MAGES. Reiterates Ban on Steins;Gate Re:Boot Gameplay Videos
The reminder follows a 2023 case where an individual was sentenced to two years in prison with five years suspended and a one million yen fine for unauthorized distribution of edited STEINS;GATE videos on YouTube, giving the request legal weight.
Key Facts
- MAGES. announced on August 20 that posting or streaming gameplay videos of STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is prohibited in principle.
- STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is available for PC (Steam), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch.
- The Xbox Series X|S version of STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is delayed to October 29.
- A 2023 case saw an individual sentenced to two years in prison with five years suspended and a one million yen fine for unauthorized distribution of edited STEINS;GATE videos on YouTube.
- STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is based on STEINS;GATE ELITE from 2018, with new world lines and ending scenarios added.
Reporting from 2 sources: Game Spark, Inside.
MAGES. has again announced distribution guidelines for the new adventure game STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT, prohibiting the posting and streaming of gameplay videos and asking users to refrain from spoiler text, images, and videos on social media. The publisher explained that many of its games are adventure titles where players enjoy the story by reading text, and watching videos is close to the experience of playing the game, so no permission is given for posting or streaming gameplay videos except for some products. The guidelines also cover bonuses such as limited edition contents and downloadable content like soundtracks, drama CDs, and booklets, which are considered similar to the experiences and information that legitimate purchasers receive. The announcement was made via the official Science Adventure Series X account. STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT is a visual novel-style adventure game that refreshes the graphics of the original STEINS;GATE released for Xbox 360 in 2009 and adds new story content. The base scenario is STEINS;GATE ELITE from 2018, made more readable with better pacing, with new world lines and ending scenarios added. The game is now available for PC (Steam), PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and Nintendo Switch.
MAGES. framed the restriction as a general policy for its adventure game catalog, not a decision specific to STEINS;GATE RE:BOOT. The publisher stated that because these games are driven by text, watching a playthrough closely mirrors the act of playing, which is why video posting is prohibited in principle.
The guidelines extend beyond full playthroughs. Limited edition contents and downloadable extras such as soundtracks, drama CDs, and booklet materials are also off-limits for distribution, as MAGES. considers them part of the experience a legitimate purchaser pays for.
The announcement arrives on the game's release day, August 20. The Xbox Series X|S version is delayed to October 29, while other platforms launched as planned. The game is priced at 7,300 yen for Switch 2 and 6,365 yen for PS5 at the time of publication.
MAGES. director Makoto Asada previously discussed the company's response to spoiler incidents in a 2023 interview with Inside, following a conviction related to unauthorized YouTube uploads of STEINS;GATE: My Darling's Embrace and the STEINS;GATE anime.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.