With the 3.5-year anniversary of Goddess of Victory: NIKKE in full swing, a special T.T. STAR gratitude performance in London was unveiled on April 30. Along with the spectacle, the devs dropped some coupon codes and a handful of rewards. Plus, the new NIKKE recruitment and Solo Raid kicked off on the same day. KookminTree has rounded up the latest buzz from the lounge and BallaBalla.

T.T. STAR London Special Gratitude Performance

The T.T. STAR special performance video dropped on April 30 at 9:00 PM KST, straight from London. We saw Anis taking the stage in front of international Commanders. Tucked away in the video was a gift for the players: the coupon code 'TTSTARINLONDON'. Don't forget to use it. If you post your thoughts on social media or the official lounge, you're in the running for prizes including Gems. Check the official lounge for the nitty-gritty details.

Solo Raid ‘Ego Vista’

Solo Raid Season 36 'Ego Vista' launched on April 30. Its weakness is the Electric code, and launcher-type NIKKEs are your best bet. It features new mechanics, like focusing fire on specific NIKKEs and using projectiles to stun them. The identity of this boss is pure spoiler territory, so clear Main Story 46 if you want to find out before challenging it. The 'Severing: Form 1 - Severing: Form 2' pattern is a squad-wiper, so you'd better figure out how to counter it. Get your challenge in before it ends on May 7 to grab those exclusive frames and spare parts for your collectibles.

Neon: Blue Ocean Performance Review

The 3.5-anniversary recruit, 'Neon: Blue Ocean', has arrived packing serious firepower. She deals extra damage to boss-level Raptures and sports a nifty invincibility/debuff immunity combo when hit. Naturally, as soon as recruitment opened on April 30, BallaBalla Commanders were already stress-testing her limits.

The consensus among those who finished their experiments? 'Charge speed options are absolutely vital.' Pumping up that charge speed caused her damage output to skyrocket. Some even argued it’s on par with 'Elemental Code Damage' and should take priority over straight attack stats. If you're looking to build her, the experts recommend an Overload gear setup prioritizing: Elemental Code Damage > Charge Speed > Attack.

How many Synchro Device slots do you actually need?

Every NIKKE player hits the infamous 'Level 200 wall' eventually—the first real hurdle for any newcomer. Once you get five SSRs to 3-star limit breaks, you can push past level 200 using the 'Synchro Device'. It’s the starting line for serious progression, allowing you to sync the levels of NIKKEs you haven't explicitly leveled up.

You can expand your Synchro slots using Gems or through the Academy. Since the Academy only gets you so far, you'll eventually need to spend Gems to unlock more. With the 3.5-anniversary banners burning a hole in everyone's pockets, many are debating how much to invest. The burning question: 'Should I unlock a new slot every time I pull an SSR?'

One Commander suggested aiming for enough slots to support the '5 parties per attribute' required for Solo Raids. Since there's some overlap with powerhouses like 'Crown' and 'Little Mermaid', roughly 90 slots should suffice. Others mentioned they only use the expansion tickets from event rewards. Ultimately, it’s about your personal situation. Check your current roster before you go spending your hard-earned Gems.

Firepower! Firepower! 'Neon: Blue Ocean'

Today we're looking at Neon: Blue Ocean, the youngest member of Counters and a firepower obsessive. Thanks to a connection from her human days, she received a bespoke 'impenetrable' body that shrugs off outside interference. In the main story, she was essentially indestructible. Combined with that over-technology weapon co-developed by Elysion and Missilis, the damage is staggering. She’s taken to calling herself 'Neo Neon' after the upgrade, and the nickname has stuck.

Her 1st Skill, 'Healthy Body', grants 3 seconds of invincibility and debuff immunity when struck, provided she doesn't already have the buff. It also boosts incoming healing for 20 seconds. While it can trigger 5 times per battle, given the 20-second buff duration, think of it as a 20-second cooldown. Plus, if she hits a boss-level 'Target' with a full charge, she dishes out bonus final attack damage.

Her 2nd Skill, 'Firepower Charge', is the engine behind her 'Firepower Gauge'. She starts the fight with 100 gauge. When in the 'Firepower Charge' state from her Burst, each normal attack adds 2 to the gauge, and she gets a 45-point boost when the state ends. If she still has charge at the end of Full Burst, she gains a multiplier (at skill level 10) for 5 seconds. She also gets a 10-second 'Firepower Deployment' buff upon starting Full Burst, which significantly buffs her attack.

Her Burst, 'Super Firepower', triggers either a charge or the 'Super Firepower' buff depending on her gauge. Super Firepower consumes the gauge to crank up her attack damage. The bonus damage from Skill 1 and the deployment buff from Skill 2 really hit their peak here—this is where she truly shines. With increased explosion radius and damage, the fireworks are well worth the wait.

Neo Neon is a prime candidate for the Interception: Mirror Container and any boss weak to Electric damage. Commanders are currently theory-crafting whether she fits into top-tier Solo Raid teams. A word of caution: once the Super Firepower buff is consumed, you won't trigger it again until you've fully recharged the gauge. Since it takes two Full Burst cycles to get back to 100, maintaining peak performance all fight long is tricky. Otherwise, she's a powerhouse, so definitely try to bring her home.

Though Neon has been around since launch, her backstory only recently came to light. It was a short arc in the main story, but it was enough to leave many Commanders reaching for the tissues. Do yourself a favor and play through it. She really stepped up in Chapter 45 with her new hardware; overwhelming the villain with literal 'super firepower' while her exclusive BGM kicked in was a cathartic experience. Witness the glory and pick up this avatar of destruction.

Starting and ending with consideration: 'ABC'

The union 'ABC', named after the famous chocolate, is currently recruiting. Their requirements: 'Synchro Level 681 or higher - Top 3% in Solo Raid preferred'. They pride themselves on mutual consideration, active information sharing, and cooperative play, all with the goal of enjoying Goddess of Victory: NIKKE to the fullest. Check the promotional image above and the official lounge post for more info.