Free City is an online, open-world video game developed by Soonami Games. Its source code was stolen from an unreleased game called Life Itself, developed by Walter “Keys” McKey and Millie Rusk, and used by Soonami’s head developer Antwan to create Free City. Keys has since taken a job at Soonami, while Millie spends time within Free City as her avatar Molotov Girl to find evidence of code that she and Keys had written and to prove that they are the rightful owners of the code.
In the game, Guy, a non-player character (NPC), works as a bank teller and spends time with his best friend and co-worker, bank security guard Buddy, unaware that his world is a video game. One day, he encounters Molotov Girl, who is singing the song that he says his dream girl will like and begins to deviate from his programming. He takes a pair of sunglasses from a player who tries to rob his bank, through which he sees Free City from the player’s head-up display (HUD).
Guy speaks to Millie, who initially thinks he is another player named “Blue Shirt Guy” and not an NPC. She tells him to level up to above 100 before she will speak to him again. Keys and his coworker Mouser believe Guy to be a hacker disguised as an NPC and unsuccessfully attempt to ban him from the game. Rather than leveling up through destructive acts, Guy opts to perform good deeds, completing missions within Free City to reach level 102. His virtuous progression, which stands out from those of other players, results in “Blue Shirt Guy” becoming a worldwide sensation.