Super Creative's collectible deck-building RPG, 'Chaos Zero Nightmare,' celebrated its six-month anniversary on the 22nd. While it was highly anticipated as a top-tier domestic subculture title for the second half of 2025, the game faced several issues immediately after launch, forcing the team to focus on internal stability and skip major domestic subculture events like AGF.

Since then, through two seasons and a preseason, 'Chaos Zero Nightmare' has begun to bear fruit. Multiple improvements have been implemented, such as making it easier for users to obtain desired save data after completing Chaos runs and reducing repetitive combat time. The team has also finalized a schedule for story revisions and announced participation in a collaboration cafe and the LA Anime Expo, signaling a multi-faceted effort to take the next step as a subculture game. Furthermore, key developers visited the collaboration cafe ahead of its opening to answer media questions regarding future tasks and direction.

Overcoming a Turbulent Past: The Half-Year Mark and Season 3 as an Inflection Point

Q. It must have been difficult after the launch issues, yet you've made it to the half-year mark. What are some of your most memorable moments?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = As I've mentioned in our broadcasts several times, I haven't really had time to reflect; I've just been looking forward and running. I always feel a sense of regret for the things we couldn't take care of. Every time I did a broadcast, I felt like I was just apologizing without being able to show anything I could be proud of. I hope this half-year mark serves as an inflection point where we can start showing you things with confidence.

Q. Meeting users offline might have been a burden. What was the motivation behind holding an offline event this time? I'd also like to ask if you plan to hold more such events in the future.

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = We had been preparing to meet media and users offline around the launch, but there were many twists and turns. We finally managed to do it for this half-year anniversary. We are currently running collaboration cafes not only in Korea but also in Japan and Taiwan, and we plan to further activate offline events to increase our touchpoints with users.

Q. Do you have any intention of meeting and communicating with users directly during the event period?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = Since we are still preparing for the Season 3 update, I have to stay at the office to continue development. However, if there are many users who want to see us, I will try my best to make time to attend.

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = Watching the broadcasts, many users said they actually wanted to see Director Choi Seung-hyun. So, I'm secretly looking forward to it (laughs).

Q. You are introducing a new seasonal character, Heidemarie, for the half-year mark. Could you explain her key features? Also, is there a plan to add seasonal characters every two seasons?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = Heidemarie's key feature is that she generates and attacks with a dedicated card called the 'Polaris Sword.' It might look similar to Sereniel, but Sereniel's main mechanism involves calling a homing laser to the hand after a 'Break' to deal damage through rapid-fire attacks. In contrast, Heidemarie doesn't reuse cards; she uses the 'Rest' mechanic introduced with Diana and a new keyword, 'Connection,' to send cards to the graveyard all at once, triggering simultaneous effects for a rapid-fire burst dealer style.

She also has a powerful finisher card, comparable to Sereniel's 'Pale Shooting Star,' and possesses draw capabilities, so I believe she can be utilized in various party compositions.

As for the seasonal routine, we don't intend to tie seasonal characters to the Galactic Disaster season; rather, we want to release them in line with festivals or commemorative milestones.

Q. Are you considering a separate schedule for seasonal reruns or permanent re-pickups starting from the half-year mark?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = Since it's only been half a year since service began, it's a bit difficult to talk about reruns. We want to focus on Heidemarie, our second seasonal character, first. Internally, expectations and evaluations for Heidemarie are high. We believe she will demonstrate her value as a seasonal character not only in functionality but also in appearance and presentation. We plan to prepare for permanent re-pickups after analyzing how users utilize characters following the update.

Q. There is feedback that users want more freedom in activating 'Flash of Insight' during meditation. Do you have any intention to improve this?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = It's true that encountering a safe zone without a 'Flash of Insight' active often feels like hitting a trap. I've even experienced cases where the 'Flash of Insight' never appeared until the end of a Chaos run, making it impossible to build a deck. We are thinking about how to resolve this. In the new 'Sortie' mode, we are applying a feature that allows you to grant 'Flash of Insight' to cards that don't have it when in a safe zone. We plan to observe user reactions to that feature before applying it to regular Chaos runs.

