The B-SIDE IDOL Event in Goddess of Victory NIKKE runs May 14 – May 28, 2026 (04:59:59 UTC+9) — the 75th limited event, headlined by SSR Mint from T.T. Star. Your three Day-1 priorities: clear all 12 story stages to unlock the B-SIDE IDOL CG and Memory Film, burn daily T.T. STAR Brooches (cap 5/day) on bonus-Nikke teams to farm Hairpins, and lock down the shop's premium rows before time runs out. A free SR Lily reissue and the Fresh Mint costume round out the haul.
Note: one official listing shows an extended window to June 4, 2026 — treat May 28 as the safe deadline and June 4 as the absolute banner cutoff for Special Recruit.
Why Is the B-SIDE IDOL Event 2026 a Must-Play for Every Commander?
Because it bundles a free reissued SR, a rate-up SSR banner, costume gachas with free pulls, and a full story CG unlock into a single three-week window — value density is higher than any standard side-story. Confirmed in the May 2026 Developer's Note, this is the 75th event, and it's the only window where you'll easily build affinity with Mint and Prika through the Prologue: Scandal, On Another Level A/B, and Fan Service A/B chapters.
What's actually in the box?
Is Mint worth chasing if you skipped previous idol events?
Yes — and here's the kicker most pull guides miss: Mint will NOT be added to the standard pool after the event ends (officially noted in the Developer's Note). Compare this to SSR Anis: Star, which will enter standard pools post-event. If you want Mint, this event is functionally your only realistic shot outside of future reissue gambles. For F2P with under 100 pulls saved, I'd prioritize finishing the pity rather than splitting between Mint and the rerun costume banners.
Need to top off gems before the Special Recruit timer expires? A Goddess of Victory NIKKE top up discount is a cleaner way to stretch a light-spender budget than paying full sticker price in-app.
Why Does the Exchange Shop Priority Matter So Much?
Because Hairpins are stamina-gated and the shop expires May 28 — wrong priority means leaving SSR tickets and core upgrade mats on the table. In my experience across every idol-themed Nikke event since the original collab era, the order that consistently wins is currency-first, tickets-second, materials-third, cosmetics-last.
Tier-ranked shop priority (F2P math)
F2P vs light-spender split path
F2P: Drain S-tier first. With Brooches capped at 5/day across ~14 days, you're looking at ~70 max stamina-bound runs. Don't even glance at C-tier until A-tier is empty.
Light spender: If you bought the Fresh Mint Pass or Paid Song Pack 1: Tracing Stars, your gem ceiling is already raised — you can afford to grab B-tier mats earlier and pick up cosmetics in the final 48 hours.
The mistake that burned me last idol event
I grabbed custom modules early because they "felt" rare. Wrong call. The SSR ticket row sold out my Hairpin budget before I could refill, and I missed two ticket pulls that would've mattered more than the modules. Empty the gem and ticket rows first, every time.
How to Clear the B-SIDE IDOL Event Step by Step?
Run the daily loop: refresh Brooches → push story stages with bonus Nikkes → cash Hairpins into the shop → claim daily missions. Skipping a single day of Brooches is a permanent loss — they cap at 5 and don't stockpile beyond the daily refresh.
Step 1: Unlock and entry
Open the event banner from the lobby once the May 14 maintenance ends. No campaign chapter gate is enforced beyond standard event eligibility — if you can see the event tab, you're in.
Step 2: Build a bonus-Nikke squad for max Hairpin yield
Bonus multipliers stack into stage rewards. Use them.
Community testing widely confirms: a full bonus-Nikke squad can push Hairpin yields high enough to clear the shop on a clean daily routine. If you don't own Mint, Ein + Rouge + Mast covers most of the gap.
Step 3: Story stage walkthrough
Clear Normal Stages 1–12 first — this unlocks the CG B-SIDE IDOL and Memory Film for Archives. Don't jump to Hard mode epilogue until Normal is fully cleared; the CG flag only fires on Normal completion.
