Sega and GPTRACK50 are set to release the all-new action RPG *Stupid Never Dies* on October 22, 2026. In this article, we present an interview with the game’s producer, Hiroyuki Kobayashi, and director, Eiichiro Sasaki.
At the Sega booth during the “Tokyo Game Show 2026 (TGS2026),” the game attracted significant attention with its spectacular display, including the screening of promotional videos on a massive screen made up of five special LED panels.This game is the first title from GPTRACK50, led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, who has worked on titles such as “Resident Evil,” “Devil May Cry,” and “Sengoku BASARA.”
In a world that has collapsed due to a monster uprising, leaving only a handful of humans and zombies stranded on the surface, “Davie,” the weakest of the zombies, falls in love at first sight with “Julia,” a human woman who has frozen to death,and sets out to defeat the “KOM (King of Monsters),” who reigns over the deepest depths of the dungeon, in order to bring her back to life. It is a single-player-only action RPG.
Packed with unique features such as “Style Eat,” which allows you to devour enemies and steal their abilities; “Body Hack,” which modifies your physique; and “Explosive Growth,” where your power-up efficiency skyrockets with each dungeon run.At Game*Spark, we sat down with the two developers at the heart of the project to discuss their unique combat concepts and the upcoming demo update, which incorporates feedback from users.
“Punk × Love” as the Theme—It All Started with Zombies
—Congratulations on exhibiting at TGS 2026. What were your impressions of the booth, and how did it feel to take the stage?
Hiroyuki Kobayashi (hereinafter Kobayashi): It’s been a while since we last exhibited, so it’s been a lot of fun. On Thursday, I took the stage at Sega’s event—it was on the second floor, so the view was spectacular. The stage at my previous job (Capcom) was designed to be lower, so the perspective was completely different; I was able to enjoy myself without feeling nervous.The booth also featured a five-panel special LED display, and I was truly delighted to see Davy—whom I’d watched countless times in the promotional videos—projected in such a massive size.
――The graffiti-style art is meant to express how Davy perceives the world, but how did this unique visual style itself come about?
Eiichiro Sasaki (hereinafter Sasaki): As the overall tone, we’ve adopted the phrase “Funky Zombie Action.” Underlying this “funky” concept are two keywords: “punk” and “love.”“Punk” refers, quite literally, to the spirit of punk rock, while “love” signifies a love story brimming with punk spirit—one in which a zombie falls in love with a dead girl.
I’m a fan of old-school punk rock myself, so I incorporated the collages, graffiti, and artwork that defies authority—the kind often seen on CD covers—into the game’s visual motifs.
――Even though the game uses zombies as its subject matter, its unique systems—which go beyond simply slapping a new skin on a familiar concept—are impressive. Where did the concept originate?
Kobayashi: I wanted to create a new action game, so I first presented the challenge—“Please make the protagonist a zombie”—to the director and the core team. We started by asking them to come up with a concept featuring a zombie protagonist, and then, led by Sasaki, we expanded on the ideas to incorporate actions unique to zombies. Since they’re zombies, they recover by eating, and they also steal enemies’ abilities by eating them.Including the world-building and story, we developed everything around the zombie concept.
Zombies are often at the very bottom of the monster hierarchy, aren’t they? They’re usually treated as mere fodder in all sorts of games. The idea was that it would be incredibly satisfying to see this weakest of creatures rise up, mow down powerful monsters, and ultimately defeat the boss, “KOM.”
――I heard it changed quite a bit from the initial proposal.
Kobayashi: I initially wrote an 8-page proposal to establish the studio and secure funding, but it was strictly just a rough draft. However, it got torn to shreds internally, and it almost ended up being scrapped entirely(laughs). So I pleaded, “Please, just keep the zombies. Just the zombies, please.” If that went away and everything went back to zero, it would’ve been a problem for a project that had already secured funding, so I fought tooth and nail to keep that element, and the game evolved into its current form.
No dodging, no blocking—gritty, no-holds-barred brawls like in “Chainsaw Man”
――The battle system in this game feels distinct from both high-difficulty “die-and-retry” titles and conventional stylish action games. How was the combat concept designed?
Sasaki: We aimed for a battle style exactly like Denji from the manga “Chainsaw Man”—one where you don’t take any defensive stances at all and just stubbornly exchange blows. It’s not about gracefully parrying or dodging attacks; it’s that gritty, no-nonsense approach where you charge headfirst and keep punching.