Q. You introduced the new roguelike-focused content 'Sortie' as very important. When did you start preparing for it?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = The agenda itself has been around since the first 'Great Rift.' While users initially accepted the so-called 'pottery-making' (grinding for perfect stats) as fun, we judged that a roguelike with a predetermined 'correct' answer would be difficult to service long-term. We wanted to prepare it as quickly as possible for users who were looking forward to a true roguelike experience, and we started in earnest in February. However, we needed an edgy system and gimmicks to differentiate it from existing Chaos runs, which delayed development. Through this process, we have finally completed it and are ready to show it to our users.

Q. While 'Sortie' reduces the burden of Chaos runs by providing resources for save data editing, it is also time-consuming content. How are you balancing the play ratio between existing Chaos runs and Sortie?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = We've thought a lot about that. To give you the conclusion first, we want to position it so that any user—whether they are new, core, or focused on growth—can easily log in and play a round of roguelike content. For users who want to enjoy it in a core and deep way, they can enjoy content that allows them to further refine their save data.

Of course, since Chaos is also fundamentally a roguelike, it takes quite a bit of time. To address this, we are adding a combat skip feature to regular Chaos runs to shorten playtime. Additionally, by securing materials for editing save data through resources obtained in Sortie, we aimed to lower the burden users feel regarding save data management.

Q. It seems like a pattern of repeating specific runs will become fixed once experience accumulates in Sortie. How are you preparing for this?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = Unlike existing Chaos runs, Sortie consists of three acts, and in each stage, you can acquire 'Black Matter' resources using 'Sanity' or 'Aether.' Sanity recovers naturally at a rate of 3 per week, and when you run out, you can substitute it with 60 Aether (stamina).

As Sortie is designed as a pure roguelike, we are actively countering fixed play patterns. We have significantly strengthened environmental variables such as 'Fate' and the random joining of combatants, and we have also greatly enhanced or modified in-game elements like neutral cards, new 'Flashes of Insight,' and equipment to provide freshness even to existing users.

There will be cases where users reset and re-enter because they can't get the specific play they want, so a small amount of Aether is consumed upon entry. This Aether is returned upon clearing each act, preventing infinite resets.

Q. Looking at Sortie, it seems you've considered various user segments, from utilizing unowned combatants to a hardcore mode. Could you explain more clearly which user segments you are primarily targeting?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = It is content targeted at both new and existing users. To establish it as challenging content for existing users, we added various restrictions and penalties to face even tougher challenges. On the other hand, as it is content updated for the half-year mark, we expect many new users to play it, so we've allowed them to start with a small number of combatants and gradually progress, while also allowing them to randomly acquire unowned combatants and providing compensation to match their growth levels.

From Story Revisions to Multiplayer: Chaos Zero Nightmare Lays the Foundation and Moves to the Next Stage

Q. There was feedback from the beginning that each Chaos run felt too heavy. Are you preparing anything to alleviate this in Sortie?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = Compared to existing Chaos runs, the length is longer and each choice is important, so playtime will naturally be longer. Therefore, we are supporting 'Temporary Return' here as well, and in Sortie, we will organize choice text more clearly to reduce the time users spend making decisions.

Q. You mentioned in the last broadcast that multiplayer is in development. What is the general direction of the planning? Are you considering real-time PVP?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = We are not considering PVP. We are currently in the stage of thinking about how to incorporate multiplayer in a fun way. Rather than simply adding one multiplayer content, we are proceeding in a direction where we support multiplayer modes for all major content, such as the Great Rift and Sortie, so that users can enjoy them with friends or acquaintances.

Q. Since the Great Rift, there has been a trend of copying top-tier user decks exactly. There is feedback that it's difficult to follow strategies because character situations vary, and that it's too uniform. How do you plan to deal with this?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = I think this is a double-edged sword. However, I believe there is a clear advantage in that beginner users can refer to them. So, we will leave the Great Rift as it is, but we intend to show through the system what type of save data each combatant is utilizing for each piece of content. By doing so, we want to induce users to refer to a wider range of card and setting adoptions beyond just the Great Rift and try out various builds.

