NU: Carnival has officially announced a collaboration with Nitro+CHiRAL's visual novel DRAMAtical Murder. The crossover event is scheduled to launch sometime in 2026, although its exact dates remain unannounced.
A dedicated collaboration website has since gone live, while the main visual brings Eiden together with DRAMAtical Murder protagonist Aoba Seragaki. Full event details are still being held for later reveals.
Quick Summary
- Collaboration: NU: Carnival × DRAMAtical Murder
- Type: In-game collaboration event
- Announced: August 22, 2026
- Event window: 2026
- Exact start date: Unannounced
- End date: Unannounced
- Collaboration website: Now live
- Event information: Still listed as coming soon
- Main visual: Revealed
- Main visual characters: Eiden and Aoba Seragaki
- Eiden artwork: Drawn by Uiro Yamada / 山田外朗
- Aoba artwork: Drawn by the NU: Carnival team
- Playable collaboration characters: Unannounced
- Banners / summons: Unannounced
- Event story: Full details unannounced
- Rewards: Unannounced
- Event shop: Unannounced
- Other version: NU: Carnival - Bliss has also announced the collaboration for 2026
- NU: Carnival: BL RPG starring Eiden
- NU: Carnival setting: Klein Continent
- Original NU: Carnival age notice: Intended for adult / 18+ players
- DRAMAtical Murder: BL visual novel / Brain Crash ADV
- DRAMAtical Murder developer: Nitro+CHiRAL
- Original release: March 23, 2012
- Original platform: Windows PC
- Protagonist: Aoba Seragaki
- Setting: Midorijima
- Scenario: Kabura Fuchii
- Original art: Honyalala
- Original major characters: Aoba, Ren, Koujaku, Noiz, Mink, Clear, and others
- Latest console edition: DRAMAtical Murder re:code
- Latest re:code platform: Nintendo Switch
- Switch release: December 25, 2025
- Switch rating: IARC 16+
- Japanese Switch price: ¥3,500
- Further collaboration information: Awaiting official updates
Collaboration Announcement and Main Visual


The Collaboration Is Officially Set for 2026
The initial announcement confirms NU: Carnival × DRAMAtical Murder as an actual in-game collaboration event, rather than simply a social campaign or merchandise project.
For now, its window is only listed as 2026. The start date, duration, stages, banners, rewards, and event-specific mechanics remain unannounced.
The collaboration page, initially described as “coming soon,” is now accessible, although several event-related areas still display Coming Soon placeholders.
Eiden and Aoba Lead the Main Visual
The next promotional reveal places Eiden and Aoba together in the official main visual.
The artwork itself is a cross-team production. Uiro Yamada, a Nitro+CHiRAL illustrator known as the original artist for Slow Damage, drew Eiden specifically for the crossover.
Aoba, meanwhile, was drawn by the NU: Carnival team, effectively allowing each protagonist to be reinterpreted through the partner franchise's visual style.
Aoba Brings Midorijima Into the Crossover
DRAMAtical Murder originally launched on March 23, 2012 as Nitro+CHiRAL's adult BL visual novel for PC.
Its story follows Aoba, who lives with his grandmother on Midorijima and works at the Junk Shop Heibon. His quiet life begins to collapse as incidents pull him toward conflicts involving the virtual game Rhyme, Ribstiez groups, and the larger transformation of the island.
The original cast also includes Ren, Koujaku, Noiz, Mink, Clear, Mizuki, Virus, Trip, and others. Their appearance in promotional material should not yet be treated as confirmation that they will become playable collaboration units.
Eiden Represents the NU: Carnival Side
On the NU: Carnival side, the crossover centers on Eiden, who is summoned to the Klein Continent and becomes involved with the clan members while taking on the role left behind by Grand Sorcerer Huey.
The game combines character-driven storytelling with turn-based RPG battles and rotating limited events.
How Eiden crosses paths with Aoba from futuristic Midorijima has not yet been fully detailed. The dedicated website already contains STORY and CHARACTER sections, but the crossover is still being revealed in stages.
