Power without justice is dangerous
On July 9, 2026, Malaysian studio Passion Republic Games extends GigaBash's kaiju arena to include two figures whose conflict has long served as a mirror for humanity's oldest question: what separates the hero from the fallen? Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Belial — rivals since their 2009 cinematic debut — arrive as playable characters whose opposing philosophies ask players not merely to fight, but to choose which answer they believe in. It is a small but telling gesture, the kind games sometimes make quietly: that the characters we inhabit say something about who we wish to be.
- A rivalry seventeen years in the making finally enters the player's hands, bringing with it the full weight of two irreconcilable worldviews about power and purpose.
- Zero's disciplined space martial arts and Belial's chaos-driven fury create a genuine asymmetry — this is not balance for balance's sake, but contrast by design.
- The DLC drops simultaneously across six platforms with cross-play support, removing friction for a fanbase already scattered across ecosystems.
- GigaBash's expanding roster through licensed franchises signals a deliberate growth strategy, betting that nostalgia and mechanical depth can reinforce each other.
- The July 9 launch at 8pm Pacific anchors a specific moment of anticipation for players who have watched this franchise from childhood into adulthood.
Passion Republic Games, a Malaysian studio with a decade of AAA support work behind it, is bringing two of tokusatsu's most iconic adversaries into GigaBash on July 9, 2026. Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Belial — whose rivalry began in the 2009 film Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie — arrive as playable fighters with combat styles as philosophically opposed as the characters themselves.
Zero is the idealist: a warrior from the Land of Light who has grown through failure rather than raw dominance. His Zero Sluggers and Emerium Slashes reflect a disciplined, technical style — space martial arts in the truest sense, the fighting language of someone who has learned what strength is actually for. Belial is his dark counterpart, a figure who once stood at the same threshold as Zero and chose pride and power over purpose. Armed with the Giga Battlenizer and techniques like Belial Genothunder and the Belial Whip, he fights as fury made flesh, driven by revenge against everything Zero represents.
The DLC frames their matchup as a genuine philosophical provocation: is heroism about perfection, or about the willingness to struggle and grow despite your flaws? Players will answer that question through who they choose to play.
GigaBash itself supports this kind of choice across a full suite of modes — Onslaught, Arcade, Story, Battle, and the casual Mayhem Mode — with cross-platform multiplayer and the ability to transform into S-Class Titans by collecting Giga Energy mid-match. The Ultraman Zero DLC launches July 9 at 8pm Pacific across Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games Store, and PlayStation 4 and 5, continuing Passion Republic's strategy of deepening the game's roster through licensed collaborations that carry real cultural weight for the players who grew up with them.
Passion Republic Games, a Malaysian development studio, is bringing two of the Ultraman franchise's most compelling adversaries into GigaBash, their kaiju fighting game, starting July 9. The DLC introduces Ultraman Zero and Ultraman Belial—characters whose rivalry dates back to their 2009 film debut in Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy: The Movie—as playable fighters with entirely distinct combat philosophies.
Ultraman Zero arrives as the idealist. He's a warrior from the Land of Light who has weathered his own failures and emerged stronger, embodying the belief that true power must serve justice. In the arena, Zero fights with the Zero Sluggers, close-range weapons that keep opponents at distance, and unleashes Emerium Slashes for ranged punishment. His moveset emphasizes space martial arts—disciplined, technical, the fighting style of someone who has learned restraint. He represents the hero who grows not through raw strength alone, but through understanding what strength should be used for.
Belial is his inverse. Once destined for the same greatness as Zero, Belial chose a different path: he abandoned that future in pursuit of power and pride. Now he wields the Giga Battlenizer and channels alien genetics that have twisted him into something fearsome. His arsenal includes dark fireballs, the Belial Whip for close dominance, and Belial Genothunder—a devastating technique that tears through opponents. Where Zero is measured, Belial is fury incarnate, driven by revenge against the Land of Light and everyone in it.
The DLC frames this matchup as a philosophical question: What makes a hero? Is it perfection, or is it the struggle to improve despite your flaws? Zero answers one way. Belial answers another. Players will choose which character to manifest in the arena—the spirited warrior or the vengeful fallen one.
GigaBash itself is a four-player kaiju fighting game built around destruction and transformation. Beyond the new DLC characters, the game offers multiple modes: Onslaught Mode, where players face endless enemy waves and collect perks; Arcade Mode, where eight random opponents lead to a final boss; Story Mode, which unfolds the origins of the game's Titans across four campaigns; and Battle Mode, where up to four players destroy each other on fully destructible maps. There's also Mayhem Mode, a casual party experience filled with minigames. The game supports cross-platform play online and local multiplayer, and players can transform into S-Class Titans by collecting Giga Energy during matches.
The Ultraman Zero DLC launches July 9 at 8pm Pacific Time across Steam, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5. Passion Republic Games, which has spent a decade providing AAA-quality assets to major publishers before moving into full game development, continues to expand GigaBash's roster through licensed collaborations—a strategy that deepens the game's appeal to players who grew up with these franchises.
Notable Quotes
What makes a hero? Is it perfection? Or is it striving to do better, despite imperfections?— Passion Republic Games, describing Ultraman Zero's character philosophy
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that these two characters are rivals? Why not just add two new fighters?
Because the rivalry tells you how to play them. Zero and Belial aren't just different movesets—they're opposite philosophies. One teaches you restraint and technique. The other teaches you aggression and raw power. A player choosing Zero is making a statement about how they want to fight.
So the DLC is selling a narrative, not just characters.
Exactly. The 2009 film gave them history. The DLC brings that history into the game. When you pick Belial, you're not just picking a strong character—you're picking the fallen one, the one who chose wrong. That weight matters.
What does this say about GigaBash's strategy?
They're building through licensed IP. Godzilla characters already appear in the game. Now Ultraman. They're not trying to create original kaiju—they're inviting players to bring their favorite giants into the arena. It's a smart way to grow without reinventing the wheel.
Is there a risk that licensing becomes a crutch?
Possibly. But right now it's working because the game itself is solid. The destruction, the multiplayer, the modes—those are all GigaBash's foundation. The DLC just gives you more reasons to come back and play.
What happens next?
More characters, almost certainly. The question is whether Passion Republic can keep finding franchises that fit the kaiju fighting game format, and whether players keep caring enough to buy them.