Hanoi Project

The Hanoi Project (ハノイプロジェクト Hanoi Purojekuto), also known as the Lost Incident (ロスト Rosuto Jiken), is an event that occurred 10 years prior to the start of the Yu-Gi-Oh! VRAINS anime. Kiyoshi Kogami, a researcher at SOL Technologies, developed and executed the incident without the knowledge of his company. This project resulted in the creation of the Ignis.

History
10 years before the present, six children were kidnapped by a certain organization and went missing one-by-one. During those six months of captivity, the children were imprisoned separately in rooms with nothing but a VR equipment. They were forced to Duel in a virtual arena where if they did not win, they were electrocuted and starved. After the children were rescued, the incident was covered up.

In the aftermath of the incident, several of the children suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder, with some taking years of therapy to recover while others have not recovered at all. During the final showdown between Playmaker and Varis, Varis revealed he was the one who reached out to Yusaku. He couldn't stand hearing the pain of the six children so he called the police.

The project's name is the main reason why Yusaku and Kolter suspect the Knights of Hanoi of a major involvement in the incident and thus why they pursue them. Varis confirmed his knowledge of the incident during his Duel with Yusaku, while Kiyoshi, Kyoko Taki, and Aso were all present during the incident, watching the victims' suffering.

Researchers

 * Kiyoshi Kogami
 * Kyoko Taki
 * Aso
 * Dr. Genome