Chaos Zero Nightmare Full-Scale Offensive runs from the 11 November 2026 maintenance until 3 January 2027 at 18:00 UTC. This particular Season 5 run lasts 54 days instead of the previous 42, and Smilegate has increased the rewards to match its longer duration.
You need Captain Level 40 to enter. Each of the three bosses has its own team, and you cannot reuse a Combatant who is already committed to another boss. You can reset a team allocation, but doing so can also clear the corresponding recorded score.
Chaos Zero Nightmare Full-Scale Offensive: Season 5 dates and unlock
The announced Season 5 window is from the 11 November maintenance until 3 January 2027 at 18:00 UTC. In the UK, that is 6pm GMT. This 54-day length is specifically for the current season; it should not be presented as a permanent change to every future Full-Scale Offensive.
You must reach Captain Level 40 to unlock the mode. If you’re below that level, the event being active does not mean your account can enter immediately. Check the level requirement in-game before building several teams around a mode you cannot yet access.
The update confirms higher rewards for the extended season, but doesn’t list every individual star prize in its summary. Use the in-game reward screen for the precise items available at each of the nine milestones.
How to build three teams for Chaos Zero Nightmare Full-Scale Offensive
There are three bosses, and you need a separate team for each one. The restriction is straightforward: a Combatant used against one boss cannot be deployed against another while that participation is committed. That means you need to think about your whole roster, not just your strongest single squad.
Before you start, spread your Combatants across three workable teams. Look at each boss’s stage information and seasonal support effect, then assign your best-fitting units. Using every strong Combatant on the first boss can leave the other two teams short-handed.
Don’t panic if you assign someone to the wrong fight. The mode has both Full Reset and Individual Reset options, which reset scores and formation participation so you can redistribute Combatants and try again. The lock is part of the current allocation, not proof that a unit is permanently unavailable for the rest of the season.
Chaos Zero Nightmare Full-Scale Offensive nine-star rewards
Each boss fight can award up to three stars according to target score. With three bosses, that’s a maximum of nine stars across the event. Rewards are assigned per star, so improving a weaker boss score can matter even when you cannot raise your best team’s performance any further.
Use the stage’s own target values when deciding whether a run is worth repeating. The available notes confirm the three-star limit but not every individual score threshold. A guessed target could lead you to waste attempts on the wrong team or over-invest in a fight that has already awarded all three stars.
Since resets are available, you’re free to try a different Combatant allocation if one of your battles is holding you back. Be aware that resetting can also reset recorded progress scores, so read the confirmation panel before changing a team you were satisfied with.
Season 5 support effects: Bind, Harmful Effects and Card Creation
The new Bind support keyword increases Justice Card damage by 30%. When Bind has stacked ten times, it grants a further 30% damage bonus to Attack Cards for two turns. This makes Bind-focused Justice combinations worth inspecting, but the specific boss mechanics still matter.
Harmful Effects increases Instinct Card damage by 30%. Once six harmful effects have been applied by cards, Damage over Time gets a 50% bonus for two turns. The condition is about effects applied by cards, not simply every debuff shown on an enemy.
Card Creation increases Attack Card damage by 20%. After generating five zero-cost cards, it gives zero-cost Attack Cards an additional 100% damage for two turns. If your team rarely creates those cards, you won’t be using the most important part of the bonus.
These are seasonal support effects for Full-Scale Offensive. They are not permanent account upgrades that carry into every mode, and the bonus from one keyword does not automatically apply to a team using a different keyword.
How does Chaos Zero Nightmare Full-Scale Offensive Merit Rank work?
The update adds three percentage-based Master tiers to the Merit Ranking display: Master 1 for the top 0.1%, Master 2 for the top 0.5% and Master 3 for the top 1%. Those tiers are based on relative rankings, not on the nine stars you earn from clearing score thresholds.
A Master rank reflects your place against other players, so it can change as new scores are submitted. Nine stars are earned from fixed boss score targets; they do not guarantee a top-one-percent Merit Ranking finish.
For Chaos Zero Nightmare Full-Scale Offensive, build three non-overlapping teams, aim for three stars on each boss and use the available support keyword when it suits your deck. Full and Individual Reset let you reassign units, while the season itself ends on 3 January 2027 at 18:00 UTC.
Official publisher source: Smilegate’s official STOVE Update Notices board (11 November 2026 update).
