Why NIKKE Players Felt Let Down by the Evangelion Crossover Event

Shift Up's Goddess of Victory: NIKKE collaboration with Neon Genesis Evangelion fell short of expectations, according to a recent interview with the game's producer. The August 2024 event, featuring Rei, Asuka, Mari, and Misato, faced several setbacks.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

The initial designs for the Evangelion characters, created collaboratively by Shift Up and the NIKKE team, were deemed too suggestive by Evangelion's creators. Subsequent modifications, while satisfying the licensors, failed to resonate with players. The resulting designs, while faithful to the originals, lacked the appeal to entice players.

Player Feedback:

The issue wasn't solely the character designs. Players found little incentive to purchase limited-time characters or costumes, particularly given the lack of significant visual differences, especially Asuka's gacha skin, which bore a striking resemblance to her base model.

The collaboration diluted NIKKE's established identity, known for its distinctive anime aesthetic and engaging narrative. The event felt drawn-out and uninspired.

Shift Up acknowledges the criticism and promises to incorporate player feedback into future collaborations. The hope is that future events will deliver more compelling content.

Both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE are available on the Google Play Store. The expectation is that Shift Up will learn from this experience and deliver more engaging crossovers and content in the future. For more gaming news, check out our coverage of Wuthering Waves' Version 1.4 Update on Android.