Of course, the fatigue of refining a single piece of save data is very high. I myself feel my motivation drop after refining one deck to reach Great Rift Master. That's why we want to secure convenience through things like the 'Tactical Delegation' system (combat skip) and save data editing rights. In fact, I believe the reason users can't consider various challenges is that the fatigue of converging on a single deck is too high, and we intend to improve this phenomenon from the root.

Q. It's often difficult to use desired characters by attribute, not just for new character promotion. How do you plan to resolve this?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = In content where various combatants can shine, such as the 'Tower of Spiral Screams,' we are attempting designs where all attributes are effective so that there are no advantages or disadvantages based on attributes.

Furthermore, the combat design of Chaos Zero Nightmare relies more on the mechanics of monsters and combatants than on attributes. Even if it's not a weak attribute, we are providing options to tactically resolve this through things like attribute weakness application.

The development team is not currently considering a direction that would make specific attributes unusable in planned content.

Q. There is a lot of feedback that the combat flow is not intuitive and that help documentation is lacking. How do you plan to supplement this?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = It feels like complexity has increased somewhat due to overly complicated effects or insufficient in-game support. Text and functional improvements for this have been consistently carried out since launch, and there are currently many additional features in development.

Also, in designing new combatants, we are ensuring they have deep mechanics while maintaining intuitiveness that is easy to understand.

Q. The story revision is confirmed for July. What are you focusing on? And what parts will change the most?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = Since story-related issues were raised from the beginning and we expressed our will to improve them, we focused on removing parts that made users feel uncomfortable as much as possible. There was particularly a lot of feedback that the 'Captain' was alienated from the story, so we put a lot of effort into reinforcing the justification for the role the Captain plays in the story.

Q. Some announced items, including 'Corruption Mode,' have not yet been applied. How is development progressing?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = I would like to reiterate that the story part was delayed due to various issues, including dubbing, and I apologize again.

Regarding 'Corruption,' we were pursuing diversification such as gimmick arrangements, presentation, and appearance changes for existing characters. However, as it seems to be a pillar of long-term live service, we delayed it to plan it more deeply. We want to prepare this as quickly as possible and share it via a developer note

Regarding the 'Purification Protocol,' we judged that content that can showcase various combatants is needed first. So, we replaced it with 'Total War' and opened it. We intend to improve 'Total War' so it can become main-level content in the future.

And regarding the challenges I mentioned before, we judged that releasing them as they were would be too exhausting, so we are thinking about various things. Therefore, we reduced and applied it as a system called 'Unconscious Awakening' in Sortie, which focuses on digging into each combatant.

Q. How do you plan to deal with character balance issues that differ from the developer's intent and rework-related matters in the future?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = I'll start by talking about the rework of Trisa and Cassius at the start of Season 2. At the time, those two characters showed explosive synergy in the Season 1 Great Rift, and we judged that it would have a fatal impact on long-term design and balance. So, we had no choice but to rework them.

We are alert to ensure this doesn't happen again, and other character modifications have only been upward adjustments for combatants that were not performing at the target level. This time, we also plan to perform upward adjustments for combatants that are not performing well in the roguelike content, Sortie. We are not considering anything other than upward adjustments.

Q. You mentioned various things regarding new and returning users at the half-year mark, but there was relatively little mention of growth-related parts. How do you plan to reduce the burden from a long-term perspective?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = We are adjusting the supply of resources by looking at data from launch until now. Also, from the 'First Synchronization' system to 'Distortion Reaction,' we are actively responding so that new users can run Chaos more easily. However, with the addition of new nodes in the last update, the need for resources has increased, so we intend to support additional supply through this update. In addition, we will actively respond by watching data trends so that new users can settle in as they are recruited.

Q. Diana is expected to be a part for Heidemarie, but Diana is not included in the 5-star selection ticket provided at the half-year mark. Do you have any tips on how new users should use the selection ticket?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = As you said, Diana was designed to link with Heidemarie. So, the pickup has been extended by one week instead of ending immediately. After the pickup ends, she can be acquired additionally through permanent gacha. We are preparing to provide a significant amount of permanent gacha resources in line with the half-year mark so that users can more easily pull the characters they want.

