Chaos Zero Nightmare Season 4: Shattered Light and Claw Goes Live With New Units, Story Rewrite, and Free Selector

Season 4 "Shattered Light and Claw" is live for Chaos Zero Nightmare as of July 28, bringing a new preseason character pair, a full rewrite of Act 1 Chapters 1 through 5, and a revamped Basin of Hyperspace mode. Super Creative and Smilegate released the version trailer on July 29 confirming the update is now available across all platforms.

New Preseason Characters and the Three-Week Phase Schedule

The preseason update that went live on July 8 introduced two new units. Fei is a 5-star Void Ranger who uses Extra Attacks and card draw mechanics to cycle through her deck and land multiple hits per turn. Her partner Ruixiang increases Fei's damage whenever Void Attack Cards are created, and can draw up to three cards using the Ego Skill "Incense."

Three additional combatants were revealed at Anime Expo 2026 and will release across the season with three-week gaps between them. Hilde fights with a bow at long range. Arabella wields a sword that can function as a whip, giving her mid-range versatility. Olga uses a scythe for close-quarters combat. Their exact release dates within Season 4 have not been announced.

Banner reruns for Yuki and Westmacott are running simultaneously with the Fei and Ruixiang banners, giving new and returning players a chance to pick up older limited units.

Desire Cards and the Backup Protocol System

Two new systems anchor the seasonal gameplay changes. Desire Cards are created through the Zero System by merging the "Shattered Light and Claw [Preview]" option, clearing the associated Codex, and obtaining Save Data. These cards house unique effects that can be stacked and combined with others from the same season. They do not include all Season 4 mechanics yet; additional Cards, Fate effects, and Equipment will be added as the season progresses.

The Backup Protocol System lets players activate key Environment Variables from previous seasons to gain powerful effects in seasonal chaos areas. This is a catch-up mechanism for players who missed earlier limited-time content.

Story Rewrite: Act 1 Chapters 1-5

Super Creative applied a long-awaited rewrite to the first five chapters of Act 1. The overhaul adds new characters and events to the early narrative, addressing feedback that the opening story lacked the depth of later arcs. The rewrite is applied retroactively: all players see the updated story regardless of progress.

Basin of Hyperspace Revamp

The roguelike endgame mode Basin of Hyperspace received a structural overhaul. The tower now runs 8 floors instead of the previous count, with the final floor significantly harder and more rewarding. A new Support Effect System lets players choose three passive effects per team before entering.

Two new Core Items were added: Core of Mutation applies a Mutation Effect to Save Data, and Core of Resonance lets players select one Common Card to add to their Save Data pool. Both items expand the deckbuilding options for high-difficulty runs.

What This Means for Players

The Season 4 update addresses three of the most common complaints from the player base since the October 2025 launch. The story rewrite tackles the weak early chapters that many cited as a barrier to investment in the narrative. The Basin of Hyperspace revamp shortens weekly runs while adding meaningful choice with the Support Effect System. And the Desire Cards and Backup Protocol System give veterans a reason to engage with the seasonal loop.

The free 5-star selector in the mail and the CZNS40729START code (500 crystals, valid until August 20, 2026, 14:59 UTC) lower the barrier for new and returning players to catch up during the season. The code can be redeemed through the in-game settings menu or the official STOVE page.

Background

Chaos Zero Nightmare is a turn-based roguelike card-battle RPG developed by Super Creative, the studio behind Epic Seven, and published by Smilegate. It launched globally on October 22, 2025 on iOS, Android, and PC via Steam and STOVE. The game ranked 40th globally by revenue in June 2026 with $3.3 million in monthly revenue across iOS and Android, though that figure represents a 41 percent month-over-month decline. The game has generated an estimated $46 million since launch across all three platforms.

This is the first major content season since the player count and revenue began trending downward, making the quality of the story rewrite and the seasonal systems a test of whether Super Creative can stabilize retention ahead of the game's first anniversary in October 2026.

Sortie and Full-Scale Offensive Additions

The Sortie mode received Hardcore ranking, exclusive missions and titles, a replay archive, and a new Chaos Core boss fight with balance adjustments. Full-Scale Offensive Season 3 added three new boss encounters: Judas, Colossus, and Beginning of Desire. These are endgame challenges designed for fully built rosters and coordinated deck strategies.

FAQ

When does the CZNS40729START code expire? The code is valid until August 20, 2026 at 14:59 UTC.

Is the 5-star selector in the mail time-limited? The free 5-star selector was sent to all players via in-game mail at the start of the preseason. Claim it before the mail expires; no end date has been announced.

When do Olga, Arabella, and Hilde release? Each character releases in a three-week window within Season 4. Exact dates have not been confirmed by Super Creative.

Can I still get Yuki and Westmacott? Yes, both limited banners are running as reruns alongside the Fei banner during the preseason window.

Is the story rewrite retroactive for players who already cleared Act 1? Yes. The rewritten Chapters 1 through 5 apply to all accounts regardless of story progress.

What platforms support cross-save for Season 4 content? Progress syncs across iOS, Android, and PC through the STOVE account system.