NTE May 12 End of the Launch Era: Roll Nanally Or Hotori?

I’m totally hooked on NTE: Neverness to Everness! It came out officially on April 29th after a great beta test, and it’s already a hit. The graphics are stunning, the city you explore is huge, and I love all the different characters you can play. Plus, the way you collect characters – the ‘gacha’ system – feels a lot more reasonable than in other games I’ve tried. Right now, the game is still new and exciting, but things are changing on May 12th when they’ll switch out the character Nanally for Hotori. It might seem small, but these character swaps are a smart way to keep things fresh and bring players like me back if we start to get a little bored. Collecting characters is the best part, so a new banner is always welcome!

With the addition of a new powerful character, May 12th represents a turning point for the game. After this date, the early, easy phase will be over, and the game’s long-term balance and strategy will start to take shape. Here are a few things to consider as we approach this date. And remember to use all your available codes before they expire!

Players of NTE, here’s what you need to know about May 12th. It’s important to prepare beforehand, and a big question is: should you try to get Nanally now, or wait to see what happens with Hotori?

The end date varies depending on the time zone. May 12 is for the United States.

The Last Call For The Launch Queen (Aka, Nanally)

The End Of Phase 1 & The Ichi Daime Limited Board

The Ichi Daime Banner is scheduled to end on May 13, 2026, @ 5:59:59 (UTC+8)
In the U.S.A., the Ichi Daime Banner should end on May 12, 2026 @ 2:59 PM PT and 5:59 PM EDT
In Europe, the Ichi Daime Banner should end on May 12, 2026 @ 11:59 PM

All players of NTE should note May 12th or 13th on their calendars (depending on where you are). This is when Nanally’s time as the game’s first main character will end, concluding the Ichi Daime banner. While it’s common for games like this to rotate characters, the first time it happens is significant, as it shows players what to expect from future updates.

Ichi Daime includes four characters:

S-Rank Nanally (Banner character)
A-Rank Mint (Free character)
A-Rank Edgar (gacha character)
A-Rank Adler (Free character)

After 3 PM on May 12th, Nanally will no longer be readily available in the game, and it could be a long time before she returns. While there’s a small chance she might be added to the ‘Strange Encounters’ banner – which already includes six powerful characters – that seems unlikely right now. Despite not being the main character or a major early-game presence, Nanally has been the face of the game’s launch. She’s been heavily featured in all the promotional materials and is currently the only character displayed on the login screen.

Should You Roll for Nanally? Or, Focus on the Stranger Encounters Board Instead?

If you’re hoping to get the Anima character, it’s a good time to start trying! The game’s pity system guarantees you’ll get Nanally within 90 pulls.

The ‘pity system’ in the game ensures players eventually get powerful characters. After 70 attempts (‘dice rolls’) to get an S-Class character, the game significantly increases your chances. And after 90 attempts, you’re guaranteed to receive one. Specifically, Nanally is guaranteed to appear because she’s the only character available on a particular game board (‘Ichi Daime’).

Getting dice in Tower of Fantasy can become tricky after you use the initial 120 free rolls and the resources you earn early on. While it’s possible to get around 470 rolls within a couple of weeks through freebies and gameplay, earning those rolls through playing can be slow. If you’re new to the game, it’s best to focus on one specific board to unlock its guaranteed reward system. So, which board is the best choice for beginners?

Strange Encounters is, arguably, more rewarding since you can unlock a bunch of A-Rank and S-Rank characters; if you are looking to amass a roster and don’t care too much about specifically unlocking Nanally, this is the board to pick.
Ichi Daime is a surer bet since you cannot pick which S-Class character you pull in Strange Encounters. While the A-Class options aren’t that exciting, acquiring duplicates of Mint and Adler lets you unlock new passive abilities, making them quite formidable. All three characters are also part of Strange Encounters. NTE doesn’t have a 50/50 system. 90 pulls you get Nanally; no rug pulls.