The selection ticket was prepared so that users can quickly acquire the characters they want and enjoy the game in various ways, and we intend to provide more in the future, not just this one time.

Q. As it is the half-year mark, many new users will be coming in, but terminology and such don't seem to be clearly organized yet. Are there any plans to clearly organize terms that feel unfamiliar, especially to deck-building beginners?

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = There are quite a few complicated characters, but we are aiming to release characters with higher intuitiveness, starting with Heidemarie. For existing characters, we are also going through the process of clearly refining non-intuitive parts.

Q. In card games with PVP, one might think about phasing out some cards in a season, but PVE is somewhat different, isn't it? Please explain how you plan to deal with the power balance that inevitably occurs as cards are added.

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = One of the important points of Chaos Zero Nightmare is that this game is a subculture game. If we design the meta by phasing out or excluding old cards, there is room for combatant utilization to change. We judged that it would be a serious problem if favorite combatants were phased out or became unusable, so we are focusing more on horizontal expansion.

However, we see that a certain degree of power inflation is inevitable, and we intend to continuously upwardly adjust the balance of combatants that are not active in the meta with every season patch.

Q. There is an opinion that you referred to the multi-mode of Slay the Spire 2. To what extent are you monitoring games in similar genres?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = We are looking for and using as references not only Slay the Spire but all games with fun content. As you said, it is true that we are preparing multiplayer by being inspired by the multi-mode of Slay the Spire 2.

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = We see that the degree of overlap between the user base that likes that game and our game's user base is significant, and there is also an aspect of trying to refine things by grasping to what extent users expect the play they expect from that game in Chaos Zero Nightmare.

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = Of course, it is difficult to grasp such data with certainty. However, as a result of confirming through surveys, etc., we have grasped that many users who like roguelike deck-building are playing Chaos Zero Nightmare, and we understand that as it is a similar genre, users are tending to play them in parallel.

Q. You mentioned multiplayer. Are you preparing a mentor system where existing users receive rewards if they help new or returning users? Also, since multiplayer is supported, I'd like to ask if you support features that allow users playing together to communicate within the game.

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = The multiplayer mode is currently being prepared, and we are discussing it in many ways internally. Ideas such as releasing a mode where you can actually ping to inform others are also coming out. We are receiving various opinions during discussions and synthesizing them, and we intend to discuss them by referring to those ideas as well.

From Secondary Creation to IP Activation: Chaos Zero Nightmare's Half-Year Mark as an Inflection Point for External Expansion

Q. You said the half-year mark would be a strategic inflection point beyond a simple event, but usually, the 1st anniversary is considered that point. Why did you mention the half-year mark as the starting point? Also, how are you preparing for IP expansion and user acquisition?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = I think this half-year mark is a point where the gameplay changes significantly. This is because it is the time when things the development team has been preparing since the beginning of this year are blossoming. The reason it is the half-year mark, not the 1st anniversary, was that we wanted to show that change to users more quickly.

This half-year mark is not just about giving many rewards; we prepared revisions in overall parts, including new characters and convenience improvements, as well as 'Sortie' content that strengthens Chaos Zero Nightmare's roguelike gameplay. I think it is an update that can satisfy not only existing users but also new and returning users.

Q. Are you planning external expansion through TCG, board games, animation, etc?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = Improving things within the game is the top priority, but we also see IP expansion as important. Primarily, there will be offline events or merchandise provided by the company, and further, we want to create a culture where users actively engage in secondary creation based on the IP. Through this opportunity, our goal is to move toward an IP that walks in step with users by supporting various creators and releasing resources so that more secondary creations can be made, in addition to providing merchandise.

Q. In this Season 3 update, Tenebria, who also appeared in Epic Seven, appears. Will crossover characters with Epic Seven appear in the future?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = Since we are colleagues in the same company and information exchange is active, characters who were in Epic Seven could appear again. Whether they will appear with significant weight is a part that needs more in-depth discussion. I think we need to think about various things, such as how to bring in not just resources and appearance, but also settings and such deeply, and what kind of reaction that will actually bring to users.

Q. Chaos Zero Nightmare is almost the only roguelike deck-builder with beautiful girls in live service. I'm curious if you will add more male characters in the future.

