The contest has lured a number of "Gunters", or egg hunters, and the interest of Nolan Sorrento, the CEO of Innovative Online Industries (IOI) who seeks to control the OASIS himself in order to insert intrusive online advertising. IOI uses a number of indentured servants as well as an army of employees called "Sixers" to find the egg.
Wade Watts is a teenager living in Columbus, Ohio with his aunt Alice and her boyfriend Rick. Wade's avatar Parzival, an avid Gunter, participates in the first challenge, an unbeatable race, alongside his best friend Aech, and Art3mis, a female avatar who Parzival has a crush on. Parzival regularly visits Halliday's Journals, a simulated archive of Halliday's life and hobbies, run by the Curator. Acknowledging a phrase by Halliday, Wade realises the race can be won by driving backwards, receiving the Copper Key from Anorak. Art3mis, Aech, and his friends Daito and Sho, all win the race thereafter, later collectively named the High-5 on the OASIS' scoreboard.
Sorrento asks his friend i-R0k to learn Wade's true identity, with the intent on bribing him to win the contest of IOI's behalf. Wade and Art3mis discover from the Journals that Halliday once dated Morrow's wife Karen "Kira" Underwood, but Halliday's anxiety led to them watching a movie rather than go dancing. Wade and Art3mis visit the Distracted Globe night club to look for clues, where Wade confesses his love and true name to Art3mis. They survive an IOI raid in which Art3mis abandons Wade, explaining that her father died in debt to IOI. i-R0k, who was eavesdropping on their conversation, informs Sorrento of his findings.
Sorrento contacts Wade with his offer. When rejected, Sorrento destroys Wade's home, killing Alice among others. Art3mis' player Samantha Cook takes Wade in. Together, they realise the second challenge relates to Halliday's regret towards not pursuing a relationship with Kira. Along with Aech, Daito, and Sho, Parzival and Art3mis search a recreation of the Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Art3mis asks Kira to a dance and wins the Jade Key.
Sorrento's subordinate F'Nale Zandor storms the Gunters' hideout, taking Samantha to a IOI Loyalty Center to pay off her father's debt. Wade is rescued by the other High-5 users, Helen Harris (Aech), Toshiro (Daito), and Zhou (Sho) in Helen's truck. By hacking Sorrento's OASIS rig, the group learn where Samantha is being held, allowing her to escape confinement.
The third challenge is found in Castle Anorak on Planet Doom, where players must guess Halliday's favourite Atari 2600 game to earn the Crystal Key. iR0k places a forcefield around the castle using the Orb of Osuvox, but Art3mis is able to deactivate it. The High-5 lead an army of OASIS players against the Sixers. Sorrento fights back in Mechagodzilla, but Aech, Daito, and Art3mis destroy his avatar using the Iron Giant, a Gundam, and a Madballs-shaped bomb. Parzival destroys Samantha's avatar, allowing her to flee IOI and is picked up by the High-5.
Parzival reaches the console, but Sorrento detonates the Cataclyst bomb, wiping out every avatar on Planet Doom. Parzival survives using an extra life coin given to him earlier by the Curator in a bet. He plays Adventure, winning the Crystal Key by locating its programmer's Easter egg. He uses the three keys to enter a treasure room, where Anorak offers him a contract to sign. Parzival recognizes it as the one Morrow signed when Halliday forced him out of Gregarious Games, and refuses to sign it. Anorak transforms into Halliday, who expresses his regrets in life, handing over the Easter Egg.
Sorrento confronts the High-5, but relents upon seeing Wade with the egg. He and F'Nale are arrested for the bombing. Ogden Morrow appears, revealing he is the Curator. Wade decides to run the OASIS with the High-5, inviting Morrow to join them as a consultant. The IOI Loyalty Centers are shut down, while the High-5 make the controversial choice to close the OASIS every Tuesday and Thursday, so people can spend time in the real world.
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