GMK Chocolatier Reprise Returns With Vendor Pre-Orders Now Open

Eight years is a long time to wait for chocolate. The GMK CYL Chocolatier 2 group buy opened on March 23, 2026, after an eight-year gap since the original run. Designed by Zambumon, the set carries enough community history to make it one of the more anticipated reprises in recent memory, and vendor storefronts lit up simultaneously across nine regional partners.

The lineage runs deep: Zambumon's SA Chocolatier was the first keycap set he ever made, and the original GMK Chocolatier drew its inspiration from the chocolate wrappers of the 2005 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." This reprise is the third iteration of that concept, now running in double-shot ABS in the classic Cherry profile, manufactured in Germany.

Chocolatier 2 reuses the same base colors from the previous run, with one deliberate update: the yellow accent keys swap black legends for dark brown. It's a subtle change that refines the colorway without disrupting its identity. The "CYL" designation simply stands for "Cylindrical," GMK's tag to distinguish the original Cherry Cylindrical profile from newer offerings like MTNU.

The kit structure is straightforward. The Core kit covers 60%, 65%, 75%, TKL, 96-key, 1800, and full-size layouts, accommodating both standard and winkeyless variants with ANSI and UK ISO support. The Extension kit adds coverage for true HHKB layouts, standalone numpads, ergonomic and split keyboards, and compact 40% layouts. Stretch goals are also in play: hitting certain tiers unlocks extra keycaps for all participants at no additional cost.

The regional vendor lineup spans nine storefronts: Aiglatson Studio for Thailand, Deskhero for Canada, iLumkb for Singapore, KBDFans for China, Keyboard Treehouse for Australia, KLC Hobbyists' Playground for Korea, NovelKeys for the US, Oblotzky Industries for the EU, and Proto[Typist] for the UK. Purchasing from your designated regional vendor is strongly recommended to avoid international shipping fees, tariffs, import duties, or additional GST/VAT on delivery.

The group buy runs until April 17, 2026, with production closing 16 weeks after the group buy ends. GMK estimates a lead time of around 12 weeks after the purchase order is received and approvals finalized, with keycaps expected to arrive in Q3 2026. The Geekhack thread has been active with community discussion since pre-orders went live, continuing a tradition that goes back to the original 2018 group buy.