In the year 2022, the gaming industry has reached a new height after the development of the NerveGear, a helmet-like controller that allows the to fully dive their senses into the world of virtual reality. After a closed beta with only 1,000 testers, the Virtual Reality MMORPG Sword Art Online is launched. The game takes place within a floating castle of steel called Aincrad where thousands of monsters are found in its 100 floors, and the players are given an array of medieval inspired weapons to use.