The collaboration between NIKKE and Evangelion was a failure

Although the collaboration between "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and the mobile game "GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE" MANAGED TO PLACE THE APP AT THE TOP OF THE DOWNLOAD CHARTS IN Japan last August, the event was a failure in terms of revenue for Shift Up, the game's developer. The performance results for the third quarter of 2024, released on November 12, reveal that the collaboration fell short of the company's expectations, contributing to a significant drop in global gaming revenue.

During the third quarter of the year (July 1 to September 30), GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE generated approximately 34.2 billion South Korean won (KRW) in global revenue, down 11% from the 38.5 billion KRW recorded in the second quarter. This implies a decrease of around KRW 4.3 billion from the previous quarter, which surprised investors and the company, which expected an increase thanks to the collaboration with the popular Evangelion franchise.

Shift Up attributes the losses primarily to the collaboration event, noting that Evangelion's special characters failed to attract the expected interest among players. As they explained, the characters Rei Ayanami, Asuka Langley Soryu, Mari Makinami Illustrious and Misato Katsuragi, although they remained faithful to the original design of Evangelion, did not generate the amount of purchases and participation that the company expected for an event of this magnitude.

In fact, Shift Up's own CEO, Hyung-tae Kim, commented that his original designs for the Evangelion characters were deemed "too erotic," which led to modifications that ended up featuring more conservative and less revealing versions than the usual GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE style. This contrast in design could have been a deciding factor in the low response from gamers, who tend to expect flashier outfits in the game.

Despite the decline in revenue, Shift Up has indicated that it will take into account user feedback to improve future collaboration events, seeking to avoid similar problems in future releases. GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE, which has already featured successful collaborations with franchises such as "Nier: Automata," "Chainsaw Man," and "Re:ZERO," aims to correct its strategy so that events in 2025 have a more positive impact.

Source: Automaton Media