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. Before implementing it into regular Chaos runs, our plan is to observe user reactions to that feature. Therefore, we are going to keep the Great Rift as it is, but we plan to display the type of save data each player is using for each piece of content within the system. Our goal is to encourage users to explore a wider variety of card and setting choices beyond just the Great Rift and experiment with different builds.
We understand that refining a single piece of save data can be quite tiring. Personally, I find my motivation waning after perfecting one deck to reach the rank of Great Rift Master. That’s why we want to provide convenience through features like the ‘Tactical Delegation’ system (combat skip) and save data editing rights. We believe that the reason users may not be exploring various challenges is because the fatigue of focusing on a single deck is too high, and we aim to address this issue at its core.
In terms of using desired characters based on attributes, not just for new character promotion, we are working on designs in content like the ‘Tower of Spiral Screams’ where all attributes are effective to ensure there are no advantages or disadvantages based on attributes. Additionally, the combat design of Chaos Zero Nightmare relies more on monster and combatant mechanics rather than attributes. Even for weaker attributes, we are providing tactical options to overcome this through attribute weakness application. We are not considering making specific attributes unusable in planned content.
In response to feedback about the lack of intuitive combat flow and insufficient help documentation, we have been making consistent text and functional improvements since launch. We are also ensuring that new combatants have deep mechanics while maintaining easy-to-understand intuitiveness.
As for the upcoming story revision in July, we have focused on removing elements that made users uncomfortable and have put effort into strengthening the role of the ‘Captain’ in the story based on user feedback.
Regarding the development progress of announced items like ‘Corruption Mode,’ we have delayed it to plan it more thoroughly as it is a crucial aspect of long-term live service. Instead, we have introduced ‘Total War’ to showcase various combatants and are working to enhance it to become a main-level content in the future. We have also introduced the ‘Unconscious Awakening’ system in Sortie to delve into each combatant in a more manageable way.
In terms of character balance issues and rework-related matters, we are vigilant to ensure explosive synergies like the ones seen with Trisa and Cassius in Season 1 are avoided in the future. We have only made upward adjustments for combatants not performing at the target level and plan to do the same for combatants struggling in Sortie.
To address growth-related concerns for new and returning users, we are adjusting the resource supply based on data analysis. We are implementing systems like ‘First Synchronization’ and ‘Distortion Reaction’ to help new users navigate Chaos more easily. Additionally, we are increasing the resource supply in the latest update to support the growing resource needs of players. We will actively monitor data trends to ensure that new users can easily settle in as they join our community. Additionally, we are providing resources through various events to support new users and enhance their experience. Are there any plans for external expansion through TCG, board games, animation, etc.?
Are you considering participating in similar events in the future?
Head of Business Division Kim Ju-hyung = We have plans to not only engage in game shows but also in offline events related to subculture. However, as this requires long-term preparation beyond just a month, we are currently taking a broader look and arranging our offline schedule accordingly.
Q. Why should someone start Chaos Zero Nightmare now?
Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = After struggling with doubts, we have finally reached a point of confidence. This is because we have developed content that embodies the essence of a ‘roguelike’ experience in Chaos Zero Nightmare. Additionally, with ongoing improvements, new characters, and enhancements in place for the six-month mark, we hope that many users will return to enjoy Chaos Zero Nightmare to the fullest.
Q. Any message for the players of Chaos Zero Nightmare?
Live Director Choi Seung-hyun = Despite previous apologies, I am now confident in presenting the original vision I had from the start. We appreciate the love and support received thus far and kindly ask for your continued backing.
Combat Lead Kim Ki-bum = The feedback received from users post-launch has been instrumental in driving us to the six-month mark. We invite you to enjoy the latest update and the introduction of Heidemarie. Your feedback will guide us as we strive to reach our first anniversary milestone.
Head of Business Division Kim Ju-hyung = One aspect I am particularly confident about in Chaos Zero Nightmare is its unique gameplay that combines roguelike elements with deck-building mechanics. We have addressed many shortcomings since the game’s release leading up to the six-month mark. This presents an opportunity to reintroduce the joy of roguelike deck-building to users, and we hope you will enjoy the experience.
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