This game takes place years after the Biometal Model W incident in the previous game, Mega Man ZX. Hunters roam the ruins looking for lost technology, where wild machines called Mavericks live. The government "Legion" oversees and rules over the majority of the world's actions, with its controllers being the Masters: Thomas, Albert and Mikhail (a reference to Drs. Thomas Light, Albert Wily and Mikhail Cossack, respectively). The player can choose between two characters: Grey and Ashe.