Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is wrapping up 2025 in style and gearing up for a hopeful 2026 with a flurry of updates. From the MC hints for the New Year's special broadcast on 29 December, to the 'ear-splitting' Christmas gift from Diesel, there is plenty to talk about. Plus, we are seeing a surge in community-shared gear setups for the return of Red Hood.

29 December New Year's Special Broadcast

Mark your calendars: the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE official YouTube channel will host a special broadcast on 29 December at 7:00 PM sharp. Don't miss it. The official lounge has already dropped hints about the guest MCs tasked with ushering out 2025 and welcoming 2026. Head over to the official lounge for the full scoop.

Diesel's Christmas Gift

A 'Decorate the Christmas Tree' event is live in the Goddess of Victory: NIKKE official community, Blabla. Players collect ornaments through random drops and missions to spruce up their tree, earning rewards like LIPASS points and exclusive Blabla profile frames.

From Christmas Eve through 31 December, you can also catch the 'Diesel's Christmas Gift' special event. Diesel: Winter Wish appears on the event tree; click her for a surprise performance and extra rewards. A word of advice: if your speakers or headphones are cranked up, turn them down—you will thank me later.

Red Hood Overload Option Recommendations

Overload gear allows for up to three lines of substats, and let's be honest, they define your performance. 'Elemental Damage Increase' and 'Attack Increase' are non-negotiable. Many players are grinding Kraken and farming custom modules just to hit these stats for their top-tier units.

With her return scheduled for the 2026 New Year, Red Hood is the talk of the town regarding these setups. The community consensus for her ideal stats is '4 Elemental Code - 4 Attack - 2 Max Ammo - 2 Critical'. Critical stats have seen a bit of a renaissance lately, though getting three perfect lines is a proper headache. Don't push your luck—aim for those Elemental Code and Attack lines first.

The Troubled Hero: 'Guillotine: Winter Slayer'

Today we are looking at the 2024 winter limited unit, Guillotine: Winter Slayer—or as the community affectionately calls her, 'Clotine'. She arrives sporting an 'isekai hero' costume, fitting the story event's theme as an avatar-style look.

Clotine is a Burst 3, Water Code, Attacker using an assault rifle. She mimics a classic RPG 'leveling' mechanic to trigger her skills. Her first skill, 'Hero's Fate', relies on her second skill, 'Hero's Potential'. Landing hits builds up experience—easier if you hit the core (3 hits) versus non-core (6 hits). She can level up to 11.

Each level-up grants ammo replenishment and HP recovery while providing a passive buff to all Water Code allies' Elemental Damage and Attack. At level 2 or higher, her second skill further boosts her own Elemental Damage.

Her burst skill, 'Extermination', buffs all Water Code allies with increased Attack and Elemental Damage for 10 seconds, while dealing continuous damage based on her 'Hero Level' to the enemy with the highest Max HP.

Clotine was a 'joker' pick for Water-weak Solo Raids back in 2024. However, the arrival of the 2025 summer unit, Elegg: Boom & Shock, has largely eclipsed her. She is currently relegated to second-string status, which is a shame, as the potential is clearly there.

Clotine's appearance in the story was driven by past trauma. When Maiden faced disposal for refusing orders, Clotine triggered her own 'Irregular' status to save her. It turns out she was haunted by failing to protect a human girl in her past, and the fear of losing Maiden brought it all back. Thanks to Maiden's intervention, she returned to her senses and found a happy ending. It's a surprisingly deep dive into why she clings to her 'chuunibyou' persona.

Date with Rapi vs. Date with Anis

Last time, we ran a balance game: Nora the Grandma vs. Hermin the Grandpa. For the first time ever, we saw a 100% landslide victory for Nora. The narrative impact was just too strong to ignore. While Hermin is a lovely fellow, it seems Nora left a deeper impression on the Commanders.

The festive season is prime time for romance. As the Commander in this harem-esque scenario, you are constantly spoiled for choice, but Rapi and Anis of Counters remain the closest companions. If you had to pick one for a year-end date, who would it be? We will reveal the results in next week's Weekly Forum Highlight.