Shift Up's Goddess of Victory: NIKKE Evangelion crossover fell short of expectations, according to a recent interview with the game's producer. The collaboration, released in August 2024, featured Rei, Asuka, Mari, and Misato, but failed to resonate with players.

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 adjustments, while satisfying the licensors, resulted in designs that lacked the appeal of the original concepts. The final versions, players felt, were too similar to the characters' base models, particularly Asuka's gacha skin, offering insufficient incentive for spending.

Player Feedback

The lackluster designs weren't the only issue. Players felt the limited-time characters and costumes lacked sufficient visual flair, diminishing the appeal of in-app purchases. This, coupled with the perceived dilution of Nikke's established identity through uninspired collaborations, led to widespread player dissatisfaction. The Evangelion event itself was criticized for feeling drawn-out and unfocused.

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

In the meantime, you can download Neon Genesis Evangelion and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE from the Google Play Store. The expectation is that Shift Up will course-correct and deliver higher quality crossover events in the future. For more gaming news, check out our coverage of Wuthering Waves' Version 1.4 update for Android.