The 2026 Maid Season for Goddess of Victory: NIKKE has kicked off with a flourish. The provocative design of the new Nikke 'Velvet' has sent shockwaves through the player base. Meanwhile, the community is buzzing over the announcement of four 'Treasures' Nikkes, including 'Mudan' and 'Centi'. Elsewhere on BlaBla, discussions on manual control techniques have been gaining significant traction. Let's dive into this week's key developments in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.

FATAL MAID

Velvet, who first graced us with her presence during the 2025 Bunny Girl event, has returned as a 2026 Maid Nikke. With a matching bunny costume available, the reception has been predictably enthusiastic. The event story 'FATAL MAID' is now live, running from January 29 to February 11. Be sure to clear the stages to snag essential rewards, including Advanced Recruit Vouchers.

Four 'Treasures' Nikkes Revealed

On January 26, the first developer note of 2026 dropped, mapping out the future roadmap. The news many Commanders were waiting for—'Treasures'—was finally confirmed. Slated for a February release, the lucky Nikkes are Mudan, Centi, 'Zwei', and 'Privaty'. For the full details, head over to the official lounge or BlaBla.

Manual Control Deep Dive

While you can let the AI handle the combat, clearing content below your recommended power often demands a manual touch. This is where techniques like 'tap-firing' with snipers and rocket launchers come into play. Many players are currently busy refining these manual control methods.

A user named 'Rick Allied' on BlaBla compiled a guide on manual control. They provided illustrated breakdowns of rapid-fire techniques for snipers and launchers, along with optimal Full Burst timing. It is surprising how many new Commanders don't realise that the reticle converges during a Full Burst. Ever since the arrival of the Tier 0 Nikke 'Little Mermaid', some mistakenly believe the converging reticle is a unique trait of hers. Check out the BlaBla post if you want to brush up on your skills.

How Do I Get Boss BGM?

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is as much about the music as it is the gameplay. Sound Director Cosmograph’s high-fidelity tracks are a treat for the ears. While standard BGM is great, many Commanders have a soft spot for the even more intense boss themes.

You can snag these tracks via Lost Relics hidden in the stages. It is a common query in the lounge from those who can't seem to find them. Generally, boss themes are found in the Hard mode stages where those bosses appear. Keep an eye on community threads for locations.

Femme Fatale Maid 'Velvet'

Let’s talk about Velvet. She’s the latest recruit for the Maid For You squad, first seen in the 2025 Bunny Girl event. Her bunny suit turned quite a few heads back then, and her new maid outfit is arguably just as striking. See for yourself in-game.

Velvet is a Burst II, Wind Code, Support-type Sniper. Her kit revolves around stealing enemy bullets to fuel her buffs. Her Skill 1, 'Bad Habits', generates 6,000 bullets used exclusively for buffs—don't confuse these with her actual weapon ammo. Upon full charge, if not in Full Burst, she consumes 100 of these to boost her Attack and Damage for 3 seconds.

Skill 2, 'Love Bullet', is her bread and butter. During Full Burst, the effect shifts based on her attack type. When she lands a Full Charge attack, it consumes 300 bullets to grant the whole squad a buff to Attack and Charge Damage for 3 seconds.

The second trigger occurs after 50 hits of her normal attack. It consumes bullets to grant her a 5-second Damage increase and deals additional damage proportional to her final Attack. This requires Velvet to have used her Burst, 'Clean Finish'.

Her Burst changes her weapon to a machine gun with no warm-up time for 10 seconds. While the 999-bullet capacity makes it feel endless, be warned: it doesn't play well with 'Treasure Miranda' due to the fixed ammo count.

Velvet can function as a 'totem' or sub-DPS. While her damage output is lower than dedicated Burst III units, it is decent. Community testing suggests her bullet-consuming mechanics actually trigger Little Mermaid’s passive. It needs more validation, but she could be a star in Wind-weak Solo Raids.

Velvet was once part of a squad called Shade, which was allegedly a black ops unit run by Mustang. Considering his current persona, it is hard to fathom. She holds the keys to Mustang's history, a subject of much speculation among Commanders. Her journey into the world of maid service is detailed in the current story event.

Ade vs. Velvet

Last time, we put 'Drake vs. Signal' to the vote. Drake, the self-proclaimed villain of the Ark, took the win. When a 'hero' asks for help in a way that feels more like a demand, it is hard to say no. Signal had her charms, but the competition was stiff.

Apparently, you can request specific maids at the cafe. I haven't had the pleasure of visiting one in real life, so I learned this through the event story. It takes a fair bit of courage, don't you think?

If you walked into the Ark’s Maid Cafe and could only choose between Velvet and Ade, who would you pick? Velvet brings the heat, while Ade offers a more refined touch. Let us know your choice, and we will reveal the results in the next Weekly Forum Highlight.