At Gamescom 2026 in Cologne, Germany, amidst a sea of new titles, one game stood out for its uniquely funky, B-movie charm. That game is 'Stupid Never Dies,' a new action RPG developed by GPTRACK50—a new studio formed by veteran action game developers formerly of Capcom and other studios—and published globally by SEGA.

Instead of a righteous hero, this game stars a foolish 'zombie' treated as the bottom rung of the monster ecosystem. Having never fought once in his lifetime, this fool of a zombie dives into a treacherous dungeon (a shopping mall toilet bowl) with the single-minded goal of reviving a frozen girl he stumbled upon named 'Julia'. Fully utilizing his undead nature, he charges foolishly straight at enemies without guarding or dodging, restoring health by 'devouring' foes in an exhilarating, punk-rock-infused display of action.

At Gamescom, we met with director Eiichiro Sasaki of GPTRACK50, who previously led major action titles including the 'Resident Evil' series, and got a hands-on preview of the build. We spoke with him in detail about the wacky yet charming world created by this master of zombie action—from the thrill of "blazing-fast growth" where players become extremely strong in just 30 minutes, to an unpredictable dungeon system whose layout changes every time.

Q. After playing the game myself, the world setting was truly impressive. How did you come up with this unique world?

"I've always really liked zombie characters, so I've been making zombie games up until now, but I wanted to express a completely new kind of zombie. Also, I usually listen to punk rock, and I thought combining the unique art style of punk rock—like collaging different pieces together—with 'zombies' would produce a totally fresh picture, which led to this concept.

Q. What is the meaning behind the title 'Stupid Never Dies,' and what is the game's storyline?

"Because the protagonist is already a dead zombie, 'never dies' carries a physical meaning. At the same time, even when he was alive, he was a 'fool' ignored by everyone, being clumsy at fighting and romance alike. Even after becoming a zombie, he sits at the absolute bottom of the monster hierarchy.

Then, he happens upon a girl who froze to death, falls in love, and dives into a dangerous dungeon to bring her back to life. The title embodies a foolish yet cool and awesome mindset like, "Are you going to be okay? Sure, I can do it, so I will!"

Q. Every time you enter a dungeon, you start from Level 1, and dying or returning resets your level back to 1. What was the design intention behind this system?

"The core fun of this game is that what happens inside the dungeon changes every single time. Even if you fought a werewolf in the previous run, you might encounter a completely different enemy next time. We wanted players to enjoy figuring out how to adapt to these random events.

While your level resets to 1 upon returning home, things like EXP gain rates and equipment like 'Body Hacks' remain permanent. If you had to kill 10 monsters to level up initially, later on you might only need to kill 5. The charm lies in combining controllable permanent progression with quick adaptation to uncontrollable random situations.

Q. Why of all places is the dungeon entrance a toilet bowl?

"It just sort of happened. Matching the goofy atmosphere of the game, I was discussing with team members, "What would be funny for a zombie to do?" and someone went, "Why not just enter through a shopping mall toilet bowl? Sounds great!" It was decided in that lighthearted spirit.

Q. As a veteran developer who previously worked on numerous zombie action games like the 'Resident Evil' series, what would you say is this title's unique combat style?

"Capitalizing on the fact that the protagonist is 'already dead,' we completely removed guarding and dodging mechanics. It's a strictly offense-oriented balance based on the mindset that hitting the enemy back is faster than dodging or blocking. We wanted to convey a foolish yet awesome action style where, like in the manga 'Chainsaw Man,' you charge straight ahead even while taking hits, yelling "I don't care!"

Q. Is that why recovery is handled by 'devouring' enemies rather than drinking potions?

"That's also a trait unique to zombies. Rather than just eating enemies to absorb abilities, resolving health recovery through 'devouring' creates a gameplay experience unique to a zombie protagonist. Of course, you can also absorb boss abilities and equip them into slots for use in battle.

Q. What do you consider the biggest selling point or core element of 'Stupid Never Dies'?

"Without a doubt, it's the extreme growth experience we call 'blazing-fast growth.' Normally in action RPGs, you grow a character over dozens of hours to challenge the final boss, but we packed that into a single play session of around 20 to 30 minutes. The original design document concept was 'An RPG where you save the world in 30 minutes.' That explosive growth where you become insanely strong in a short timeframe is its most unique appeal.

Q. Roughly how long is the play time (content volume)?

"Clearing the main story takes roughly 20 to 30 hours. As the story progresses, dungeons become deeper and continue to evolve, and we have dedicated content prepared for players to enjoy after finishing the main story. As a side note, this is a strictly single-player game with no multiplayer support.

Q. Is there only one playable character, the protagonist? Are there any plans to add more characters in the future?

"After the first trailer was revealed, rumors circulated that the heroine 'Julia' might also be playable, but unfortunately, the protagonist is the only playable character.

Q. How long did development take, and what does the recently announced global publishing partnership with SEGA mean for the project?

"Total development time was 3 years. The first year was spent building prototypes and discussing concepts, while full-scale development took about 2 years.

It was a huge stroke of luck to have SEGA handle publishing. Since it's a new IP, we needed a strong partner capable of reaching global markets. Thanks to this partnership, we are also able to release physical disc versions, which we are very excited about.

Q. Lastly, do you have a message for Korean gamers waiting for the game?

"It's a game where you can enjoy exhilarating action without having to overthink things. Because character styles vary dramatically depending on equipment combinations, we call it 'a game where you discover the strongest character of your life in every single run.' I hope you enjoy the fun of finding your ultimate build every time you play.

Since it's a new title from a newly formed studio, it might feel unfamiliar, but our team consists of true action game professionals formerly of Capcom and other studios. We are confident that if action game fans keep their expectations high, we won't let them down.