Steins;Gate 0 Release Date and Pre-Orders Appear on Amazon

Retailer Amazon opened pre-orders for Steins;Gate 0, revealing a North American release date in the process. The product pages for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita versions of the game listed a launch date of September 27. The visual novel is a follow-up to Steins;Gate, which was released in North America in 2015.

Published by PQube and developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus, Steins;Gate 0 continues the story of the critically acclaimed science-fiction adventure. The original game was described as an award-winning title and one of the most successful visual novels released in the West, setting a high bar for its successor.

A Story from an Alternate Worldline

The plot of Steins;Gate 0 is not a direct continuation of the original game’s main ending. Instead, it branches off from that narrative to explore an alternate worldline. This approach allows the story to present a different set of circumstances and outcomes for its returning cast. The game’s official description elaborates on this unique premise.

Players will once again follow Okabe and the other members of the Future Gadget Lab. The central conflict of this new story revolves around Artificial Intelligence and the creation of a system called ‘Amadeus’. This technology is a means of interacting with the stored memories of another human being, introducing a new layer of psychological and technological drama to the series. The narrative aims to deliver the same rich characterization and complex science fiction storytelling that defined the first game.

Official Game Description

The publisher provided a detailed summary of what to expect from the sequel’s story and its connection to the original.

“STEINS;GATE 0 is the sequel to the award-winning time travel science fiction interactive Visual Novel developed by 5pb. and Nitroplus – ‘STEINS;GATE’ – widely considered to be one of the greatest visual novels ever made and one of the best-selling Visual Novels ever released in the West!”

The description continues, outlining the new plot points: “Branching off from the ending of the original STEINS;GATE to an alternate worldline, STEINS;GATE 0 sees Okabe and the Future Gadget Lab members return once again in a story centred around Artificial Intelligence and the creation of ‘Amadeus’ – a means of interacting with the stored memories of a fellow human being.”

PQube promised that the game would appeal to both established fans and newcomers. “STEINS;GATE 0 continues the series trademark of delivering incredible science fiction storytelling with rich characterisation that most games can only dream of and will delight both newcomers to the series and existing STEINS;GATE fans.”

Platforms and Pre-Order Details

The Amazon listings confirmed that Steins;Gate 0 was planned for both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita. The appearance of the product pages marked the opening of pre-orders for both physical versions of the game in North America. The September 27 release date was the first specific confirmation for the region provided to the public.