NU: Carnival - Bliss Is Joining the Collaboration Too
A separate announcement from NU: Carnival - Bliss confirms that the mobile version will also receive a DRAMAtical Murder collaboration during 2026.
It has not yet been confirmed whether its event schedule, characters, rewards, or story content will be completely identical to the original NU: Carnival version.
Players of each release will therefore need to follow their respective official announcements as more details arrive.
DRAMAtical Murder Remains Active Through re:code
Although the original title dates back to 2012, DRAMAtical Murder has continued receiving new releases.
DRAMAtical Murder re:code launched digitally for Nintendo Switch on December 25, 2025 at ¥3,500 in Japan with an IARC 16+ rating.
It is a port of the 2014 PlayStation Vita edition and includes console-adjusted content, including the Mizuki route that was not part of the original PC release.
Why This Matters
1) It connects BL protagonists from different eras
Aoba comes from one of Nitro+CHiRAL's best-known PC visual novels of the 2010s, while Eiden leads an ongoing live-service BL RPG built around frequent new events.
2) The main visual is a genuine cross-team production
Uiro Yamada drew Eiden while the NU: Carnival team handled Aoba, giving the crossover a creative exchange before any gameplay details have even been revealed.
3) Most of the major event details are still being held back
Collaboration characters, units, banners, rewards, story details, duration, and the exact event date all remain unannounced, making this reveal only the starting point.
Game and Collaboration Information
Additional confirmed information currently includes:
- the collaboration was announced on August 22, 2026
- the event is scheduled to launch during 2026
- its exact date and duration remain unannounced
- the dedicated collaboration website is now live
- its event section still includes Coming Soon placeholders
- Eiden and Aoba are highlighted in the main visual
- Uiro Yamada drew Eiden for the collaboration artwork
- the NU: Carnival team drew Aoba
- there is no official list of playable collaboration units yet
- banner rarity, currencies, rewards, and an event shop have not been detailed
- new DRAMAtical Murder voice content has not been confirmed
- NU: Carnival - Bliss has separately confirmed the crossover for 2026
- the original NU: Carnival is a free-to-play RPG with in-game purchases
- its official site is restricted to adult users
- the original DRAMAtical Murder is an adult PC title
- DRAMAtical Murder originally launched on March 23, 2012
- the Nintendo Switch edition of DRAMAtical Murder re:code launched on December 25, 2025
- the Switch version costs ¥3,500 in Japan and carries an IARC 16+ rating
- collaboration updates are available through the Official Collaboration Page
- the English announcement is available through NU: Carnival Official X
- the main visual is available through NU: Carnival Official X JP
- the Bliss announcement is available through NU: Carnival - Bliss Official X
- NU: Carnival information is available through the Official Website
- DRAMAtical Murder information is available through Nitro+CHiRAL
Closing
NU: Carnival and DRAMAtical Murder are officially crossing over in a collaboration event scheduled for 2026. The Eiden-and-Aoba main visual has already established the first major connection between the two worlds, complete with artwork exchanged between the creative teams.
The event date, full story, obtainable characters, banners, rewards, and collaboration systems remain unannounced. Its dedicated website is now live and will serve as the main hub for further reveals.
- NU: Carnival Official X — Official 2026 DRAMAtical Murder Collaboration Announcement
- Official Collaboration Website — 2026 Event Confirmation, Main Visual, Story, Character, Special, Event, and Information Sections
- NU: Carnival Official X JP — Collaboration Main Visual and Cross-Team Artwork Credits
- NU: Carnival - Bliss Official X — Separate 2026 Collaboration Confirmation for Bliss
- NU: Carnival — Official Game Website, Story, Characters, RPG Information, and Age Notice
- Nitro+CHiRAL — Official DRAMAtical Murder Story, Characters, Staff, Release Date, and Product Information
- Nitro+CHiRAL — Official DRAMAtical Murder re:code Nintendo Switch Release, Price, Rating, and Content Information