'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' 3.5-year anniversary unit 'Anis: Sparkling' (hereinafter 'Sparkling Anis') has officially taken the Champion Arena by storm. It took her only a month to reach the summit, a meteoric rise that seems to have finally satisfied our incredibly hard-to-please commanders. Also, we're kicking off a new segment covering the Union Raid scene—check the details below.

Champion Arena Top 8 Ranker Squad NIKKE Pick Rates

※ Data is based on 40 squads from the top 8 rankers between May 7 and May 20.
※ Please note that the aggregation group changes every season.

In Season 29 of the Champion Arena, every single ranker who fielded Sparkling Anis made it to the Top 8, securing a 100% pick rate. While a 100% rate in the Top 64 is still a way off, it's safe to say that as more players finish their training, she has firmly cemented her status as a top-tier contender for the Arena.

Elsewhere, the pick rates for 'Neon: Blue Ocean' and 'Emma: Color Wave' saw a slight bump, alongside their partner 'Mast'. As we’ll discuss shortly, a player finally took home the trophy using the 'Tactical' synergy team. It seems this is no longer just a niche 'love pick' for enthusiasts, but a legitimate major meta contender. In the Burst III category, 'Snow White: Innocent Days' has effectively filled the void left by 'Scarlet'.

Let's take a look at the winning squad of SEIFER, who secured their fourth championship this season. Though they stalled in the semi-finals last season, they dominated this time around, heavily utilizing the aforementioned 'Tactical' setup and the Sparkling Anis core.

'Sparkling Anis - Blanc - Privaty - Biscuit - Maiden: Black Shadow' (hereinafter 'Black Maiden') seems to leverage Privaty’s stun while boosting Sparkling Anis’s damage output. Replays confirm that Sparkling Anis was the primary damage dealer. Despite being a Burst I defender, she benefits from the attack buffs provided by Black Maiden and Privaty, while utilizing 'Biscuit's' invincibility to stay in the fight. It's a masterclass in synergy.

The third squad—'Mast - Neon: Blue Ocean - Rosanna - Vesti: Tactical - Emma: Color Wave'—went all-in on three 'Tactical' units. These units are designed to concentrate all buffs on Vesti, maximizing their firepower. It was an undefeated run until the semi-finals, though they suffered a narrow defeat in the final. Still, the fourth squad stepped up to secure three wins and take the glory. Congratulations on the fourth title, and we look forward to seeing your performance next season.

Union Raid TOP 20

※ Based on the 'Union Raid' TOP 20 rankings from May 15 to May 21.
※ Please note this reflects the DAY 1 rankings.

We're introducing 'Union Raid TOP 20', a look at the elite Unions that compete every month. We’ll be summarizing the rankings based on 'DAY 1' data at the end of each raid cycle.

The champion of the May Union Raid on Day 1 was 'Byeol-i'. Both they and the second-place 'Nisaks' surpassed 6 trillion in damage. Third place 'Lillith' clocked in at 5.8375 trillion. These names are mainstays at the top of the leaderboard, so keep an eye on them.

From 4th to 20th place, 'HERETICS' (4th) reached the 5 trillion mark, while those from 5th to 9th hit 4 trillion. There was a significant gap between the 4th and 5th spots. Average Syncro Device levels generally hovered between the high 700s and mid-800s, though some members in the top 3 Unions managed to push past level 1,000. Interestingly, the 18th place 'FIN' had the lowest average at level 693, yet still managed a respectable finish.

Notably, the 11th-ranked 'CurD-Dan' was the only group in the Top 20 that didn't have a full roster of 32 members, managing the feat with only 30. Expect them to climb even higher once they fill those spots. We’re already excited for the next season.

Solo Raid Meta Analysis

The upcoming target: Water Code weak 'Ultra'

The Solo Raid against Ultra kicks off on May 28, featuring a weakness to Water Code. We recommend focusing on Sniper Rifles and Launchers. Representative Water Code units include 'Helm', 'Snow White: Innocent Days', 'Brid', and 'Anchor: Innocent Maid'. That said, any Water Code unit should perform well, so plan accordingly.

Some commanders have theorized that since the weakness differs from 'Mint', the next new unit might also be Water Code. With 'Frima' mentioned in the latest dev notes, the odds are high she’s next. We expect concrete details to drop over the weekend or early next week.

NIKKE Issues

Short animation series announced!

On May 16, we got a surprise announcement—a short animation series for Goddess of Victory: NIKKE. It wasn't even teased during the 3.5-year anniversary stream, catching everyone off guard. Episode 1, 'Counters: First Day at the Outpost!', is set for release on Friday, May 22. Based on the key visual, it appears to be a flashback to when Marian was still at the Outpost. Since the Counters are in their pre-upgrade forms, it’s almost certainly a prequel. Don't miss the premiere on May 22!