It’s been a long time coming, but the big day is almost here. The legendary STEINS;GATE—which shaped the trajectory of the long-running Science Adventure series over a decade ago—will finally receive a completely overhauled remake this year. STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT promises detailed new graphics, fresh story additions, improved music, and much, much more for the inquisitive mad scientist to discover.
Kiri Kiri Basara received the exciting opportunity to discuss RE:BOOT with its English localization team—Andrew Hodgson, aka “Steiner,” and H. Anthony Israel, aka “Blick,” who you may recognize as the tag team who also helmed the original STEINS;GATE translation in 2014. Curious what to expect from this release as a newcomer or longtime fan? Wondering exactly how this English localization came to fruition? Want to hear the translation team’s thoughts on STEINS;GATE itself? You’ve come to the right place. We hope you enjoy the read!
01
First and foremost, thank you for agreeing to take this interview! It’s always a privilege to discuss the Science Adventure series with the localization team.
In 2014, STEINS;GATE was officially released in English, translated by H. Anthony Israel and Andrew Hodgson. On August 20, 2026 for Steam, and October 29, 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series consoles and PlayStation 5, its remake will also be released in English—once again thanks to the hard work of H. Anthony Israel and Andrew Hodgson.
Can you clarify what your respective roles and responsibilities were during the localization of STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT?
Andrew Hodgson (Steiner)
Translator
Of course! Thank you for having us, always a pleasure to talk about this kind of thing when the opportunity arises.
The STEINS;GATE localization originally released back in 2014, but work on it actually began a few years prior. It was a fan project being organized over IRC! I was still a student at the time, and I happened to stumble upon the project while the anime was airing. Blick was the lead translator back then, handling the lion's share. I handled some minor parts, song lyric translations (exclusive to that original PC release) and some editing. But now, over a decade later, we're back together as that dream team... But our roles flipped! Now I'm in the translator hotseat, and Blick's got my back with the editing. A chunk of it still uses that original script base, but we made sure to go over everything with a full editing pass and partial retranslation pass, and the new content exclusive to RE:BOOT is entirely my translation work, so this script is the definitive culmination of both mine and Blick's work as translators.
H. Anthony Israel (Blick)
Editor
Thank you for organizing this interview.
STEINS;GATE was my first time working on a fan translation project as a translator, and perhaps by accident, or perhaps by fate, it also became my first official, paid translation. I was a biomedical engineering undergrad at the time, making future gadgets of my own. Nearly fifteen years later, STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is back, and so are we. Andrew, better known as Steiner, is the translator of new and adapted story content throughout the game. My job was to edit the script so that the new and old portions played nicely with each other in their new contexts, like clarifying a pronoun's now-missing antecedent. I also made sure that the script didn't get too British. (Andrew is from the United Kingdom.)
02
How did it feel to be returning to a localization project that was so familiar, yet also so new, twelve years later? Did the additional years of experience affect your approach to RE:BOOT?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
It was surprisingly refreshing! Anyone who's followed my work knows I'm plenty familiar with STEINS;GATE and the broader Science Adventure Series, so it was kind of like fitting into an old T-Shirt you haven't seen in years. Familiar in many ways, but maybe you don't quite wear it the same.
For me, coming back to STEINS;GATE was the icing on the cake after what had already felt like my "full circle" moment in translating ANONYMOUS;CODE.
As for whether my experience affected my approach, I think so. Looking at the old script, I'm sure Blick would agree there were lines from the old script that were worthy of being touched up a little, or maybe just outright erroneous. It's been close to fifteen years since we started poking at that stuff, I think there'd be something wrong with me if I didn't have fresh eyes on it!
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
Working on RE:BOOT was like opening up a time capsule. An old typing quirk I had in college was using three-dot ellipses (…) if a sentence trailed off… and then got picked up again, but four-dot ellipses (….) if the sentence trailed off, and what followed was a different thought…. See what I did just there?
Anyway, before STEINS;GATE's first English release, we standardized all ellipses to three dots… or so we thought. I found just a single four-dot ellipsis hiding in an obscure in-game email. Just a single dot got my Nostalgia Driven.
I'm glad I got to go Back to the Mail and give it another look. It truly is a time capsule, like Mail that Leapt through Time.
03
What did your localization workflow look like during this project, especially when it came to balancing your existing work and the new content added?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
Workflow was pretty simple stuff. We shared a sheet, I translated lines and Blick edited them. Sometimes we'd consult each other on specific parts, or if we wanted to revise a segment we'd explain our reasoning to each other. If it made sense, we went over it again.
When it came to balancing old stuff and new stuff, it was just a matter of getting back into the mindset. Obviously STEINS;GATE is a definitive product of a very specific era, and it was important to us that we evoke that feeling in the translation throughout.
STEINS;GATE as a narrative is entrenched in 2010 Akihabara. The moe stuff, the meme and net culture, that needs to stay authentic to the era and to the setting. So we're not jamming in random memes from 2020 or whatever, we made sure every reference was either faithfully translated or (in the case of the really esoteric stuff that didn't have a reasonable explanation within the text) faithfully approximated to something era-appropriate.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
I don't have much to say that Steiner hasn't said, but speaking of era-inappropriate memes from the 2020s, I would bug Steiner whenever the number 67 appeared in the script.
04
What can newcomers and longtime series fans expect from the story additions and other new content introduced in RE:BOOT? What, in your opinion, makes it stand out compared to the original STEINS;GATE?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
Newcomers can expect the STEINS;GATE that everyone knows, loves, and has raved about! It's the same gripping sci-fi narrative that people have been enjoying for the last fifteen or so years, with updated visuals and music, reworked voice acting, and a new layer to the storytelling!
