Meta Runner

Meta Runner is an Australian computer-animated drama-mystery science-fiction web series created by Luke and Kevin Lerdwichagul. The series is in a separate canon to SMG4, a machinima series on Luke's YouTube channel of the same name.

The series follows an amnesiac cyborg girl named Tari in a world where video games, speedrunning & esports are everything as she discovers she has the uncanny ability to warp into video games.

The first episode of Meta Runner was released on July 25th, 2019.

Premise
In a futuristic world, society is now centered around video games, serving as not just entertainment, but also jobs in livestreaming and lifestyle. Among the gamers are “Meta Runners”, a group of gaming individuals who replace their limbs with cybernetic arms that allow them to boost their gaming performance.

The series tells the story of Tari, a Meta Runner who was the subject of an experiment called Project Blue led by former scientist, Dr. Sheridan, who was commissioned by the TAS Corp. organization. In a sudden accident causing an explosion, Dr. Sheridan was apparently killed along with a former Meta Runner, Lucinia, inside the laboratory. After waking up in the now abandoned and wrecked establishment, Tari finds herself in Silica City with no memory of what happened except for a few flashbacks. After witnessing a speedrunning tournament of Ultra Jump Mania performed by Belle Fontiere, Tari decides to play the game for herself, but she suddenly gets teleported into the game where she befriends Theo. Intrigued by Tari’s newfound ability, the head of TAS Corp., Lucks plans to use her to benefit his organisation.

Tari and Theo get sucked out of the game and try to escape, but Tari gets captured while Theo escapes and is found by another meta runner, Lamar Williams, who rescues and takes both of them to a hidden base in a ramen restaurant where they meet up with two other meta runners, Sofia Porter and Masa Shimamoto. Together the three are a small undercover group called the MD-5 who've been trying to expose all to TAS Corp. by exposing the organisation's cruel actions to the public, but to no avail. The MD-5 then invites Tari to join them, citing that with her help, they'll finally be able to put an end to Lucks' evil affairs once and for all.

Games
Meta Runner features a wide variety of video games that Tari plays (usually by transporting herself within the game). These usually pay homage to a certain genre of games.
 * Ultra Jump Mania: A game where a boy named Theo travels through levels across an island known as SimpleFlip Island. He uses coconuts and other fruit-based weapons to attack enemies and reach the goal. The game is an homage to the platformer genre of games. Tari plays this game in the episodes Wrong Warp and Out of Bounds, while she and Belle play a corrupted version of the game made by Lucks in Hack and Slash, Friendly Fire, Nightmare Mode and Fatal Error.
 * Battle Blaze: A game where you use various weapons to shoot your opponents around the map. The game is an homage to the first-person shooter genre of games. Tari plays this game with Masa in the episode Aimbot.
 * Tempest: A game where wizard-like characters use magic spells to eliminate their opponents all around a giant map. The game is an homage to the battle royale genre of games. Tari plays this game with Masa, Lamar, and Theo as part of her plan in No Clip, One Shot, The Run, and Shutdown.
 * War Tech Fighters: A game where war mechs fight in space with swords and shields. The game seems to pay homage to the 2D fighting genre of games. Masa is briefly seen playing this game in Hard Reset.
 * Turbo Crash 9: A game where players use vehicles to eliminate other players around the map. Players can tag-team, so one player can control the vehicle while the other controls the weapons. It seems to pay homage to the battle royale and racing genres of games. Masa and Lamar play this game against Marco to win a new Meta Runner arm in Unreal Engines.
 * Pocket Gakusei: A dating simulator where Tari acts as a student in a school and must go out with a girl to gain her trust. The game is an homage to the dating simulator genre of games. Tari uses this game to plan her escape with Lamar, Sofia, and Masa in Transfer Student and Heart to Heart.
 * Hidden Heroes: A game where cyborgs use swords, bows, and other weapons to defeat hordes of ninja-like cyborgs in a Japanese setting. The game is an homage to the hack-and-slash genre of games. Tari, Lamar, and Masa use this game as part of Tari's plan to escape in Hack and Slash, Friendly Fire, and Soft Lock.

There are a host of other games that are mentioned or implied through background or dialogue inferences. These games are:

Dragon Kart: This is mentioned by Belle during Season 1 of Meta Runner firstly at Sequence Break. Also was shown in the billboards at Wrong Warp.

Drifters: This was shown in the billboards and background at Wrong Warp.

Nova Explorers: This game was implied throughout the first two seasons as it has a crossover with Pocket Gakusei and was partly shown in the ads in Wrong Warp.

Light Rider: This game was shown briefly alongside with five other games by the street in Wrong Warp.

Mr. Mero: This game was shown briefly alongside with five other games by the street in Wrong Warp.

Borderworlds: This game was shown at billboards prominently in Wrong Warp.

Season 1

 * Opening Theme: "Always Running" by MattxAJ and AJ DiSpirito
 * Ending Theme: "Breeze" by Kimi

Season 2

 * Opening Theme: "Only Up" by Lizz Robinett and AJ DiSpirito
 * Ending Theme: "Steady" by Matthew Guerra and AJ DiSpirito

Trivia

 * As confirmed by Luke and Kevin, while Tari is the main character, this series takes place in a different universe, outside of SMG4's continuity.
 * When one of the Meta Runners enters the menu on their prosthetic arm, one of the symbols is the logo for Glitch Productions.
 * One of the billboards has a picture of Saiko on it.
 * The series is animated using both Maya and Unreal Engine which is the first time Glitch Productions is using more complicating animation software, as they just use Garry's Mod for SMG4.
 * Meta Runner was originally known as Project Blue in its development, the same name as the code name for T.A.R.I.