The Sword Art Online: Ordinal Scale anime film opened in Japan on Saturday, and it ended with a teaser that read "SAO will return."

Yen Press is publishing the novels and manga in North America, and describes the series:

In the year 2022,​ gamers rejoice as Sword Art Online - a VRMMORPG (Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) like no other - opens its virtual doors.​ Now players can take full advantage of the ultimate in gaming technology: NerveGear,​ a system that allows users to completely immerse themselves in the game world by manipulating their brain waves to create a wholly realistic gaming experience.​ When the game goes live,​ the elation of the players quickly turns to horror as they discover that,​ for all its amazing features,​ SAO is missing one of the most basic functions of any MMORPG: a log-out button.​ Now trapped in the virtual world of Aincrad,​ their bodies held captive by NerveGear in the real world,​ users are issued a chilling ultimatum: conquer all one-hundred floors of Aincrad to regain their freedom.​ In the warped world of SAO,​ "game over" means death - both virtual and real.​..

The series has two television anime adaptations, an anime special, and the current anime film. It has also inspired multiple manga series, games, and a virtual reality demonstration in Japan. Aniplex of America releases the anime in North America. Skydance Television is planning a live-action television series based on the novels.