Chaos Zero Nightmare (hereafter CZM) has pledged a massive overhaul running from the end of this year through the first half of next year. The team plans to ease the difficulty of 'Save Data' deck farming, bolster the core roguelike experience, and expand character interactions, which many players felt were lacking.

You can catch the full details in the '2026 Roadmap Showcase' broadcasted on the official CZM YouTube channel last 20th. The stream featured Super Creative's System Team Lead Choi Seung-hyun, Background Team Lead Choi Woong-hwan, and Battle Team member Kim Ki-beom, who unveiled updates scheduled from December 24th through April of next year.

“The first half of 2026 boils down to three key pillars,” Team Lead Choi Seung-hyun explained. “First, gameplay variety. While optimizing Save Data is a journey in itself, we know some players miss that pure roguelike thrill, so we're prepping fresh content for them. Second, season-specific enhancements. We’re introducing main seasonal events and beefing up battle themes for a completely new experience. Finally, polish. We’re patching up the systems and world-building elements that felt thin, and refining player convenience based on your feedback.”

December 24th marks the release of Chapter 3 of Season 1, 'Forbidden Catalyst,' which kicked off in November. It covers the finale of the party’s journey toward the taboo. The new combatant is 'Seleniel,' known as the 'Guardian Angel.' As the Director of the Ark Defense Bureau under the Terrasion Aerospace Defense Command, she hides a cold-blooded ruthlessness for purging evil beneath a kind, gentle exterior. Gameplay-wise, she is an Instinct-attribute Hunter who uses her exclusive 'Afterglow' buff to deal massive Break damage, allowing her to finish off foes quickly and keep the pressure on with laser cards sent to her hand.

Seleniel’s partner is 'Peko.' As a repair specialist for the Ark Defense Bureau, Peko is never without an all-purpose repair kit. Despite a cute appearance, Peko wields massive machinery, using a drone from within the kit to amplify Seleniel’s abilities. In combat, Peko boosts Seleniel’s Attack power and specifically increases damage dealt to broken targets—a perfect match for Seleniel’s Break-focused mechanics.

Seleniel and Peko are 'Seasonal Agents' available only for a limited time starting on the 24th. They can be acquired using the 'Signal Amplification Anchor' pick-up item, and existing pity counts will carry over. This marks the first time limited-time characters have been added to Chaos Zero Nightmare.

Following this, the second half of the 'Great Rift' begins. Running for three weeks, it puts a premium on boss takedowns. Combatants specialized in Breaking, including Seleniel, will shine here. The 'Core of Chaos' is also expanding; Haku debuts as a new boss, while previous bosses transition to Elite rank.

“Players might worry that moving Mythic equipment spots further back hurts the Chaos experience,” Team Lead Choi noted. “However, we’re adding Delang Shops in previously empty Unidentified Zones. Think of it as an extra chance to remove unwanted elements, while previous bosses will now drop Elite gear to provide more progression pathways.” The update on the 24th also addresses complaints about Unidentified Zones interfering with Save Data farming by offering Fates as rewards.

Several other quality-of-life changes are on the way. You’ll be able to see more spots on the minimap at a glance, and a fast-forward feature is being added for Unidentified Zones you've already visited. Skill post-delay animations are being shortened. Furthermore, if you pull a duplicate of a character who has already reached Ego Awakening Level 6, you’ll receive 'Prism Cubes,' which can be exchanged for items like Memory Codes for standard combatants.

Regarding character interaction, combatants favorited in Unigram will now always appear during outings. Also, the term 'Trust' is being rebranded to 'Affection.' Team Lead Choi remarked, “We heard a lot of feedback that 'Trust' felt too bureaucratic, so we’re making the change.” Lastly, events like the 'Ark Defense Bureau Director’s Memoir,' revealing Seleniel’s secrets, will be held.

January brings new updates and refinements. The new content is the 'Tower of Screaming Spiral.' It spans 150 floors, with 5 waves per battle, totaling 30 encounters. It’s a permanent piece of content designed for deck experimentation, and since there are no turn limits, you can play defensively without the pressure of speed-clearing. “We’ll show which decks were used for each combatant,” said Choi. “It’s meant to spark the urge to conquer the tower with a diverse roster.”

The Codex will now have a chance to trigger 'Unique Options.' “We’ve met the God's Agents so far, but now you can encounter the God directly,” Choi explained. “The rewards are commensurate with the meeting. The God will allow you to swap a card you hold for one that’s highly beneficial for clearing Chaos.” There’s also an option to remove unwanted cards. We are also preparing event-themed unique Codex runs, such as stages consisting entirely of reward spots or special story-heavy Unidentified Zones.

Clearing content after encountering the God activates 'Zero Archive,' which provides lore regarding the God. We’re also revamping the archive to make detailed information about cards and equipment easier to access, helping players grasp the world-building better.

