The Science Adventure series has never been short on ambition. Over the years, developer MAGES. and executive producer Chiyomaru Shikura have announced numerous projects ranging from visual novels and anime adaptations to live-action productions and light novels. However, many of these projects have remained in development for years, with few to no updates since their initial reveals.
With Steins;Gate RE:BOOT finally approaching release this August, now seems like the perfect time to look back at every announced but unreleased Science Adventure project and examine where they stand today. You can watch the video, or read the full article below.
Steins;Gate RE:BOOT
We’ll begin, of course, with Steins;Gate RE:BOOT itself.
Steins;Gate RE:BOOT is a full remake of the original Steins;Gate visual novel. The game was initially expected to release in 2025, but during an interview at WePlay Expo in Shanghai, Science Adventure producer Tatsuya Matsubara explained that the project had grown more ambitious than originally planned, requiring additional development time.
Since both Japanese and English release dates have now been announced, there is little doubt that the project is on track for release. In fact, RE:BOOT appears to have become MAGES.’ primary focus in recent months, serving as the centerpiece of their current series revival efforts.
Steins;Gate 0 Elite
Announced back in 2020, Steins;Gate 0 Elite was envisioned as a remake of Steins;Gate 0 using footage and assets from the anime adaptation, similar to what Steins;Gate Elite did for the original game.
Since its announcement, however, virtually nothing of the game has been publicly shown. Aside from a logo and a small handful of screenshots, MAGES. has provided no meaningful updates on the project.
One of our writers, Bassman, previously published a deep-dive investigation into the game’s status, and we highly recommend reading or watching it for a more detailed overview.
As for the future of the project, we imagine MAGES. is likely waiting to see how Steins;Gate RE:BOOT performs before looking at Steins;Gate 0. If RE:BOOT proves successful, it is possible the company could pivot away from the Elite concept altogether and instead develop a full Steins;Gate 0 RE:BOOT. Since the original Steins;Gate and Steins;Gate 0 visual novels already share many assets, such a transition would likely be more practical than developing a traditional Elite release.
Of course, this remains speculation, as MAGES. has not commented on its plans.
Steins;???
Also announced during the Steins;Gate tenth anniversary project lineup in 2020 was Steins;???, the long-awaited thematic sequel to Steins;Gate. The title is not final—the second half after the semicolon has yet to be revealed.
The project was described as a new entry set within the Science Adventure universe rather than a direct continuation of Steins;Gate’s story. Beyond that initial reveal, however, almost no information has surfaced over the past six years.
Given MAGES.’ current focus on Steins;Gate RE:BOOT, it seems likely that any major progress on Steins;??? will only be revealed after the remake has been released. For now, Steins;??? remains one of the biggest mysteries in the franchise.
Steins;Gate live action adaptation
The live action adaptation of Steins;Gate was originally announced in 2020 in partnership with Skydance Television.
Despite the excitement surrounding the announcement, updates have been extremely sparse. In January 2020, Chiyomaru Shikura discussed the project in an interview, sharing some of the creative philosophy behind the adaptation.
In 2024, during an interview, Tatsuya Matsubara was asked whether the adaptation was still being produced. His response was brief but reassuring: the project was still alive, although he could not share any additional details.
While the lack of information is frustrating, there has been no indication that the series has been canceled. For now, it remains quietly in production.
Occultic;Nine light novel volume 4
At the time of this writing, the Occultic;Nine light novel series remains unfinished.
Only three volumes have been published, leaving the story incomplete despite the novels serving as the original version of the narrative. Thankfully, all three volumes received official English translations, and when we reviewed them, we found them to be quite an enjoyable read.
Unfortunately, the first English volume has become increasingly difficult to obtain physically after going out of print, making it harder for newcomers to collect the series. The series continues to be available for digital, DRM-free purchase from its official publisher, J-Novel Club.
Whenever Chiyomaru Shikura has been asked about the long-awaited fourth volume, he continues to insist that it will eventually be released. However, no release window or concrete details have ever been provided.
As a result, Occultic;Nine Volume 4 remains one of the franchise’s longest-running unanswered questions.
Occultic;Nine New World
Perhaps one of the oldest unreleased Science Adventure projects is Occultic;Nine New World.
Originally announced shortly after the release of the Occultic;Nine visual novel in 2017, New World was intended to function similarly to Robotics;Notes Elite: it would be an enhanced version of the game featuring revised content, story improvements, and additional material.
Over the years, Shikura has repeatedly reaffirmed that the project has not been abandoned. In various interviews, he has spoken about his desire to release an updated version of the game on modern platforms while also providing existing owners with access to the new content.
One interesting challenge involves distribution. Shikura has previously explained that the amount of new content planned for the update could exceed the size limitations typically associated with downloadable content, making a free upgrade difficult to implement.
Nearly a decade after its announcement, Occultic;Nine New World seemingly continues to be in development, making it one of the longest-running projects in the Science Adventure series.
Anonymous;Code anime
An anime adaptation of Anonymous;Code has been discussed for years, although one has never been formally announced.
Rumors surrounding a potential adaptation surfaced as early as 2021, and Chiyomaru Shikura has occasionally commented on the possibility in interviews. In 2022, he stated that adapting Anonymous;Code into an anime would be extremely difficult due to the nature of its story, but he added that he would love to attempt it someday and requested that readers to look forward to the day an adaptation is announced.
Considering how heavily the visual novel relies on concepts and mechanics unique to the medium, Shikura’s concerns are understandable.
Unlike some of the other projects on this list, the Anonymous;Code anime technically does not exist as an officially announced production. Nevertheless, it remains a project that both fans and Shikura himself appear interested in seeing realized.
Looking at this list, one point becomes clear: very few Science Adventure projects are ever truly canceled, but they take time.
Many projects seem to enter a strange state of limbo, remaining in development for years while MAGES. focuses on more immediate priorities. With Steins;Gate RE:BOOT finally approaching release, however, there is reason to believe that some of these long-dormant projects may eventually return to the spotlight.
Whether that means finally seeing more information on Steins;???, Occultic;Nine getting completed, or Steins;Gate’s live action adaptation resurfacing remains to be seen. For now, the best option for fans is to wait patiently and keep an eye on the next Science Adventure announcements.
After all, if the series has taught us anything over the years, it’s that even projects that disappear for a long time have a habit of returning when you least expect it…
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