It's exactly these visual and audio reworks that makes it appealing to longtime fans as well. It's a way to relive the story anew, observe it from a new perspective, and indeed enjoy the new content!
It's been revealed that the game will be adapting Hyde of the Dark Dimension; an entirely new route based on an older Drama CD story. In my opinion that's enough to get excited before, but I think I can mention that the game has other little bits and pieces to offer that might stand out to long-time series fans as well. You'll have to play the game to find out what, though.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
Fans can expect [redacted], [spoilers], and new features that really elevate the experience.
05
A number of years have passed since STEINS;GATE’s initial English release, bringing with them new Science Adventure titles and their respective additions to series lore. What has it been like to return to the story of STEINS;GATE with these developments in mind—particularly those of the previous entry, ANONYMOUS;CODE?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
As I said before I'm certainly no stranger to the broader Science Adventure Series, I'd say I was one of its most ardent proselytizers back in the day. Though with my career as old as it is and newer groups like CoZ carrying the flame in the fan communities, it doesn't surprise me that newer SciADV fans aren't so familiar with me.
Still, ANONYMOUS;CODE gave me a lot to chew on and consider while translating this game, I certainly thought about certain lines that might not have meant as much during that initial translation, but might have taken on deeper consideration now.
Putting that aside, the UI of the game shown off so far might feel a little familiar to ANONYMOUS;CODE fans, and there's a menu option that's been shown in a few of the Japanese advertising that I'm sure some of the die-hards will have noticed… The significance? Well, I couldn't possibly say anything one way or another.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
“I'll just defer to Steiner's ;Notes here. He's the real lore ;Head on this team. Ask him any SciADV trivia and he'll know it ;Nine times out of ten.”
06
What have you enjoyed most about working on STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
The characters. It's been fun getting back into the voices. In my opinion, STEINS;GATE's cast has always been its greatest strength. This ramshackle group of lab brats bickering with each other and fumbling through a sci-fi nightmare.
Okabe's chuunibyouisms are a ton of fun to write English lines for, too. He's got a larger than life personality that just feels satisfying to get grandiose with.
But from a personal perspective, being involved in STEINS;GATE again has just been a fulfilling mark on my career. I love just about everything I work on, but the original STEINS;GATE was the genesis point of my career. It'll always hold a special place in my heart because of that.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
What I enjoyed the most about working on RE:BOOT was the friends we made along the way.
07
Who was your favorite STEINS;GATE character back when the game was first localized in 2014? Have the years—and your work on RE:BOOT—changed your pick?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
Hmm. As far as heroines go, I was always partial to Mayuri. She's definitely a character you want to protect, and she's got a charming innocence about her that is hard to resist.
But going back into RE:BOOT, I found myself with a newfound appreciation for Suzuha. She's a very happy-go-lucky character, but with a lot of depth and resilience. I also really like how goofy her dialogue can be at times, but everything about her is really well thought out.
Obviously I have to give honorable mention to Okabe himself, he's a timeless protagonist. I think we can all relate to being at least a little cringe, and Okabe brings that cringeworthy nonsense up to 11 with his attitude.
Mamoru Miyano's portrayal of him never fails to get a laugh out of me, too. I enjoy that every Science Adventure protagonist is at least a little socially maladjusted, and Okabe's particular brand of awkwardness is just fun to experience.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
My favorite STEINS;GATE character was 4°C. I say that because I won a STEINS;GATE T-shirt in a giveaway years back because I said "My favorite STEINS;GATE character is 4°C."
Over the years, Gaia's whispers have told me to not be such a hipster. Working on RE:BOOT has indeed changed my pick, but Gaia's whispers tell me not to reveal who or why just yet.
08
What are your hopes for the future of the STEINS;GATE subseries?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
Is it too rash to say I hope I can keep translating it? [haha]
Joking aside, it's hard for me to speculate. I just want them to keep making tight narratives with interesting characters. It's nice to get a little fanservice and broader series interaction, as they've done more tightly in the case of the titles from ROBOTICS;NOTES and onward, but I still want whatever game comes next to be able to stand strong as its own story.
I want to fall in love with the characters the way the Science Adventure casts have managed to make me fall in love with them so far. So long as they can keep doing that, they've got a lifelong fan in me.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
I hope Steiner gets to keep translating it. [hahahaha]
09
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Andrew Hodgson
Translator
I'd just like to say thank you. To fans old and new. Whether you're just getting into things now, or you've been following along for a long time, thank you for taking the time to come by.
I truly hope you enjoy our work on STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT. We put a lot of time and effort into this, and I think people are gonna have a lot of fun with it.
I just hope this title gets the eyes I feel it deserves, whoever's eyes those eyes are! Even if they're odd eyes.
H. Anthony Israel
Editor
For those of you who've been here since the STEINS;GATE anime aired in 2011, it's been a wild ride. Thank you for your support.
For those of you who've been here even longer, whose eyes are those eyes that have seen CHAOS;HEAD, the start of SciADV… you're getting old. Take care of your health.
For those of you born after STEINS;GATE's first English release… ;Child, you're like ;Nine.
STEINS;GATE is a timeless tale about time, and RE:BOOT is a great way to experience it, whether you're a seasoned Science Adventurer, someone who's only seen the STEINS;GATE anime and wants to delve deeper, or even if RE:BOOT is your STEINS;GATEway to the franchise as a whole.
A special thank-you to Andrew, H. Anthony, and the PR staff at Spike Chunsoft, Inc. for helping bring this interview to fruition!
STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT launched on August 20, 2026 for Steam, and it will launch on October 29, 2026 for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PlayStation 5. Digital Deluxe and SteelBook Editions are also planned; visit the official website for more details.
For all STEINS;GATE coverage, visit our dedicated category.
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