Convenience upgrades continue. First, the Memory Fragment UI/UX is getting a facelift. It will now highlight preferred main and sub-stats for each combatant and display how many times each stat has been enhanced. A separate popup for enhancements will make the process smoother. Additionally, Simulation Dungeons will allow up to 3x reward claiming at once, and a story skip feature is being added.

February marks the full-scale launch of Season 2, titled 'Galactic Disaster.' The setting is the planet Bern, where all life is burning, and the story follows the Captain (the player) after an unexpected crash into an enemy underground arena. The black market there has turned the slave fighting pit into a thriving business.

This theme inspires the seasonal event 'Galactic Fighting Tournament.' You’ll earn monster cards to use in your Save Data by defeating powerful foes. These monster cards are exclusive to the tournament but will move to permanent events later. Season 2 also introduces the game’s first 'part-destruction' mechanic for bosses.

Three new characters were introduced. First is 'Narja,' a powerful artificial lifeform who constantly suffers from fatigue and inflammation; she arrives January 14th. Then there’s 'Nine,' a legendary mercenary who survives every battlefield, who crosses paths with the Captain while searching for a massive energy source; she wields a greatsword. Finally, 'Tifera,' a girl with deep convictions who hides her true form beneath a coat. Nine arrives February 4th, and Tifera on February 25th.

To support content requiring multiple decks, we need to lower the barrier to Save Data farming. This is where 'Zero System Upgrade' and 'Season Skill Trees' come in. The Zero System Upgrade consists of 3 stages, with the final stage granting powerful effects like additional options from God's Agents or increased 'Flash of Insight' probability. The Season Skill Tree will provide buffs to seasons, equipment, and fates, with effects that change each season.

Additionally, 'First Sync' is being added—a system that lets you temporarily boost a combatant’s level, potential, and memory fragments to test them in Chaos before investing real resources. We’re also adding Save Data presets to swap decks easily and a system to borrow a friend’s deck once per day in Simulation Dungeons. Finally, the Guild Office will open, where you can complete missions like boss subjugation and Chaos purification to earn growth materials.

Character interaction is getting a boost too. In 'Psychological Counseling,' we’re adding better presentation for combatant trauma and introducing 'Collapse' choices. If you mess up and trigger their trauma, they may fall into a deeper collapse, ending the session. They’ll recover with medical help, but you won’t gain Affection. New interactions like touching characters in the lobby or cafe, dining together, and receiving DMs from characters in an unstable state are also being added.

Collection elements are also being expanded. A 'Season Board' will track progress, and you’ll earn 'Galactic Medals' (stickers) for completing certain content. You can also customize your Captain ID card with stickers, special lobby illustrations, and secondary illustrations.

Lastly, balance patches. CZM adjusts balance every 12 weeks with each new season. We’re buffing underused 'Flashes of Insight' and common cards. We’re also enhancing the healing capabilities of controller combatants like Nia, Ray, Orlea, and Cassius. Underutilized builds, unique cards, and some partner passives, including Yuki’s, will be reinforced. Conversely, Cassius and Trisa, deemed too strong, are getting nerfed. After the patch, we will refund investment resources for those characters and provide items like Save Data Edit Tickets.

April brings Season 3 and the new roguelike content 'Chaos Assault.' It’s higher difficulty than standard Chaos, but since Save Data isn't saved, you play fresh each time. Unlike standard Chaos, you can reuse cards. Rewards include 'Save Data Edit Tickets.' Kim Ki-beom explained, “We know there are moments where you think, 'I wish I could just change this Flash' or 'I wish this copy was attached to something else.' This item is meant to bridge those gaps.”

Content requiring three decks is also arriving: 'Purification Protocol,' where you cleanse hacked systems. “You assign combatants to three separate areas,” Team Lead Choi noted. “Unlike before, you can request outside help when danger strikes—for instance, asking Elaine for vaccine code support to receive specific buffs.” Note that in this mode, stress levels persist after stages, increasing the chance of combatants falling into a state of collapse.

We’re also adding 'Corruption Mode,' essentially a character overhaul or variant. These feature corrupted looks, and will be updated sequentially for each combatant. They include new effects, some skill changes, and different collapse animations and dialogue. Kim Ki-beom added, “We aim for these to function as strategic elements that offer new build possibilities.”

The scenario improvements promised by the team will also be applied in Season 3. Team Lead Choi stated, “We aim to advance the story while keeping the world-building and background intact. We are working hard to deliver content that will satisfy all of you.” Additionally, 'Trauma Codes,' which reveal hidden pasts, will receive full voice-overs in sequential updates.

Several other features are in the pipeline. We’re adding character-specific challenges that reward special stickers upon completion. A training guide will be introduced to suggest required resources, recommended Memory Fragments, and partners for each combatant. Finally, custom key-mapping is coming to the PC client.