'Goddess of Victory: NIKKE' Champion Arena Season 32 has concluded. This season, we saw more than just the usual suspects like 'Vesti: Tactical Up' (hereinafter 'Vesti-TU'); the 'Absolute Deck' has been making waves. By grouping Vesti-TU with fellow squad members 'Eunhwa: Tactical Up' and 'Emma: Tactical Up', top-tier players are finding a potent synergy that has been bubbling under the surface for some time. It is no longer just a niche experiment—the meta is shifting, and the community is already trading notes on how to build it. KookminTree has broken down the current state of play just before the summer event kicks off.

Champion Arena Top 8 Squad NIKKE Pick Rates

※ Based on data from 40 squads used by Top 8 players in Champion Arena Season 32.
※ Please note that the aggregation group changes every season.

Here is the breakdown for the Season 32 Top 8. A total of 13 NIKKE were ubiquitous across all top decks. For Burst 1, we saw 'Jackal', 'Rosanna', 'Treasure Item Ludmilla', and 'Anis: Sparkling Summer' (hereinafter 'Summer Anis'). For Burst 2, the lineup included 'Noah', 'Biscuit', 'Trony', 'Blanc', and 'Centi'. Burst 3 was dominated by 'Scarlet', 'Treasure Item Helm', 'Snow White: Innocent Days' (hereinafter 'Snow White: ID'), and 'Vesti: Tactical Up' (hereinafter 'Vesti-TU').

While the likes of Summer Anis, Snow White: ID, and Vesti-TU are familiar staples, Vesti-TU's comrades—Eunhwa: Tactical Up and Emma: Tactical Up—are finally stealing the spotlight. This 'Absolute Deck' has been floating around for a while, but it was once considered a work in progress with only a handful of brave souls running it in the Arena. Now that the theory-crafting is done, the community is sharing optimized settings. Just keep in mind that you need to invest significantly in all three NIKKE to make this squad viable in competitive play.

Interestingly, 'Cinderella' has seen a sharp decline in pick rate, even without her counterpart 'Label' currently in the mix. Meanwhile, Scarlet remains an absolute titan with a 100% pick rate, anchoring the top of the Arena ladder. Shotgun-wielding NIKKE have also lost some ground, mostly hovering in the 20-39% range. We have new summer NIKKE arriving on July 2; while they are Machine Gun and Assault Rifle users and might not shake up the Arena immediately, we will be watching to see if they make an impact.

Let us take a look at the winning composition from Artmis. Their run from the quarterfinals to the final was a rollercoaster of 'W-L-W-L-W', 'L-W-W-W-W', and 'L-W-W-W-L'. They nearly slipped up in the quarters, but after steadying the ship, they cruised to victory.

The squad that achieved a clean sweep was Team 3: 'Summer Anis - Blanc - Anis: Sparkling Summer (hereinafter 'Summer Anis') - Biscuit - Maiden: Ice Rose' (hereinafter 'Maiden: IR'). The defining trait here is that every member except Blanc shares the Electric Code—you could practically call it an 'Electric Deck'. While Summer Anis usage has dipped slightly since launch, the ability to target the two enemies with the highest attack remains a potent way to bypass taunts. It is not the only way to win, but Artmis has certainly proven its pedigree. Give it a shot in the next season.

Team 5—'Noah - Rumani - Neon: Blue Ocean - Liberalio - Treasure Item Centi'—clinched the victory against the 'Nero + Ludmilla' combo in the final battle of the quarterfinals, paving the way for Artmis to take the crown. This squad went on to post a 'W-L' record in the semifinals and finals, though since they had already secured the three required wins, it did not affect the overall outcome.

Arena Meta Analysis

Treasure Item NIKKE Preview for July 23

During the summer special broadcast on June 27, four NIKKE receiving Treasure Items were revealed, with the update scheduled for July 23. The lineup includes 'Phantom', 'Sugar', 'Rosanna', and 'Flora'. Arena players are particularly buzzing about Rosanna, who is already a staple in competitive play.

However, looking at the case of 'Ludmilla', Rosanna may end up getting a PvE-focused boost rather than a pure Arena buff, potentially shifting into a sub-DPS role. The other three have rarely seen play in the Arena, so a meta shift there seems unlikely. We will know the full details after the July 23 update, so it is probably wise to start hoarding those collection materials now.

Solo Raid Meta Analysis

Ade: Spring Hand and Summer Sakura set to shine

The 'Annihilio' Solo Raid begins on July 2. With a boss that constantly regenerates parts, NIKKE with 'Part Destruction' effects are going to be the stars of the show. There are 28 Wind Code NIKKE available as of July 2, with 'E.H.', 'Rosanna: Chic Ocean', 'Sakura: Bloom in Summer', 'Velvet', 'Ade: Spring Hand', 'Scarlet: Black Shadow', 'Little Mermaid', 'Mana', 'Blanc', 'Noir', 'Volume', 'Nayuta', 'Liberalio', 'Asuka: WILLE', and 'Rei' (tentative) being the most viable choices. Since you need 25 NIKKE across five teams, I suggest checking your roster and their investment levels immediately.

Regarding the part-destruction mechanics, 'Ade: Spring Hand' and 'Sakura: Bloom in Summer' are the ones to watch. While Ade: Spring Hand will be available via the ordinary recruit wishlist after the July 2 update, Sakura: Bloom in Summer just finished her rerun, so players starting on July 2 will unfortunately miss out. Sakura: Bloom in Summer boosts 'continuous damage' and duration upon part destruction, while Ade: Spring Hand acts as a 'battery' to extend transformation time, making both essential for hitting high scores against the regenerating parts of Annihilio. Don't forget that heavy hitters like Scarlet: Black Shadow and Liberalio are still top-tier staples to round out your teams.

NIKKE News

2026 Orchestra Concert to be streamed online

The 'UNBREAKABLE MEMORIES' orchestra concert, which took place in Korea on March 28-29, is now available on the official NIKKE YouTube channel. The footage went live on July 1 at 8 PM, which is fantastic news for those who couldn't attend in person. To celebrate, a redemption code for 300 Gems and a concert-exclusive title will be released following the July 2 update.The concert footage will remain available until June 30, 2027, so if you have not watched it yet, head over to the official YouTube channel and enjoy the show.