Online takes place in the far future. Rockman X, Zero, and the rest of the X series cast have long died off; so too, has the looming threat of the Sigma Virus and its product, the Irregulars (Mavericks).
Believing the threat of Irregulars are gone for good, society is taken by surprise one day when a large number of Irregulars began to wreak havoc out of the blue. In response, the UCA (The United Continent Association), initiates the production of copies of X, Zero and Duo, among other heroes, to combat the rampant Irregulars. The UCA went so far as to embed the DNA Souls of the original heroes onto a chip housed within the copy bodies to further enhance their abilities in an effort to make them as legitimate as possible.
The Irregulars associated with Rockman Online are actually rebuilt and heavily customized versions of Robot Masters and Irregulars from the past, produced in a similar manner to the X, Zero and Duo copies. Coupling the above info with the other day's report, we can assume these Irregulars will go on to form the basis of the URA organization (The Ultimate Reploid Association). The URA is at constant war with the UCA with battles waging on the small to large, global scale.
What isn't known at this point is just how Dr. Light and Dr. Wily returned. Artwork on the game's blog depicts the characters associated with the UCA/URA respectively, leading to the assumption that each doctor spearhead's their respective organization. Their depiction could also be looked upon as a sort of visual representation of "good vs. evil" but we don't know for sure.
Nevertheless, it's a fairly interesting plot. I doubt it's canon but hey, I'm not Capcom.
Artwork, Faction Details, and Info on Character Classes in Rockman Online Emerge
Players who choose X Type for their character can expect a combat style based on the original Mega Man and X series. The class features projectile attacks, a charge shot, the ability to traverse mountains and underwater missions easier than the other types, and the ability to perform Nova Strike, an attack from the Mega Man X series, after taking enough damage
Zero Type will feature close combat and melee attacks much like Zero from the Mega Man X and Mega Man Zero series, a double-jump, and the ability to equip armor. The downside? Much like the original Zero, Zero-Type users can't gain new weapons.
The official site for Rockman Online also has information on two factions in the game: the United Continent Association (UCA) and the Ultimate Reploid Association (URA). The UCA acts like a global government and controls the military while the URA is made up of vigilante Reploids wanting to overthrow society, much like the Mavericks from Mega Man X. There has not been any confirmation on if players can choose which side they can fight for.
Official artwork has also been released on the game's official blog.
Here we have three good guys from the Mega Man series: Dr. Light, X, and Zero. Two silhouettes are also featured and the left one in the shape of Iris from Mega Man X4. The game's blog also features images of Alia and Palette, two of the navigators from the Mega Man X series.
This artwork piece features quite the rogue's gallery. From left to right, we have Mega Man X Maverick Sting Chameleon, classic Mega Man villain Dr. Wily, a redesigned version of Cut Man that resembles the art style of the Mega Man X series instead of the classic series he originated from, and the villain behind the Mega Man X games, Sigma.