There’s a parry mechanic (the “Stupid Parry”), but rather than requiring precise timing, it feels more like charging headfirst into an enemy’s attack to knock them back.However, every time you parry, your health just keeps getting whittled away. So the basic cycle is: “Punch, parry, and when your health gets low, chomp down on something to recover.”
――It’s that “I’ve actually built a perpetual motion machine, aaaah!!” kind of thing, right? (laughs)!
Sasaki: That’s exactly the vibe (laughs).
Kobayashi: In *Devil May Cry*, you dodge and fight in a stylish way, right? We’ve clearly differentiated ourselves from that, drawing on my own past experiences as well.
――Are there any equipment or build options for players who struggle with anti-air attacks or parrying?
Sasaki: For example, “Homing Missiles” are incredibly useful against enemies flying in the air. Since they automatically track targets, they make combat much easier. The equipment’s skill level goes up to Level 3, so once you reach Level 3, you’ll be able to overwhelm most enemies.
Also, for players who struggle with parrying, there’s the “Shield,” which knocks enemies back when you’re hit—just by keeping it raised. We’ve prepared a variety of equipment options, so I think you’ll be able to find something that suits your playstyle.
Furthermore, there are Auto Skills that trigger automatically—such as when you’re knocked down—allowing you to customize your gameplay to escape tight spots, whether by scattering spike traps around you or dropping icicles to freeze enemies.
Kobayashi: You’ll want to land hits with weapons like the Greatsword, which deal massive single-hit damage. But they leave you wide open. In those situations, I hope you’ll enjoy combining styles and gear—such as using the “Snow Fairy” style to freeze your opponent and immobilize them before delivering a finishing blow.
In response to feedback from the demo, we’ve made significant adjustments to “guidance and hit detection” rather than relying on lock-on.
――How have you been receiving feedback from users since the demo was released?
Sasaki: We’ve received an overwhelming amount of feedback, and first and foremost, we’d like to express our gratitude. Among the comments we received, there were many asking, “Why isn’t there a lock-on feature?” So, based on that feedback, we’ve prepared an update patch for the demo that makes the game more accessible, and we plan to release it soon.
Kobayashi: Even for those who have already played the demo, the gameplay will feel quite different once the patch is applied, so I’d really like you to give it another try and see for yourselves.
――Could you tell us more about the design intent behind deliberately omitting the lock-on feature and the specific adjustments made in this patch?
Sasaki: The deeper you go into the dungeon, the more intense the enemy pressure becomes, with enemies swarming in from all directions.When you’re trying to move quickly while enemies are constantly coming at you from both the right and left, locking onto a single enemy with hard lock-on inevitably causes delays when switching targets. For that reason, we deliberately chose not to include lock-on so that players could intuitively and quickly target enemies using the joystick and camera controls.
Kobayashi: In the demo, there aren’t that many enemies yet. Under those conditions, as you users have pointed out, it’s definitely easier to fight if you can lock on to a single enemy. We did discuss whether to include lock-on during the testing phase, but ultimately decided on the current approach. However, since we want to take user feedback seriously, we’ve made some adjustments this time.
Sasaki: So, rather than adding a lock-on system itself in this patch, we’ve made adjustments to ensure that Davy’s normal attacks—like punches and kicks—hit enemies more reliably.
Kobayashi: In particular, flying enemies like the “Harpy”—which many players struggled with early on—are now significantly easier to knock away. You should also find aerial combat much more manageable.
Significantly Lowered Difficulty! The “Go Nuts” Mode Special Option
――Are there any features designed to ensure that even players who aren’t good at action games can enjoy the game all the way through?
Kobayashi: Actually, although we haven’t officially announced it yet, there’s a special mode called “Go Nuts” in the options menu for players who aren’t great at action games. Turning this on makes the action much easier and significantly lowers the difficulty, so if you’re not confident in your action skills, please give “Go Nuts” a try. To be honest, I myself couldn’t beat the main story without it (laughs).
――So it’s that powerful of a help feature!
Kobayashi: (Including the demo currently available) You can toggle it on and off at any time from the options menu, so if you find it too difficult, please feel free to use it whenever you like and enjoy the game.
