: After the creator of the OASIS, James Halliday, passes away, he leaves his fortune and control of the virtual world to the first person who finds a digital "Easter Egg" hidden within the game. : Wade Watts (known by his avatar

Upon Halliday's death, he leaves a video message announcing that he has hidden an "Easter egg" within the OASIS. The first person to find it will inherit his entire fortune and control of the OASIS itself. This sets off a planet-wide treasure hunt. The protagonist, (Tye Sheridan), an orphan living in a trailer-stack slum, takes on the avatar of Parzival . Along with his allies— Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), Aech (Lena Waithe), and others—he must solve three intricate challenges that are deeply rooted in Halliday's obsessive love for 1980s pop culture.