Smilegate unveils new season of 'Cazena' at Anime Expo

Smilegate has unveiled details of a new season for its dark fantasy roguelike role-playing game "Chaos Zero Nightmare," known as "Cazena," at Anime Expo 2026.

Smilegate said Monday it hosted a panel session at Anime Expo 2026 — North America's largest subculture festival, currently underway in Los Angeles — to give the first public look at Cazena's new "Galactic Disaster" season. The session ran from 7:45 to 9:05 p.m. July 3 (local time) at a conference hall inside the LA Convention Center.

Super Creative producer Kim Hyeong-seok served as the main presenter, walking attendees through the game's development history. He shared anecdotes about the challenges the team faced during development and the deliberations that went into making the game genuinely fun. He also said he believes "authenticity on the part of the developer is ultimately the core that runs through the past, present and future of subculture games," expressing his affection for Cazena and his ambition to keep raising the game's quality.

Smilegate also revealed details of the new Galactic Disaster season, which is set to go live this month. The season's official title is "Season 4: Shattered Light and Claw," and it is scheduled to launch July 29.

The company introduced three new combatants appearing in Season 4 — Hilde, Arabella and Olga — showcasing their character art, lore and in-development skill animations. Smilegate said Hilde wields a bow, Arabella uses a "four-fold sword" that transforms like a whip, and Olga carries a giant scythe, each bringing a distinct appeal that sets them apart from existing combatants.

Smilegate also previewed an outfit-change system currently in development that lets combatants wear casual clothes, with each outfit unlocking exclusive voice lines and story content. The company plans to roll out casual outfits starting this summer with seasonal combatants Heidemarrie and Sereniel, with more to follow.

Smilegate said it plans to share additional details about the new season with players in South Korea and other regions around the world.