Randomness Where Conditions Change With Every Dive and the “Blazing-Fast Growth” Cycle
――Could you tell us about the randomness involved in acquiring styles during dungeon exploration and the game’s cycle?
Sasaki: You acquire styles by defeating enemies, but which enemies appear where in the dungeon is randomly determined each time you enter.It’s a common occurrence to think, “I just encountered a werewolf here a moment ago, but now there’s nothing but harpies.” Because of this, rather than playing according to a set plan, the game requires the ability to improvise and adapt on the fly to whatever happens in the moment.
Kobayashi: Since Styles obtained from Elite enemies have two slots, it’s fun to choose based on what you’ve just encountered—like deciding, “I’ll go with the werewolf and the harpy this time,” or “Next time, I’ll try the vampire and the golem.”
Sasaki: Since the effects of Styles wear off after advancing three floors, you have to keep swapping them out constantly. Also, even for the same type of enemy—like a werewolf—their strength and skills differ completely between the lower and upper levels. You’ll enjoy constantly searching for strong individuals or those with skills that synergize well with yours, much like shuffling a deck.
――How long does a single dungeon dive (or a segment of story progression) take, and what’s the estimated time to clear the dungeon?
Sasaki: Each dungeon is designed so that you’ll reach the boss in about 20 to 30 minutes. It’s balanced so that skilled players can clear it on their first try, while even those who make a few mistakes can usually clear it by their second attempt.Even if you’re not confident in your skills, you’ll be able to clear it reliably after 3 to 4 attempts and progressing through the permanent enhancements. We estimate it will take about 20 hours for skilled players to reach the story’s ending, or around 30 hours if you take your time.
However, if you spend too much time fighting every enemy you encounter inside the dungeon to level up, there’s a risk you’ll run out of time by the time you reach the boss floor. In particular, as the story progresses, the dungeons themselves become deeper.
That’s why “Blazing-Fast Leveling” (EXP Boost) is essential for reaching a level high enough to fight the boss effectively within the allotted time and breaking through that “wall.”
Kobayashi: I can’t win unless I challenge a boss at the same level as it is—or slightly higher. There are also bosses that are tough to beat unless you find their weak points.
――In the demo, the rate of leveling up feels relatively gradual—how does that change in the full game?
Sasaki: We’ve kept the numbers low within the demo, but once you move on to the main game, the amount of “EXP Boost” skyrockets, and you’ll level up at an otherworldly speed.
Kobayashi: If we made it too fast from the start, it would throw off the game’s balance, so we’re keeping it in check during the early stages.
Sasaki: We’ve also prepared a wide variety of permanent enhancements—starting with equipment (Body Hacks)—that offer absolutely incredible performance, so please look forward to them.
――Will the “EXP Boost” go beyond the four digits we saw briefly in the PV and reach five digits?
Sasaki: Stay tuned (laughs).
The main game is already complete and will launch in October in top condition
――Could you tell us about the current development status and post-launch plans?
Kobayashi: Both the budget and schedule for this title are proceeding smoothly according to plan, and the main game is already complete. Please rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a sudden release delay or cancellation (laughs).As for post-launch plans, they’ll depend on the reception after release, but we aren’t planning any major DLC. For now, we’re only planning to release customization DLC that changes the character’s appearance on the day of release, along with minor updates to fix bugs. After all, if it doesn’t sell well, we won’t be able to make “2” (laughs).
――Finally, please share a message for the fans eagerly awaiting the release.
Sasaki: This title was created by a team of developers who absolutely love zombies, and we’ve challenged ourselves to present a fresh take on the zombie genre. It’s packed with a bizarre world and a rich story, along with plenty of unique new action challenges, so I hope you’ll play it over and over again.
Kobayashi: First of all, please be sure to try out the demo that’s currently available. If you’re not great at action games, turning on the “Go Nuts” option I mentioned earlier will make the game significantly easier to play, so please feel free to give it a try. The upcoming update patch will further improve the controls, so we’d be grateful if you could get fully prepared and look forward to the October 22 release.
――Thank you very much.
“Stupid Never Dies” Product Information
Title: “Stupid Never Dies”
Supported Platforms: PS5/PC (Steam)
Release Date: Scheduled for October 22, 2026
Price: Standard Edition 7,689 yen / Gorgeous Idiot Edition 8,789 yen
Developer: GPTRACK50
Publisher: Sega
