approximately 1.2 times! This vast amount of visuals will deliver an even more immersive experience.”
In early 2020, Steins;Gate was announced to receive a live-action adaptation, following in the footsteps of countless other anime franchises that have done the same. As of 2024, series producer Tatsuya Matsubara confirmed that the show remains in production, though no news has been revealed this year. Even following the franchise’s original anime series, the time travel series has still had a hand in the medium in some surprising ways. Specifically, there has been a Steins;Gate and Hello Kitty crossover, smashing together two franchises that couldn’t be more different. While this wasn’t a full anime series, it showed how the time-travel anime could explore brand-new areas of entertainment.
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