Zombie Police: Midsummer Unhappy New Year launches November 22

Lobstudio will release Zombie Police: Midsummer Unhappy New Year for PC through Steam on November 22, 2026, priced at $10.99. A Nintendo Switch version is also in development, although the studio has not yet announced when it will arrive.

The comedy detective adventure follows zombie detective Akemi Kabane and Yasu Tamura as they investigate a strange case involving a VTuber and a village trapped in an unnatural winter.

November 22 currently applies only to the Steam version. Lobstudio has confirmed that Zombie Police: Midsummer Unhappy New Year is also coming to Nintendo Switch, but its release date will be announced later.

The game is a follow-up to Zombie Police: Christmas Dancing with Police Zombies, which launched in 2024. The new case keeps Akemi and Yasu at the center of the investigation while moving the story to Tamura's hometown and the mysterious Shimofuri Village.

Despite taking place during summer, the village has been frozen by a supernatural event. The investigation begins after a disturbing incident involving a VTuber's livestream

Akemi's unusual condition gives her investigative methods that a living detective could not easily copy. Her main ability, Zombie Dive, lets players search for hidden information by diving into people and even ordinary objects.

Clues and witness statements can then be organized in Yasu's investigative Journal. Players need to compare evidence and testimony before deciding how the different parts of the case fit together.

Akemi's zombie abilities also affect how individual situations can be investigated. Lobstudio has shown examples such as drinking poison to test a theory, surviving inside a freezer and even removing her own head when the case calls for it. Player choices can influence how the investigation ends, with multiple conclusions available depending on the deductions made during the case.

Lobstudio describes the game as a mixture of visual novel storytelling and investigation mechanics. While much of the interaction between Akemi, Yasu and the wider cast is comedic, the central mystery deals with the tragedy surrounding the VTuber and the history of Shimofuri Village.

Studio CEO Tsuyoshi Manabe said the story also explores the conflict between older traditions and newer values. The developer is aiming to combine that theme with character-driven comedy and detective gameplay rather than treating the mystery as a purely serious story.

Zombie Police: Midsummer Unhappy New Year launches for PC through Steam on November 22 for $10.99. The Nintendo Switch version is confirmed to follow, with Lobstudio yet to set a release date for it.