Some DLC projects grow in scope during development. Katana Zero’s expansion has grown into something entirely different. After more than seven years of work, creator Justin Stander has confirmed that the long-awaited add-on for the neo-noir action platformer is now “the size of a full sequel” — complete with over 30 new soundtrack songs — and it’s still planned to be released for free.
The update, shared on social media on October 22, marks the first substantial news about the DLC since a trailer in April 2025 confirmed it was still in active development. For a project that was originally announced shortly after the base game’s April 2019 launch as a modest post-launch epilogue, the transformation into a sequel-scale experience represents a remarkable evolution in ambition.
From Bonus Chapter to Full Game
“Hi, everyone! I’m still working hard on the Katana Zero DLC,” Stander wrote. “We made it bigger. It’s the size of a full sequel, plus a soundtrack of over 30+ new songs. More updates to come. Thanks for your continued support!”
The message was accompanied by a short teaser video showing the game’s pixel-art protagonist at an idyllic stream — a serene contrast to the neon-drenched urban violence of the original game. No release date was provided, though Stander promised further updates in the future.
In previous progress reports, Stander had noted that the density of new stages, enemy types, and branching narrative paths had already tripled compared to his initial outline. Reaching the volume of a full sequel suggests the project has expanded far beyond even those revised expectations.
The original Katana Zero: A neo-noir action platformer featuring breakneck combat, instant-death mechanics, and stylish pixelated graphics. It holds an 83 Metacritic score and “overwhelmingly positive” Steam reviews.
A Soundtrack to Match the Scale
The musical dimension of the expansion is equally ambitious. Katana Zero has always been inseparable from its pulse-pounding synthwave and electronic soundtrack, composed by LudoWic and Bill Kiley. With over 30 new songs created specifically for the DLC, the expansion features an entire album’s worth of fresh music to match its sequel-sized campaign.
For a game whose identity is so closely tied to its audio-visual presentation, this commitment to original music suggests the expansion will feel tonally consistent with the base game rather than like a tacked-on bonus.
Seven Years of Patience
The timeline here is remarkable by any standard. Katana Zero launched in April 2019 to critical acclaim, with the DLC announced shortly afterwards to address the original game’s cliffhanger ending. A trailer appeared in April 2025, confirming the project was still alive and would remain free. Now, in October 2026, we learn it has grown into something vastly larger than anyone anticipated.
The response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive. In an era when players frequently complain about DLC pricing and practices, many comments on Stander’s update encouraged him to charge for the expansion given its scale — a testament to both the goodwill the project has generated and the hunger for new content.
Whether the DLC will ultimately release as a free add-on, a standalone expansion, or something else entirely remains to be seen. What’s clear is that Askiisoft has let the project grow organically rather than rushing it out to meet an arbitrary deadline — and for fans who have waited seven years, that patience may finally be about to pay off.
