NIKKE has reached its fourth anniversary with one of its biggest updates yet, and there is plenty here even for players who do not intend to spend on another character banner. Marian returns at the centre of a new story, three Pilgrim SSRs are part of the celebration, and the publisher is advertising up to 259 free recruitment opportunities.
The update began rolling out on October 29, 2026, after scheduled maintenance. The useful question for players is what they can claim now, which characters arrive later, and how long the rewards remain available. Those details matter more than the anniversary headline.
NIKKE fourth anniversary update: what launched on October 29?
Level Infinite and developer SHIFT UP have introduced the fully voiced MARIA-n story event alongside Main Story Chapters 49 and 50. The new chapters move the Third Surface Recapture War towards a major confrontation. The publisher describes this as the conclusion of the Underground Ark storyline, not the end of NIKKE itself.
MARIA-n follows Marian before the events many players know her for. It looks back at a research mission, her first steps into the wider world and the people who shaped her. The limited-time event also contains the Fading Affection minigame, where choices and recovered memories drive the experience.
Marian: Queen, Scarlet: Goddeath and the free Rapunzel
Marian: Queen is the headline recruit. She is a Fire-code Pilgrim Attacker who uses a machine gun and focuses on hitting multiple enemies. Her special recruitment period opened after the October 29 maintenance and is scheduled to run until November 19 at 4:59 a.m. Japan time.
Scarlet: Goddeath is a different kind of attacker. She is built around piercing attacks and a powered-up Burst, but her featured recruitment does not begin on October 29. It opens November 5 in Japan and runs until November 26. That distinction is important if you are deciding when to spend saved recruitment tickets.
Rapunzel: Sanctuary is the celebration’s free SSR. She is a support unit that can heal allies and improve their damage output. The publisher says players can obtain copies through the anniversary login programme, the MARIA-n event and the 14-day login event. These are event rewards, not a permanent free character available at any time.
How do the 259 free recruits work?
The "up to 259" figure refers to recruitment opportunities spread across the anniversary celebration and its activities. It is not a promise that 259 tickets will appear in your mailbox the moment you log in. Some rewards require daily participation, event progress or completing the relevant missions.
The fourth-anniversary login event includes Rapunzel: Sanctuary, 10 advanced recruitment tickets and 10 selective recruitment tickets. A separate 14-day login track, To the Endpoint, offers another selection box and upgrade resources. There is also one free daily recruitment attempt on Marian: Queen’s banner during its promotional period; those free attempts do not produce Gold Mileage Tickets.
Players who want a specific older Pilgrim should also look at the selective recruitment event. Its choices include Cinderella, Grave and Nayuta. Read the in-game probabilities before spending. Selecting a preferred Pilgrim improves the focus of the banner; it does not make that character a guaranteed free reward.
The Stellar Blade connection and new costumes
The anniversary is not limited to new units. NIKKE is also adding a Stellar Blade music collaboration called Tracing the Stars, with 22 tracks listed in the publisher announcement, including four that are free. Players also get new customisation options and an updated lobby presentation.
New costumes include Marian: Queen’s Last Affection and Snow White: Heavy Arms’ Lacrimosa. Several older outfits are returning for a limited period. Some are connected to costume gacha or passes, so do not confuse those paid or conditional items with the free anniversary SSR.
Watch the official MARIA-n story trailer
The official trailer puts the attention on Marian and the events behind her transformation. It is also the most useful first look for returning players who want the story context without reading through every banner notice.
What should players do first?
Start by updating the game and opening the anniversary event page. Claim any available login rewards, check the remaining days on the 14-day track and review the MARIA-n missions. Next, look at the recruitment calendar. Marian is featured first, while Scarlet’s banner begins in November.
If you have been away from NIKKE for a while, the publisher is also running an expanded returnee event called Rise Again. New story content and the Fading Affection event are the more interesting reasons to return than a single flashy character image. The anniversary marks four years of NIKKE, but the new chapters make it clear that the developers are still building towards what comes next.
