"Chaos Zero Nightmare" Marks First Anniversary with Overhaul: "We'll Showcase the Essence of Roguelike Gameplay"

"Strengthening the Core Appeal of the Roguelike Subculture Genre"
Preserving Combatant Value, Unveiling Multiplayer Content at Year-End, and More

Smilegate's "Chaos Zero Nightmare," which is marking its first anniversary this year, is set to undergo a revamp to strengthen the core appeal of the roguelike subculture genre (Japanese-style animation).

Choi Seunghyun, PD at Super Creative (left), and development director Kim Kibum answer questions at a press conference marking the first anniversary of "Chaos Zero Nightmare" at Bundang First Tower in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on the 15th. Photo by Noh Gyeongjo

Choi Seunghyun, a producer at developer Super Creative, said at a press conference marking the first anniversary of "Chaos Zero Nightmare" at Bundang First Tower in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, on October 15, "'Chaos Zero Nightmare' is no longer a game about carving pottery. Before its second anniversary, we will make sure to restore the core fun of the roguelike genre."

"Until now, we haven't made the most of the strengths of the seasonal format, and the urgency of having to get through each season took precedence. Now that we have finalized the direction of our operational overhaul, we will share a detailed road map in December," Choi said. "Over the past month, we have devoted all our efforts to preparing milestones leading up to the second anniversary."

Choi identified "preserving the value of combatants" as a priority for amplifying the genre's appeal. Until now, a vicious cycle has repeated itself: whenever a new season began, characters players had developed in the previous season were left behind. "It's unfortunate, because the basic mechanism of subculture games is that players grow attached to the characters," Choi said. "We will improve the game environment by expanding content so that existing characters aren't sidelined when seasons change, rather than relying solely on a particular featured character."

The game will also discontinue the "preseason" that has been part of its operations as it prepares for new seasons. "We feel that the game loses too much momentum, so we plan to eliminate the preseason starting with Season 6," Choi said. "However, some may worry that if regular seasons run back-to-back, there won't be enough time to rest, so we will make sure to provide a sufficient break."

Choi also introduced new content that will be released in December: "Core Break," the first multiplayer feature in "Chaos Zero Nightmare," in which two players cooperate. Players can jump straight into the game by choosing a character, regardless of their accumulated save data. "We've shortened play sessions and simplified the deck-building process so players can enjoy it without 부담 even on mobile," Director Kim Gibeom said. "We have also added features such as rolling dice when the two players disagree during joint tactics, with the choice of the player who rolls the higher number being adopted."

The development team plans to improve the roguelike experience in Season 6 and add a new mode in Season 7 to further build on the strengths of a live-service game. It will also expand offline engagement. In addition to participating in the Anime X Game Festival (AGF), which will be held at the end of 2026, the team will collaborate with "Maid Lavin" to run a cafe for fans in Japan. "Through the overhaul, we will make sure players can experience the essence of roguelike gameplay in every season," Choi said. "We hope you'll enjoy the revamped 'Chaos Zero Nightmare' and share plenty of feedback."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.