'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' 3.5th anniversary arrivals, 'Anis: Sparkling Champagne' (hereinafter 'Champanis') and 'Neon: Blue Ocean' (hereinafter 'Neo Neon'), have officially stormed the Champion Arena. Champanis is seeing a massive surge in pick rates, with Neo Neon trailing closely behind. In an unexpected twist, the humble mass-produced 'Product 23' has re-emerged from the shadows. KookminTree has crunched the data on how both the newcomers and this relic of the past are shaking up the arena.

Champion Arena Top 64 Ranker Squad Pick Rates

※ Data is based on 320 squads from the top 64 rankers participating in the Champion Arena, spanning May 7th to May 20th.
※ Please note that the aggregation groups change every season.

In the latest Season 29 stats, Champanis has jumped from a 75% pick rate last season to a whopping 89.1%, an increase of 14.1 percentage points. To put that in perspective, 57 out of the 64 top players have drafted her. Much like previous anniversary units, she has cemented her place at the top with frightening speed. Neo Neon, meanwhile, sits at 39.1% with only 25 users. Since researchers are still tinkering with her optimal team-ups, we’ll need a bit more time to see if she truly has the goods.

As for the mass-produced Product 23, three brave rankers decided to give her a spin. You might be wondering why anyone would field an R-grade unit, but the answer lies in a cheeky bit of math involving 'Rosanna'. Her second skill, 'Capo di Capi', triggers an immediate burst gauge fill when an ally is incapacitated. At level 10, that boost is a massive 36.54%. Essentially, these players are using cheap R-grade fodder as tactical sacrifices.

Furthermore, Product 23 is a 'clip-type shotgun' unit, which in Goddess of Victory: NIKKE translates to a high burst gauge recharge rate. By leveraging the shotgun's nature of firing a round the moment combat starts, they’re squeezing out every bit of utility they can. I have to tip my hat to the creativity of these rankers, though it’s clearly not a meta-defining pick, so maybe don’t bet your rank on it just yet.

Let's examine the setup used by the ranker LEGO, who made it to the round of 32 in this season's group. They were one of the few experimenting with Product 23. While they bowed out in the round of 32 this time, they’re a seasoned veteran who reached the round of 16 last season.

LEGO didn't just stop at Product 23; they integrated both Champanis and Neo Neon into their roster. Their record up to the round of 32 was 'Win-Win-Win-Loss-Loss' and 'Win-Win-Loss-Loss-Loss', with the first and second squads showing real potential. Champanis pairs beautifully with 'Vesti: Tactical Operator' (hereinafter 'Tactical Vesti'), boosting her firepower while also smoothing out the burst generation. LEGO even tossed 'Liberalio' into the mix to shave down Tactical Vesti's charge time.

The third squad—'Product 23 - Scarlet - Trony - Rosanna - Drake'—is a masterclass in calculated risk. Adding 'Drake' was clearly a move to push that burst generation to the limit, though I’ve seen some others opt for 'Soda: Twinkling Bunny' instead. They secured one win in the top 64 but fell in the top 32 against a team of 'Ludmilla: Winter Owner - Bay - Biscuit - Snow White: Innocent Days - Rei'. Unfortunately, they ran into 'Rei', a hard counter to Scarlet. Scarlet just couldn't do her job against the 70.4% damage reduction Rei provides against Electric code units. It was a rough draw, but here’s hoping for a better run next season.

Arena Meta Analysis

The Skill Sets of Idol Nikkes are No Joke

The new Nikke 'Mint', arriving May 14th, is the talk of the town. Her skill effects are, frankly, quite radical. She buffs all allies with increased Critical Rate, Projectile Damage, Pierce Damage, Attack Damage, and Critical Damage. We’ll need to see how it plays out in practice, but on paper, she looks like a powerhouse.

Commanders are already buzzing about her weapon type—a launcher—and whether her burst generation will be up to scratch. In the Arena, where speed is everything, that's the real test. Keep an eye on the official community forums for the full performance breakdown.

NIKKE Issues

Stellar Blade Collaboration Revival

Along with Mint, the Stellar Blade collaboration characters 'Eve' and 'Raven' are making a comeback. Both are solid choices for Solo Raids against Iron-weak bosses. The story event 'MEMORIES TELLER' is also back, and since it’s officially part of the main Goddess of Victory: NIKKE lore, I suggest you take the time to revisit the dedicated map if you're a fan of the narrative.

User Poll

We ran a poll on the difficulty of the recent Solo Raid, 'Ego Vista'. With 64 commanders weighing in, the consensus was that it was 'very difficult'. While the mechanics weren't necessarily complex, the long stuns and the reliance on specific character progression made it a polarizing experience. For many, the frustration of these specific hurdles made it feel much harder than it perhaps was. With 'difficult' coming in at second place, the community will be watching closely to see how future boss designs evolve.