The Arrival of Hotori

The Launch of Phase 2 & The Misty Tipsy Style Limited Board

The Misty Tipsy Style Banner is scheduled to start on May 13, 2026, @ 10:00 (UTC+8)
In the U.S.A., the Misty Tipsy Style Banner should start on May 12 @ 7 PM PDT and 10 PM EDT
In Europe, the Misty Tipsy Style Banner should start on May 13 @ 4 AM CEST
The banner will run until June 3, 2026, @ 5:59:59 (UTC+8)

Nanally was the most straightforward choice for the first limited-time character. Not only does she look fantastic, but her attacks are visually impressive, feel good to use, and are easy to learn. Players also get a chance to try her out during the first major story mission’s boss fight, giving them a taste of what she can do if they unlock her.

Hotori stands out from the rest of the cast, including Nanally, with a completely different way of fighting. She uses time-bending abilities and builds up energy to unlock powerful skills and ultimate moves. This adds a new layer of strategy to battles, requiring players to think more carefully during combat. While most characters benefit from saving their skill for blocking specific attacks and using their ultimate whenever possible, Hotori’s abilities seem to share an energy source, meaning using her skill resets the energy buildup.

I haven’t seen it myself, but some players have encountered Hotori as a helper during battles. When she appears, it gives players a quick preview of her abilities.

Nanally Or Hotori

Who Should Players Prioritize?

Everyone’s wondering: should you focus on what’s happening now, or invest in what could happen later? Fortunately, the Prologue 2 mission lets you try out Nanally before you commit. You’ll have around 5 to 10 minutes of gameplay with her during the boss fight, giving you a good feel for how she plays. Use that time to decide if she’s right for your team. Nanally is specifically built for fast wall-running, with a special ability that makes climbing much easier than it is for other characters. In fact, she’s almost worth recruiting just to improve your team’s exploration options.

You can also play as Sakiri during this battle, and she’s really strong, so give her a try!

Hotori is a bit of a mystery right now, so whether you’ll enjoy her depends on if you like her unique ability to control time and her overall design. While it’s possible to get her without spending money on extra chances, you’ll need a lot of luck and should mostly avoid the Strange Encounters board.

Do Pity Points Carry Over From Nanally To Hotori?

Great news! Any progress you’ve made collecting resources for Nanally will automatically count towards unlocking Hotori’s banner. This means you can work on both characters simultaneously. If you’re happy with either character and have already gotten everything you need from the Strange Encounters event, you can start using your Solid Dice to try for Nanally. If you’re successful, that’s wonderful! If not, those same dice rolls will contribute to unlocking Hotori.

The First Meta Shift & The First Major Test

Coming Back For More When There Aren’t New Chapters Available

Adding a new character usually changes how players approach the game, especially if that character is strong. Hotori is designed to encourage more strategic gameplay, shifting away from the quick, repetitive button-mashing that’s common right now. This isn’t a negative comment – NTE’s combat is enjoyable – but adding variety will help keep the game fresh and interesting for longer.

Hotta Studio hasn’t indicated any new story content will be released on May 12th, making it improbable. The game already has a substantial amount of story chapters and a huge world filled with optional activities. By that date, dedicated players will probably finish the main storyline, and the game, NTE, will need to demonstrate it can keep players engaged even when there isn’t new story content. While Hotori’s arrival will help, the game will largely rely on replayable features like races, managing properties, and everyday activities to keep players occupied. Players may even prefer to focus on the City Tycoon progression when they’ve completed all the main missions, as it’s a significant time commitment.

Bored? How about causing some trouble – like hitting a pedestrian, becoming a wanted criminal, turning yourself in, and serving time? That should occupy a couple of hours.

I’m really enjoying the game so far, and with them already adding stuff like fishing and mahjong, I’m expecting even more new content to drop around the time of the first big update, or soon after. Plus, Hotta Studio seems dedicated to keeping things smooth, so I’m sure we’ll see plenty of fixes and tweaks to make the gameplay even better. It’s already pretty solid, but I’m excited to see what they do next!

2026-05-02 15:36