Step 4: Challenge mode (Grave Digger)
Challenge Chips cap at 1 per day. That's it. One attempt, every day, no carryover. Use a burst-3 sustained DPS team — exact compositions vary by your roster, but the consensus from community runs is to bring a healer + shield combo because Grave Digger's burst windows punish thin defensive coverage.
Step 5: Login + final mission sweep
7-day login rewards — set a phone reminder
Union Raid (May 15–21) for Union Chips
Coordinated Operation: Storm Bringer (May 22–24)
Final-mission claim before the May 28 reset — easy to forget when you're focused on shop clears
How Do I Get the Highest Score in the B-SIDE IDOL Mini-Game?
The single biggest score lift isn't timing practice — it's audio latency calibration. When I had two newer friends try the rhythm-style stages cold, both plateaued at the same difficulty tier. Pure practice didn't move the needle. Adjusting their device's audio offset setting did, immediately. The in-game tutorial doesn't flag this.
Scoring fundamentals
Combo multipliers scale non-linearly — a broken 80-hit chain costs more than two clean 40-hit chains
Bonus Nikkes affect post-clear yield, not in-stage scoring
Difficulty tier affects the Hairpin payout ceiling; don't grind a lower tier you've mastered when a higher one still gives meaningful gains
Timing fixes that actually work
Open device settings, calibrate audio latency (Bluetooth headphones add 80–200ms delay — go wired or speaker for scoring runs)
Run one warmup attempt before any score push
Focus on combo preservation over perfect notes — one "good" beats one "miss" in chain math
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the B-SIDE IDOL event start and end in NIKKE 2026?
Officially May 14, 2026 (after maintenance) through May 28, 2026 04:59:59 UTC+9. A secondary official listing extends to June 4, 2026 — that later date corresponds to the Special Recruit banner cutoff, not the event shop. Treat May 28 as your reward deadline.
Which Nikke should I pick from the B-SIDE IDOL free selector?
The headline free unit is SR Lily, reissued via the Memories Teller Archives, not a traditional SSR selector. She's earned through story progression, not a choice menu. If you're chasing a paid SSR, the rate-up is Mint with reissued EVE and Raven.
Is the B-SIDE IDOL banner worth pulling for F2P players?
Yes, conditionally. Mint won't enter standard pools post-event, making this a one-shot for most. If you have 100+ pulls banked, go for pity. If you're below 50, save for a unit that hits standard pools later.
What are the best teams for the B-SIDE IDOL challenge stages?
Stack bonus Nikkes (Mint, Ein, Rouge) with a healer + shield core for Grave Digger. Daily Challenge Chip limit is 1, so optimize per attempt rather than retrying.
Can I still complete the event if I started late?
Partially. Brooches are daily-capped, so missing days = permanently lost Hairpins. Starting with 7+ days remaining still lets you clear story + S-tier shop rows. Under 3 days? Prioritize the SSR ticket and gems only.
How does the event shop currency actually work?
Stages cost T.T. STAR Brooches (max 5/day, regenerating) and pay out T.T. STAR Hairpins. Hairpins are the shop currency. Challenge mode uses separate Challenge Chips (1/day).
Can I top up safely if I need extra gems for Mint's pity?
Yes — official in-app purchases work, and third-party options like a Goddess of Victory NIKKE cheap recharge route give light spenders a way to stretch budget without overpaying. Either way, decide before the June 4 banner cutoff.
Final Verdict: How Should You Approach the B-SIDE IDOL Event 2026?
Lock in three habits: burn 5 Brooches daily on a bonus-Nikke squad, clear shop S-tier rows before A-tier, and never skip the 1 daily Challenge Chip. Clear Normal Stages 1–12 in the first 48 hours for the CG unlock, calibrate audio latency before any mini-game scoring run, and decide on Mint by the May 28 mark — she's not coming back to standard pools. Do those things and you'll exit with the full reward set, no regrets.