Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment - The Long-Awaited Sequel Finally Arrived

When Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment finally hit exA-Arcadia cabinets in Summer 2025, it marked the end of one of fighting games' most painful waits. FK Digital's beloved technical fighter returned with its first true sequel since 2011, bringing 20 characters and zero compromises to the arcade.

The road to this release was brutal. Originally announced as Chaos Code Next at Toushinsai 2016, the game faced tragedy when series co-creator Michael Lin passed away in December 2017, just two months after the teaser dropped. Development officially halted in February 2020, leaving fans wondering if they'd ever see the sequel. Then in February 2021, producer Mickey Lin confirmed on Twitter that FK Digital was back at it, and the fighting game community absolutely lost it.

Built for the Hardcore

Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment delivered exactly what the series was known for—deep, technical fighting with no modern shortcuts. The 20-character roster featured selectable skills and bounce styles for each fighter, including a new default variant of fan-favorite Kagari designed specifically for this game. This wasn't a fighter trying to appeal to everyone. It was built for players who lived and breathed frame data.

The combat system maintained that signature Chaos Code feel while expanding the possibilities. Players could customize their approach through skill selection, giving each character multiple viable playstyles. The bounce style system added another dimension to combo routes and pressure situations, rewarding players who lab'd extensively.

Story and Training Modes

Every character got their own story sequence with unique endings, providing narrative depth for the entire roster. For players focused on competition, the Training Mode delivered everything needed to level up: practice against any character, set the CPU to perform tech recoveries, and give yourself maximum resources to optimize those damage-maximizing combos.

The 2-frame input lag response matched the fastest benchmark in the game industry. FK Digital understood that competitive players demanded perfection—if you dropped a combo, that was on you, not the hardware. This technical precision made Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment tournament-ready from day one.

The Journey Since 2011

The original Chaos Code: Sign of Catastrophe dropped on Sega's RingWide arcade system in August 2011, establishing FK Digital as serious players in the fighting game scene. Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe followed in 2013, eventually making its way to PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and Windows with additional characters and online modes.

In 2020, Chaos Code: Exact Xeno Attack launched on exA-Arcadia, showcasing what the platform could do—decreased input lag down to 2 frames, 16 color palette choices per character, and fixed stage slowdown issues. This version proved the series belonged on modern arcade hardware.

The announcement at EVO Japan 2024 that Chaos Code Next had been retitled Nemesis Experiment and was heading to exA-Arcadia sent shockwaves through the fighting game community, joining titles like Vanguard Princess R which the CHAOS CODE team had redesigned for the platform. After years of uncertainty, the sequel was real and coming to the one platform that could do it justice.

A Triumphant Return

Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment represented more than just a new fighting game. It was a testament to Mickey Lin and FK Digital's persistence through tragedy and setbacks. The decision to keep it arcade-exclusive on exA-Arcadia honored the series' roots while ensuring the technical precision that defined Chaos Code remained uncompromised.

For the hardcore fighting game community that stuck with the series through everything, Summer 2025 delivered what they'd been waiting fourteen years for—a true Chaos Code sequel that refused to compromise its vision.

For more information, visit the official Chaos Code Nemesis Experiment page.