- Sega Releases Sound Video for GPTRACK50, Explained Personally by Producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi
- Created protagonist Davy’s theme song first and designed the game’s tone in reverse, releasing on PC and PS5 on October 21.
- Development process starting from the protagonist’s theme song… combining heavy metal, rock, and electronic music with traditional Japanese instruments
SEGA and developer GPTRACK50 have released a developer commentary video featuring the music production process for the new pop-punk action RPG , ‘Stupid Never Dies’ .
The video released this time is the sound episode of ‘DEEP BITE,’ a developer commentary series presented by Sega. Hiroyuki Kobayashi, President and Executive Producer of GPTRACK50, appears in the video to share in-depth behind-the-scenes stories on how the ‘Funky’ sound, which is the game’s identity and core style, was created.
‘Stupid Never Dies’ will be officially released globally on PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5 (PS5) platforms on October 21, and is scheduled to be released in the Japanese market one day later on October 22. Currently, a demo version called ‘First Bite,’ which allows users to experience the early part of the game, is being distributed on the Steam and PS5 store pages.
[Related Article: New Title from Biohazard Producer… ‘Stupid Never Dies’ to be Released This Fall]
The game’s musical direction starting from the theme song
GPTRACK50 determined from the early stages of development that music would be key to setting the atmosphere of the game. The developer explained that instead of adding music after development was finished, they created the protagonist Davy’s theme song first and crafted the game based on the inspiration derived from it.
As the story begins with the meeting of a boy and a girl, the development team decided that pop punk, which they enjoyed listening to in their youth, was suitable for expressing the joy of innocent love. Subsequently, they expanded the scope of music by asking the characters and enemies that Davy encounters, “If they were to create music, what genre would they choose?”
As a result, a unique style was born that combines metal, rock, and electronic music with traditional Japanese instruments and musical elements. The developers call this genre blend “Neo Pop Punk.”
This musical direction can also be seen in the music video-style teaser released at ‘The Game Awards 2025’ last December. The video features the protagonist Davy and a human girl named Julia singing the game’s theme song together.
Music that changes according to the situation drives the flow of the game.
Music goes beyond being a simple background element to play a role in driving the flow of the game. It transitions naturally according to the situation, ranging from tense exploration and energetic battles to calm resting spaces.
In the shopping mall where the protagonist Davy stays, lo-fi beats play, capturing the atmosphere of preparing for battle. The development team explained that they designed the music to change along with the progression and evolution of the gameplay.
The sounds, which change according to the situation, add a sense of rhythm to the game’s flow, which involves a repetition of combat, exploration, and rest. It also incorporates the intention to convey the atmosphere of each space and the individuality of the characters through the music.
Zombie Davy’s Love and Challenge to the King of Monsters, ‘KOM’
‘Stupid Never Dies’ is a single-player 3D action RPG set in a monster-dominated dungeon in another world. Players take on the role of Davy, a timid zombie from the lowest rung of monster society, and embark on a journey to revive a frozen human girl named Julia.
According to the Steam and PS5 introduction pages, Davy falls in love at first sight after discovering Julia dead in a shopping mall freezer. He then explores the monster world to revive Julia and challenges the King of Monsters, ‘KOM’.
The game’s core systems are broadly divided into three categories. ‘Style Eat’ is a system where you eat enemies to recover health and absorb their abilities and characteristics. You can utilize over 11 types of styles, including werewolves, harpies, and vampires, to employ diverse combat styles.
‘Body Hacking’ is a system that allows players to modify body parts such as arms, legs, and the head using ‘Over Technology’ acquired during dungeon exploration. Through modifications, players can strengthen their characters and expand their combat abilities.
Added to this is a roguelike progression system that emphasizes rapid growth. Although you start at level 1 every time you enter a dungeon, enemies defeated in previous challenges significantly boost your growth speed. The developers stated that players can enjoy an action RPG with over 30 hours of content at a pace fast enough to reach the maximum level in about 30 minutes.
The first work by veterans from Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma
GPTRACK50 is a studio founded by CEO Hiroyuki Kobayashi in Osaka, Japan, in October 2022. The development team includes individuals who have worked on the ‘Devil May Cry’, ‘Dragon’s Dogma’, and ‘Resident Evil’ series.
Starting with ‘Stupid Never Dies,’ the studio aims to expand its original intellectual property (IP) across various media, including not only games but also live-action films and animations. Under the co-publishing agreement, Sega is responsible for the game’s global publishing and distribution.
Eye-catching, unique style revealed in the demo and overseas preview
The demo ‘First Bite’ includes the first two hours of gameplay and two boss battles. Save data from the demo can be carried over to the full version. The demo was released along with the third trailer unveiled at the PlayStation ‘State of Play’ held in early September.
Overseas media took note of the unique art style, action, and distinctive setting.
Bloody Disgusting, a media outlet specializing in horror, noted that the intense colors and unique aesthetic are reminiscent of ‘Lollipop Chainsaw’ and ‘Hi-Fi Rush’. However, they pointed out that the gameplay observed in the demo does not deviate significantly from the conventional conventions of the action genre, and that the humor and atmosphere, reminiscent of Goichi Suda’s works, may be divisive depending on personal taste.
ComicBook.com shared their experience playing the game at Summer Game Fest, describing it as “ridiculously fun.” The main feature mentioned was combat against bosses, where players switch between various styles such as zombies, harpies, and werewolves.
After playing for 2 to 3 hours at Gamescom 2026, IGN France evaluated that, contrary to the absurd premise, the action is solid. They also spoke positively about the combat where combos flow naturally and the roguelite structure that makes you want to continue with the next challenge.
Released in two editions… Supports Korean subtitles
‘Stupid Never Dies’ will be released in a Standard Edition and a ‘Glorious Idiot Edition’. The prices are $49.99 and $59.99, respectively.
The Glorious Idiot Edition includes the downloadable content (DLC) ‘Nonsense Overload Pack,’ which contains five of Davy’s ‘TickTock Teddies.’ Equipping this content changes the related animations and background music. A PS5 physical version is also available in some regions.
The audio supports English, and the subtitles support 13 languages, including Korean, English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
‘Stupid Never Dies’ is a work that organically combines an original soundtrack, distinctive characters, and action that maximizes the thrill of rapid growth.
In particular, the industry is paying close attention to whether the development team’s unique approach of using ‘music’ as the starting point and core foundation of the game design can provide an experience differentiated from existing action RPGs in actual gameplay.
‘Stupid Never Dies’, which adds a pop-punk vibe to the inherent fun of the genre, will be officially released on October 21st on PC (Steam) and PlayStation 5 (PS5) platforms.
Currently, the store pages of both platforms are highly acclaimed for offering a free trial version called ‘First Bite,’ which allows users to experience the game’s unique gameplay in advance.
Information regarding ‘Stupid Never Dies’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | GPTRACK50 |
| Publisher | SEGA |
| Genre | 3D Action RPG (Roguelite elements) |
| platform | PC (Steam), PlayStation 5 |
| Release date | October 21, 2026 (October 22, Japan) |
| price | Standard Edition $49.99 / Glorious Idiot Edition $59.99 |
| Trial version | ‘First Bite’ Demo (Steam, PS5) |
| Reactions/Evaluations | Favorable overseas previews, no official reviews or Steam user ratings |
| Steam Page | Shortcut |