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = That is a very difficult and embarrassing question. This is because there are many people globally who ask why male characters don't appear. However, since adding the characters you like is the top priority, we intend to prepare by comprehensively considering feedback. I will first say that there are no male characters on the milestone yet.

Q. How are the collaboration cafes proceeding in Japan and Taiwan, outside of Korea? Also, could you explain in more detail how you plan to meet users offline in the future?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = In Japan, we opened the collaboration cafe two days ago, and we are proceeding by inviting cosplayers and selling merchandise there. In Taiwan, we are also opening a long-term collaboration cafe starting today. In North America, we plan to participate in Anime Expo in LA this coming July to prepare a place to meet and communicate with users directly.

Q. Since it's a card game, it seems like new characters will appear rather than many variants. Are you considering adding skins that can breathe new life into existing characters?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = I think the 'Corruption' I mentioned earlier will be a way to further activate previous characters. Since we aim for the best 2D quality, we have to prepare a lot of resources for skins, and the cost of a variant is almost the same as making a new character. So, it seems difficult to apply it right away, and instead, we are thinking about the idea of an 'Outing Clothes' system. It is a system where you can have them wear the outing clothes you want when talking to the ship or the First.

And users sent favorable reviews regarding card skins on April Fool's Day, so we are preparing to introduce this part quickly.

Q. Aren't secondary creation memes being accepted as part of the official in many games recently? Are there any memes or secondary creation cases that were impressive enough to be like that in Chaos Zero Nightmare?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = It's a bit cautious, but if I may say, the "Oath of the Peach Garden" of Haru, Yuki, and Chizuru comes to mind first. And I remember the "Seung-hyun, feed me" meme made with AI (laughs).

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = We have been holding contests, etc., to activate secondary creation, and various works are coming out there, and the production team is actually getting inspiration. To activate such a virtuous cycle, we intend to support contests, etc., even more.

Q. The live viewing event at the half-year cafe doesn't seem to have any particular merit other than watching it with other users. Are there any additional items you are preparing?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = The two of them can't come to the cafe because they have to go on the live broadcast, but we are preparing additional events on-site during the live viewing event.

Q. When it comes to secondary creation, emoticons collaborated with secondary creation artists are also an indispensable part recently. Is there anything you are preparing separately for this part?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = For things like emoticons, we are seeing a lot of things that community users made and used themselves. Also, we are working on something by communicating with one of the famous artists in Taiwan. Besides that, we intend to prepare in various ways so that users can use them externally, such as on Discord or KakaoTalk, not just reflecting icons based on memes in-game.

Beyond emoticons, we intend to provide merchandise taken from those icons and hold additional illustration contests to further activate the secondary creation environment.

Q. Various events are being held one by one in Korea, including PlayX4 in May. Do you have any intention to participate in such events additionally?

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = We intend to actively participate not only in game shows but also in subculture offline events. However, since that part needs to be prepared more long-term, not just for a month, we are currently looking at it more broadly and organizing our offline schedule.

Q. Is there a reason why I should start Chaos Zero Nightmare right now?

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = I said that I wasn't proud before but have finally found confidence, and that's because we have now prepared content that you can immediately think of if you expected a 'roguelike' in Chaos Zero Nightmare. In addition, as we have prepared improvement and supplementation measures and new characters diligently in line with the half-year mark, I hope many users will return and enjoy Chaos Zero Nightmare happily.

Q. Please say a word to the users playing Chaos Zero Nightmare.

Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = I said I was sorry every time, but I think I can finally show you with confidence what I conceived in the beginning. Thank you for the love you have sent so far, and I ask for your continued support.

Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = The opinions sent by many users after launch seem to have been the driving force that allowed us to run until the half-year mark. Please enjoy the half-year update and Heidemarie, who will be introduced this time, and if you send us your opinions, we will run until the 1st anniversary based on that momentum.

Business Division Head Kim Ju-hyung = I think the most confident thing I can say about Chaos Zero Nightmare is its original gameplay that adds roguelike deck-building. And until this half-year mark, we have improved many things that were regrettable at launch. As such, I think this is an opportunity to show the fun of roguelike deck-building to users once again, and I hope many of you will enjoy it.