NIKKE Reveals SSR Drake: Great Villain, Pick-Up Recruitment Starts September 3

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE has finally revealed Drake's new form. SSR Drake: Great Villain will enter Pick-Up Recruitment on September 3, 2026 after maintenance.

Drake returns in a dramatically upgraded appearance and is introduced as the leader of the Villain Union. Her arrival follows the announcement of GREAT VILLAIN UNION, a new story event specifically intended to give the Matis member more narrative focus.

Quick Summary

• Game: GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE
• New character: Drake: Great Villain
• Japanese name: ドレイク：グレイトヴィラン
• Rarity: SSR
• Base character: Drake
• Status: Powered-up / alternate version
• Role in announcement: Leader of Villain Union
• Japanese CV: Sumire Uesaka
• Pick-Up Recruitment: September 3, 2026 after maintenance
• Banner ends: September 17, 2026 at 04:59 UTC+9
• Duration: Roughly two weeks
• Developer: SHIFT UP
• Publisher: Level Infinite
• NIKKE platforms: PC, iOS, Android
• Related event: GREAT VILLAIN UNION
• Event window: Early September 2026
• Event focus: Drake's story
• Background: Drake received comparatively little focus in PROJECT MATIS
• Original Drake squad: Matis
• Original Drake manufacturer: Missilis Industry
• Matis members: Laplace, Maxwell, Drake
• Powered-up Laplace: Laplace: Ultimate Hero
• Powered-up Maxwell: Maxwell: Ordinary Mechanic
• Powered-up Drake: Drake: Great Villain
• Drake's character concept: A self-proclaimed villain whose attempts at villainy often fail to be genuinely evil
• New design: More aggressive black-and-red armor
• Pick-Up visual: Released
• Drake: Great Villain weapon: Unannounced
• Code: Unannounced
• Class: Unannounced
• Burst stage: Unannounced
• Skill 1: Unannounced
• Skill 2: Unannounced
• Burst Skill: Unannounced
• Pick-Up rate details: Not yet detailed in the initial teaser
• Post-banner availability: Unannounced
• Limited or standard-pool status: Not confirmed in the initial announcement
• Character motion showcase: Not yet released when the Pick-Up teaser was posted
• Gameplay details: Awaiting the character profile and skill reveal

Pick-Up Recruitment and Drake: Great Villain Visual

Drake Finally Gets Her Powered-Up Form

Drake is the final member of the core Matis trio to receive a newly revealed powered-up version.

PROJECT MATIS previously introduced Laplace: Ultimate Hero and Maxwell: Ordinary Mechanic. Drake remained in her original form during that update and had noticeably less narrative focus.

The development team later acknowledged that directly in its August Developer's Note and announced GREAT VILLAIN UNION as an opportunity to put Drake at the center.

From Matis Member to Villain Union Leader

The new announcement describes Drake: Great Villain as the leader of Villain Union and, in characteristically exaggerated fashion, the “most evil villain ever.”

Her new visual is dominated by black, red, and white, with sharper armor and a more aggressive silhouette than original Drake.

For now, Villain Union is best treated as an identity tied to Drake's new form and upcoming event. The complete membership and structure of the group have not been explained in the initial recruitment announcement.

GREAT VILLAIN UNION Gives Drake More Story

NIKKE's director explained that PROJECT MATIS primarily focused on the Matis squad as a whole while spending more time on Laplace and Maxwell.

That left Drake's portion comparatively short. GREAT VILLAIN UNION is being developed to expand her story and is scheduled for early September.

Its full plot remains under wraps, so it is not yet clear whether the event centers on Drake's past, the formation of Villain Union, events following PROJECT MATIS, or multiple periods.

Her Combat Kit Is Still Hidden

One of the most important pieces of information for players deciding whether to pull has not yet been revealed.

The August 29 announcement confirms the SSR unit, design, Japanese CV, Villain Union identity, and recruitment period.

However, the new unit's weapon, manufacturer, code, class, Burst stage, Skill 1, Skill 2, and Burst Skill remain unannounced.

Alternate Nikkes can change weapons, elements, and battlefield roles, so original Drake's combat profile should not be used to predict Drake: Great Villain's final kit.

Recruitment Runs Through September 17

Pick-Up Recruitment begins after maintenance on September 3 and ends on September 17 at 04:59 UTC+9.

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The exact opening hour is not yet fixed in the announcement because it is tied to maintenance completion, which can shift depending on update conditions.

Players therefore have a confirmed end time, while the precise start time depends on when maintenance concludes.

Why This Matters

1) The powered-up Matis trio is finally complete

Laplace and Maxwell received alternate forms through PROJECT MATIS. Drake: Great Villain now fills the remaining slot.

2) Drake gets more than a new banner

GREAT VILLAIN UNION is specifically intended to expand Drake's story after the developers felt PROJECT MATIS gave her too little screen time.

3) The combat reveal is still ahead

The teaser leaves her weapon, element, class, Burst stage, and full skill kit unknown, making the gameplay announcement the next major reveal.

Game and Recruitment Information

Additional confirmed information currently includes:

• Drake: Great Villain was announced on August 29, 2026
• the Japanese version uses the name ドレイク：グレイトヴィラン
• the global name is Drake: Great Villain
• the announced rarity is SSR
• Sumire Uesaka returns as Drake's Japanese voice
• Pick-Up Recruitment begins September 3 after maintenance
• recruitment ends September 17, 2026 at 04:59 UTC+9
• the exact banner opening hour depends on maintenance completion
• Drake: Great Villain is introduced as the leader of Villain Union
• the promotional design uses black-and-red armor distinct from original Drake
• GREAT VILLAIN UNION is planned for early September
• the story event is confirmed to give Drake greater focus
• the developers previously said Drake's role in PROJECT MATIS was comparatively brief
• PROJECT MATIS introduced Laplace: Ultimate Hero and Maxwell: Ordinary Mechanic
• original Drake belongs to Matis under Missilis Industry
• original Drake uses a Shotgun, but this does not confirm the new version's weapon
• the new unit's class, code, weapon, Burst stage, and skills remain unannounced
• the initial teaser does not yet provide the detailed SSR recruitment rate
• Gold Mileage implementation for this banner has not been detailed in this first announcement
• post-banner availability remains unannounced
• it has not yet been confirmed whether Drake: Great Villain will later enter Ordinary Recruit
• a dedicated character profile and motion showcase had not been posted when the initial teaser appeared
• further details are expected through official announcements and patch notes before maintenance
• official game information is available through GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE
• the recruitment announcement is available through NIKKE Official X
• the August Developer's Note is available through NIKKE Official X
• Japanese updates are available through NIKKE Japan Official X

Closing

Drake: Great Villain completes the powered-up Matis trio following Laplace: Ultimate Hero and Maxwell: Ordinary Mechanic. Her new SSR banner begins September 3 after maintenance and remains available through September 17.

The next major reveal is her gameplay. SHIFT UP has not yet disclosed her weapon, code, class, Burst stage, skills, or post-banner availability, while GREAT VILLAIN UNION will put Drake back at the center of NIKKE's story in early September.