Goddess of Victory Nikke

Who Made Goddess of Victory NIKKE? The Studio Behind the Game

Goddess of Victory Nikke Artwork 5

Goddess of Victory: NIKKE has become one of the standout titles in the mobile gacha and shooter genres. Fans often wonder: who is the creative force behind this hit game? In this article, we’ll dive into the developer, their history, and how they brought NIKKE to life.

The Developer: Shift Up

The studio responsible for Goddess of Victory: NIKKE is Shift Up, a South Korean game development company. Shift Up was founded in December 2013 by artist and game creator Kim Hyung-tae after he departed from previous work in the gaming industry. Over time, Shift Up developed a reputation for combining strong visual style with ambitious game mechanics.

Shift Up is best known for NIKKE and its other flagship title Stellar Blade, highlighting the studio’s focus on visually striking, narrative‑driven games.

Collaboration and Publishing: Level Infinite & Tencent

While Shift Up handled development, Level Infinite (a publishing label under Tencent) took on the role of global publishing. This collaboration allowed NIKKE to benefit from Tencent’s distribution capabilities and global reach.

In fact, part of Shift Up is now backed by Tencent, which acquired a significant stake in the studio. This backing has helped Shift Up scale operations and broaden their ambitions for future titles.

Development Journey and Design Choices

Development for NIKKE started in as early as 2017 or 2018. In early stages, the game was conceptualized as a first‑person shooter, but the team later changed direction to a third‑person view so that character models could be seen during combat.

One of the standout design choices was using full‑size character models with Live2D rather than miniature or chibi forms, leaning into a more dynamic and expressive visual presentation.

In public comments, Shift Up’s CEO Kim Hyung-tae and game director Yoo Hyungseok have stated that their development priorities included character design, creating emotional connections with players, strong visuals, and engaging shooting gameplay. Continuous content updates and a global‑audience mindset are also core parts of their strategy.

Success, Revenue & Impact

Since release, Goddess of Victory: NIKKE has been a major financial success. In its first month, it reportedly earned over US$70 million in revenue. Over time, it has surpassed US$1 billion in revenue on mobile platforms alone.

That success has translated into broader growth for Shift Up. In 2024, Shift Up’s revenue reached ₩219.9 billion (about USD $151 million), with NIKKE still contributing a significant share. The game’s success also helped propel Shift Up to a multi‑billion dollar valuation after going public.

Why Shift Up Was the Right Studio for NIKKE

  • Artistic Vision: Kim Hyung-tae’s background in illustration and style gives NIKKE its distinctive visual identity.
  • Ambition & Scale: Shift Up has shown it can grow from mobile hits to console/flagship titles (e.g. Stellar Blade).
  • Global Reach: The partnership with Tencent and Level Infinite ensures worldwide exposure and support.
  • Live Service Commitment: As a gacha and narrative game, NIKKE relies on new content, updates, and community engagement, something Shift Up has leaned into.
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Jake Skudder

Jake is an SEO-minded Football, Combat Sports, Gaming and Pro Wrestling writer and successful Editor in Chief. Most importantly, he is a Gacha players who specialises in Genshin Impact. On top of that, Jake has more than ten years of experience covering mixed martial arts, pro wrestling, football and gaming across a number of publications, starting at SEScoops in 2012 under the name Jake Jeremy. His work has also been featured on Sportskeeda, Pro Sports Extra, Wrestling Headlines, NoobFeed, Wrestlingnewsco and Keen Gamer, again under the name Jake Jeremy. Previously, he worked as the Editor in Chief of 24Wrestling, building the site profile with a view to selling the domain, which was accomplished in 2019. Jake was previously the Editor in Chief for Fight Fans, a combat sports and pro wrestling site that was launched in January 2021 and broke into millions of pageviews within the first two years. He previously worked for Snack Media and their GiveMeSport site, creating Evergreen and Trending content that would deliver pageviews via Google as the UFC and MMA SEO Lead. Jake managed to take an area of GiveMeSport that had zero traction on Organic and push it to audiences across the globe. Jake also has a record of long-term video and written interview content with the likes of the Professional Fighters League, ONE and Cage Warriors, working directly with the brands to promote bouts, fighters and special events. Jake also previously worked for the biggest independent wrestling company in the UK, PROGRESS Wrestling, as PR Head and Head of Media across the social channels of the company.

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