With the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE and Stellar Blade collaboration now in the rearview mirror, we are immediately diving into a fresh story event. It is a two-week affair, offering a brief moment to catch your breath. The spotlight falls on the new Nikke, Sora, unveiling fresh lore regarding the Ark and the broader Goddess of Victory: NIKKE universe. Moreover, the fan-favourite Nier: Automata collaboration from two years ago has made a grand return, bringing 2B and A2 banners back into the fray. Read on for the official scoop and community buzz surrounding this double-header of story events.

OVER THE HORIZON

Following the conclusion of the Stellar Blade collaboration, the new story event, OVER THE HORIZON, has commenced. This event centres on the tale of the new Nikke, Sora, who is tasked with investigating reports of smuggled goods within the Ark. The event runs until July 16, so make sure to clear the stages and trade your currency for Advanced Recruit Vouchers, standard Recruit Vouchers, and various Nikke growth materials.

Nier: Automata Revival

The Nier: Automata collaboration event, originally held in September 2023, is back. Just like two years ago, you can recruit 2B and A2 during the limited-time period, and the SR character Pascal is available as a mission reward. Notably, this revival introduces a dedicated ticket system: a special recruit voucher exclusive to the 2B and A2 banners, rather than the usual Advanced Recruit Vouchers. Be mindful that these tickets will vanish once the collaboration ends on July 31, so use them while you can.

Is it mandatory to claim Outpost rewards at 100% capacity?

We are all familiar with the 'idle reward' mechanic—a system where loot accumulates over time even while you are logged out. Goddess of Victory: NIKKE employs this via the 'Outpost' feature. It caps at 24 hours of accumulation, with the quality of spoils increasing alongside your Base Defense level.

While the UI states a 24-hour limit, the game continues to stockpile resources beyond that point, albeit at a reduced efficiency. There is no penalty for collecting early, and your total yield remains the same. Therefore, there is no need to wait for the 100% notification; if you see any progress, just grab your loot.

I am definitely going to find you, 'Sora'

The Nikke we are focusing on today is Sora from the Over the Horizon squad. The name, which shares its sound with the Japanese word for 'sky', seems fitting. As an in-flight stewardess, Sora is seen clutching a suspiciously large amount of items—some of which look rather out of place for standard cabin crew duties.

Sora is a Wind-code, Launcher-type, Burst I support Nikke. The kit revolves around healing the entire team and storing excess health. The first skill, 'In-Flight Service', is refreshingly straightforward: it provides a permanent passive buff that increases self-healing efficacy by 35.2% at level 10.

The second skill, 'Secret Luggage', grants the team a 'storage' buff whenever Sora or any ally destroys an enemy part. This effect stores healing that exceeds the maximum health capacity, stacking up to five times for 15 seconds. When the duration expires, the stored health is restored. Furthermore, it boosts the team's attack power by up to 23.74% of Sora's own attack power for 15 seconds.

The Burst skill, 'Hidden Secret', heals the entire team and clears one debuff. The recovery is based on Sora's final maximum HP; at level 10, it hits 52.27%. Note that the 'final max HP' calculation accounts for base stats, active buffs, and equipment bonuses.

Sora is a simple, effective support, though the Launcher type gives her a burst generation rate comparable to Biscuit. The elephant in the room is the 40-second Burst cooldown, which makes her a tough sell for PvE content. However, players are currently theory-crafting potential uses in PvP scenarios, so keep an eye out for further findings.

The OVER THE HORIZON story event introduces the eponymous squad, a transport unit. The mission, as it turns out, was to locate the 'Wings of Victory'—the massive carrier used by the Goddess Squad during the First Rapture Invasion. The search was abruptly halted by pressure from the upper echelons of the Ark, but Sora continues the quest on their own. Dive into the event to uncover the full story.

Centi's Swimsuit vs. 2B's Swimsuit

Last time, we put the Tactical Bear Cube to the test against the Relic Bear Cube. The verdict was lopsided, with the Relic Bear Cube taking 83.3% of the vote—a 1:5 ratio. The Relic Bear Cube is highly prized for its 'Reload Speed' buff, a versatile stat for any Nikke. In contrast, the Tactical Bear Cube's 'Instant Reload' effect is niche, largely benefiting only high-capacity Machine Gun users. Players overwhelmingly suggest prioritizing the reload speed cube.

Summer has arrived in full force, and with it, the inevitable swimsuit season. We are all waiting to see which Nikke will be next to don the swimwear. In the meantime, Centi and 2B have already made their debut in seasonal skins, available via Monthly and Season Passes. It is a classic Nier vs. Nikke standoff. If you could only pick one skin, who would get your vote? We will reveal the results in next week's Weekly Forum Highlight.