DEFY is set in a near-future dystopian world where a faceless corporation, Future Systems, has amassed dictator-level power over global networks that run the internet. As a result, members of the general population no longer have any privacy or individuality. Using NFT Virtual Private Masks (VPMs) created by an individual known as kha0s, Operatives can obscure their identity and hack into the Future Systems network via an exploited mobile app. Virtual Private Masks (VPM) are required for all Operatives to conceal their identities before starting the game.