Most games add music near the end. Stupid Never Dies started with it. SEGA and developer GPTRACK50 have released a new developer commentary video on the music of their pop-punk action RPG, and the story it tells is unusual: the team wrote the protagonist’s theme song first, then designed the game’s tone backward from it.
The video is the sound episode of “DEEP BITE,” SEGA’s series of developer commentaries. GPTRACK50’s CEO and executive producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi appears in person to explain how the game’s “funky” sound, central to its identity, came together.
Stupid Never Dies launches globally on PC (Steam) and PS5 on October 21, with the Japanese release following a day later on October 22. A free demo, “First Bite,” covering the opening of the game is available now on both storefronts.
[Related Article: New Title from Biohazard Producer… ‘Stupid Never Dies’ to be Released This Fall]
Starting From Davy’s Theme
GPTRACK50 decided early in development that music would be central to the game’s atmosphere. Rather than scoring a finished game, the studio says it composed the theme for protagonist Davy first and shaped the game around the inspiration that came from it.
Because the story begins with a boy meeting a girl, the team felt the pop punk they loved in their youth was the right way to express the giddy joy of first love. From there, they widened the musical range by asking a question about each character and enemy Davy meets: if they made music, what genre would they choose?
The result is a distinctive mix of metal, rock, and electronic music combined with traditional Japanese instruments and musical elements. The developers call this blend “Neo Pop Punk.”
That direction was already visible in last December’s music-video-style teaser shown at The Game Awards 2025, in which Davy and the human girl Julia sing the game’s theme song together.
Music That Shifts With the Game
The soundtrack is meant to drive the game’s flow, not just sit behind it. Music transitions naturally between tense exploration, high-energy combat, and quiet rest areas.
In the shopping mall that serves as Davy’s hub, lo-fi beats set a mood of preparing for the next fight. The developers say they designed the music to change and evolve alongside the gameplay.
That situational sound gives rhythm to the game’s cycle of combat, exploration, and rest, and is also meant to convey the mood of each space and the personality of each character.
A Zombie in Love, and a Challenge to the King of Monsters
Stupid Never Dies is a single-player 3D action RPG set in a dungeon in another world ruled by monsters. You play Davy, a timid zombie at the very bottom of monster society, on a quest to revive Julia, a frozen human girl.
According to the Steam and PS5 store pages, Davy finds Julia dead in a shopping-mall freezer and falls for her at first sight. To bring her back, he explores the monster world and challenges KOM, the King of Monsters.
The game rests on three core systems:
- Style Eat: Devour enemies to recover health and absorb their abilities and traits. More than 11 styles, including werewolf, harpy, and vampire, open up different ways to fight.
- Body Hacking: Use “over technology” found while exploring dungeons to modify body parts such as arms, legs, and head, strengthening Davy and expanding his combat options.
- Fast-growth roguelite progression: Each dungeon run starts at level 1, but enemies defeated in earlier runs greatly accelerate later growth. The developer says the game offers more than 30 hours of action RPG content with leveling so fast you can hit max level in about 30 minutes.
A Debut From Devil May Cry and Dragon’s Dogma Veterans
GPTRACK50 was founded in Osaka in October 2022 by Hiroyuki Kobayashi. Its team includes people who worked on the Devil May Cry, Dragon’s Dogma, and Resident Evil (Biohazard) series.
Starting with Stupid Never Dies, the studio aims to grow its original IP not only through games but across live-action film, animation, and other media. Under the co-publishing agreement, SEGA handles worldwide publishing and distribution.
What the Demo and Previews Show
The “First Bite” demo includes roughly the first two hours of the game and two boss fights, and save data carries over to the full version. It launched alongside the third trailer, shown at PlayStation’s State of Play in early September.
International outlets have focused on the art style, action, and offbeat premise.
Horror outlet Bloody Disgusting said the bold colors and distinctive aesthetic recall Lollipop Chainsaw and Hi-Fi Rush. It added, however, that the gameplay seen in the demo doesn’t stray far from established action conventions, and that the humor and atmosphere, reminiscent of Goichi Suda’s work, may divide players.
ComicBook.com, describing hands-on time at Summer Game Fest, called the game absurdly fun, highlighting boss fights in which you switch between styles such as zombie, harpy, and werewolf.
IGN France, after two to three hours with the game at Gamescom 2026, said the action is solid despite the ridiculous premise, praising combat that strings combos together naturally and a roguelite structure that keeps you wanting another run.
Editions and Languages
The game comes in a Standard Edition ($49.99) and a Glorious Idiot Edition ($59.99).
The Glorious Idiot Edition includes the “Nonsense Overload Pack” DLC with five of Davy’s “TickTock Teddies.” Equipping them changes related animations and background music. A physical PS5 edition will also be sold in some regions.
Voice acting is in English. Subtitles are available in 13 languages: Korean, English, Japanese, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Latin American Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and Traditional and Simplified Chinese.
Who This Is For
Strong fit for: action fans who enjoy stylish, character-driven brawlers; players who liked Lollipop Chainsaw, Hi-Fi Rush, or Goichi Suda’s games; anyone who cares about soundtrack-led design; roguelite players who want fast, satisfying power growth; Korean-language players, who get full subtitle support.
Cautious fit for: players unsure about irreverent humor, which previews say may be divisive; those hoping for a major break from action-genre conventions, since at least one preview found the demo fairly familiar in its mechanics.
Less ideal for: players who prefer grounded, serious tone or slow, methodical combat.
The Takeaway
Stupid Never Dies is a rare case of a game built outward from its soundtrack. Starting with one pop-punk love song and asking what music every monster would make gave GPTRACK50 a clear identity: Neo Pop Punk, a zombie in love, and a game that sounds like its premise. With veterans of Capcom’s biggest action series behind it, SEGA handling publishing, and generally warm previews, the remaining question is whether the music-first approach translates into an action game that feels as distinctive as it sounds. The free “First Bite” demo offers a two-hour answer ahead of the October 21 launch.
Release: October 21, 2026 (Japan October 22), PC (Steam) and PS5. Free “First Bite” demo available now.
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 |
