Nippon Ichi Software, the studio known for creating the Disgaea series, has revealed that its upcoming action RPG Kyouran Makaism shares the same universe as its popular tactical RPG franchise.

Director Shunsuke Minowa recently spoke with Dengeki Online about how the two games connect. According to Minowa, Kyouran Makaism takes place in one of the many “Netherworlds” that exist within the Disgaea universe. However, the stories themselves remain separate, meaning players don’t need prior knowledge of Disgaea to enjoy the new title.

“The Disgaea series features numerous ‘Netherworlds,’ and as a part of the same universe, the story of Kyouran Makaism takes place in one of them,” Minowa explained. He added that while there are gameplay similarities between the two games, “the stories pretty much aren’t connected, so even newcomers to the series can enjoy the new game.”

The key members behind Disgaea are working on Kyouran Makaism as well. Minowa is directing, Takehito Harada is handling character design, and Tenpei Sato is composing the music.

Unlike Disgaea’s turn-based tactical battles, Kyouran Makaism shifts to real-time hack-and-slash combat. The development team focused on giving players freedom of movement and action. Minowa said the goal was to let players “group your enemies and mow them down in one blow” while experiencing the familiar Disgaea worldview.

The combat system allows players to cancel most actions by stepping, jumping, or activating skills, giving them more control over timing. The game also brings back area-of-effect attacks from Disgaea, adapted for the action-focused gameplay. Kyouran Makaism will be available on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, and Switch 2. The game is scheduled to launch in Japan on January 29, 2026.