Konami has formally revealed PROJECT ZIRCON as a dark-fantasy deckbuilding roguelike for PC, providing the clearest look yet at how its long-running community project has evolved into a full game. The announcement was made during KONAMI PRESS START on September 3, with Steam wishlisting opening alongside the presentation. Players will rule a nation, build decks around characters and facilities, and make decisions capable of changing both their strategy and the direction of the story.
The central threat is the Calamity Dragon of the Abyss, a legendary creature whose return has thrown the world into crisis. Players take control of a nation’s ruler and are tasked with strengthening their territory while preparing for an eventual confrontation with the dragon. Each run develops differently depending on the cards acquired, events encountered and decisions made along the way.
PROJECT ZIRCON divides a run between Strategy and Administration phases. During the Strategy phase, players expand their territory and obtain Character Cards and Facilities that can later be incorporated into their deck. Commerce, Industry and Culture Points provide separate resources to manage, forcing players to decide which areas of their nation should receive attention as conditions change.
Administration shifts the focus toward deploying the cards collected during preparation. Character Cards have different ranks and types, while Facilities can interact with them to create stronger combinations and generate additional rewards. Players can also equip special abilities known as zirpowers, with up to three available in a deck to further shape individual strategies.
Konami says the game takes place across five in-game years. Each year establishes a target that must be reached before players can progress safely, with failure allowing the Calamity Dragon’s influence to overwhelm the world. The standard route culminates in a direct confrontation with the dragon during Year 5, although reaching that point is not necessarily the only objective available.
Branching scenarios and multiple endings are a significant part of the roguelike structure. Events can change depending on earlier decisions, potentially creating routes where victory requires something other than simply increasing military strength and defeating the Calamity Dragon. That gives individual runs a narrative component alongside the deckbuilding and nation-management systems.
The game is also designed around relatively compact playthroughs rather than a traditional lengthy strategy campaign. Konami describes PROJECT ZIRCON as a nation-survival experience built for repeated runs, with each attempt introducing different cards, events and story developments. Player progression carries across attempts through an increasing Player Level that unlocks additional Facilities and starting decks.
PROJECT ZIRCON has existed in a different form for several years before this game reveal. Konami originally introduced it as a community-driven co-creation project in which participants could contribute to the development of its world and intellectual property through platforms including Discord. The initiative later expanded into media-mix projects and experimental game development before Konami began producing a trial version in 2026.
That history makes the September announcement closer to a major reintroduction than the birth of an entirely new name. The project had previously explored blockchain and community-created content, but the version now being presented to players is positioned as a dedicated PC deckbuilding roguelike. Konami’s current promotional material focuses on its card systems, nation management and replayable branching structure rather than those earlier experiments.
The combination of roguelike deckbuilding with large-scale nation management gives PROJECT ZIRCON a broader scope than a conventional card battler. Players are not only trying to assemble an efficient combat deck, but also balancing the long-term health of a country while responding to changing threats and narrative events. Success therefore depends on both card synergy and broader strategic planning.
Konami has not announced a release date for PROJECT ZIRCON. The game is currently confirmed for PC through Steam, where wishlisting is now available. Further details on its launch timing, additional cards, routes and progression systems are expected as development continues.
