Chaos Zero Nightmare Hosts Its First Offline Event, ‘Nightmare Garden Tea Party,’ to Celebrate Its Half-Anniversary 2026-05-26

From April 25 to May 5, the "Nightmare Garden Tea Party" was held at the Golden Crema Cafe in Hongdae for 11 days to celebrate the Half-Anniversary of Chaos Zero Nightmare (CZN). This marked the game's first-ever offline event since its launch, as well as the exclusive debut of its official merchandise.

The event proved the high anticipation and enthusiasm of the "Firsts" (the official term for CZN users), with all sessions selling out on the very first day of advanced reservations. Themed around a "Half-Anniversary Party with Heidemarie," the venue captivated the Firsts with its interior design that seamlessly reflected the game's original artwork, character illustrations, and unique lore.

The Smilegate Newsroom team brings you the recap of this joy-filled Nightmare Garden Tea Party.

A Colorful Lineup of Merchandise and Cosplayer Events

The official Chaos Zero Nightmare (CZN) merchandise lineup, which filled the venue, instantly caught everyone's attention. Fans were treated to a diverse array of official items, including acrylic stands, keyholders, desk mats, button badges, and even the shaker keyrings that had previously sparked a massive sell-out frenzy in Japan. Unique items embodying CZN's distinct aesthetic, such as the eyeball keyrings, triggered a strong desire to collect them just by looking at them. Additionally, purchase benefits like photo cards, A4 clear files, and collapse-themed lenticular postcards also drew significant attention.

Another element that turned up the heat at the venue was the cosplayer event! Famous cosplayers—Chizra as Lua, Sereniel as Well, Hang-ah as Heidemarie, Aza as Diana, Dyang-e as Haru, and Yona as Yuki—transformed into popular CZN agents. They hosted photo sessions and cheki (polaroid) events, creating special memories with the visitors.

It was also eye-catching to see the Firsts visiting the tea party taking proof-of-visit photos in front of a real-life recreation of the Cobalt Wing. On one side of the venue, a message wall was filled with words of affection and support for CZN left by the fans.

"Captain, you’ve never tasted collapse like this before, have you?"

In line with the tea party theme, four types of dessert set menus were prepared, each capturing the unique personalities of CZN's main combatants: "Heidemarie's Toast Set," "Diana's Tea Time Set," "Lenoah's Ether-Filled Set," and "Rin's Full-of-Love Set?".

Each menu order came with a random postcard and a special ticket merch. Among them, "Rin's Full-of-Love Set?", which was limited to 100 servings per day, was highly popular as it included an exclusive hologram photo card. Additionally, a "Collapse Challenge" was held, where those who tried this specific menu and left reviews on social media or online communities received extra gifts on-site. This sparked a continuous wave of Firsts sharing proof of their "taste of collapse."

 

On the opening day, a Developer Meetup was held, attended by Live Director Choi Seung-hyun, Combat Team Lead Kim Ki-bum, and Business Division Director Kim Ju-hyung. Together with 35 Firsts, including content creators like Pragoon and Zephyros who primarily feature CZN, they shared their thoughts on the half-year since launch and discussed the game's update direction and future plans.

Special Guests Who Visited the ‘Nightmare Garden Tea Party’

 

More Enjoyable Together, ‘Chaos Zero Nightmare’

"Our half-anniversary celebrated together—our voyage has only just begun."

The ‘Nightmare Garden Tea Party’ was a particularly meaningful occasion as it marked CZN’s first official offline gathering, bringing the game's virtual experience into reality for the Firsts.

The event was met with great love from global users, with cafes operating simultaneously in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. Looking ahead, the title is also scheduled to participate in ‘Anime Expo 2026,’ the largest subculture festival in North America, to be held in Los Angeles this coming July.