Neverness to Everness: Linko & Hotori Arrive September 9
By Michael Pras
Neverness to Everness (NTE) moves into Version 1.3's second phase on September 9, closing out the current banner window and opening a new one built around the S-Class Anima debut Linko, alongside a rerun for fan-favorite support Hotori. The switch also marks the end of the Zankou and Nanally banners that have been running since the version launched on August 19. Here's what changes and what's worth planning around before the swap.
What's Ending September 9
Three banners close at the version's rollover:
- Zankou's "Alluring Shadows" character banner
- Nanally's "The Ichi-Daime" rerun banner
- The Spellbound Arc Research Program, featuring the S-Class Arc Ravenous Blade
If you've been saving Riftcrystals specifically to guarantee Zankou or push for Ravenous Blade, September 9 is the hard cutoff — NTE's pity carries over between banners, but the featured character and Arc themselves won't be back on rate-up until Hotta Studio reruns them later.
Linko Debuts — "Surfing All Channels!"
Linko is the new S-Class Anima character headlining Phase 2, and she's an ETD-6 character who fights alongside the anomaly Xiaozhen. Her kit centers on Synced Strikes and follow-up attacks, positioning her as a support-leaning Anima pick rather than a pure damage carry — useful context if you're deciding whether she fits a roster already built around a different Anima main DPS.
Her Limited Board, "Surfing All Channels!," is confirmed live from September 9, 2026 (after the update) through September 30, 2026, 5:59 (UTC+8). It requires completing the Episode Quest "Prologue: A New Destination – Head to Eibon Antique Shop" to unlock, and features Linko alongside A-Class characters Haniel, Aurelia, and Skia. The board also carries a full cosmetic set: the "Super Specter" glider livery, the "Turbo Linko" livery for the "Yesteryear" bicycle, and Linko's own "Surfing Among Stars" outfit.
On the pity side, the board uses Solid or Sync Dice (rolling 1–6 tiles per move) and shares its S-Class pity counter, Points Gift progress, and Board Modification progress with every other Limited Board — so progress you've already built isn't reset by the banner switch. If Linko doesn't drop within 70 consecutive rolls, Board Modification kicks in and sharply raises her odds on the next single roll; getting her reverts the board back to Baseline. Worst case, roll 90 auto-grants her if she hasn't appeared by roll 89. As of this announcement, Linko is only obtainable through this board, with no other acquisition method planned.
Hotori Returns — "Misty Tipsy Style"
Running alongside Linko, Hotori gets her long-awaited first rerun in the "Misty Tipsy Style" limited banner, also live September 9 through September 30. Hotori remains one of NTE's strongest Cosmos Supports: her kit records allies' Redirect Skills and lets her replay them through her Ultimate, giving teams a way to extend value from skills that would otherwise be single-use. For players who missed her at launch or didn't pull enough copies to hit her key ascension levels, this is the first real chance to fix that gap.
Voice of the Voyager — "Soundscape Special" Arc Program
Linko's signature Arc, "Voice of the Voyager," gets its own dedicated pull system rather than riding on her character board. The "Soundscape Special" Arc Research Program runs the same window as the character banners — September 9 to September 30, 5:59 (UTC+8) — behind the same Episode Quest unlock requirement. It spends Tri-Keys or Soundscape Keys, uses "Limited Issue" pulls where each pull grants 10 Arcs of random rarity, and shares its pity counter across every other Limited Issue Arc program going forward. An S-Class Arc is guaranteed within 6 pulls, and Voice of the Voyager specifically is guaranteed within 8 — both pity counts are permanent. Like Linko herself, Voice of the Voyager currently has no other confirmed acquisition path.
Planning the Switch
Because Zankou and the Ravenous Blade Arc banner close the same day Linko, Hotori, and Voice of the Voyager open, there's no overlap window to hedge between them — whatever Riftcrystals, Tri-Keys, or Soundscape Keys you're holding need a decision made before the 9th, not after. If Linko's support-Anima kit doesn't fill a gap in your current roster, saving through this banner to build toward Hotori's rerun (or the version's next phase) is a reasonable call, since Hotori's utility tends to age better across content than a single-patch character debut. Worth noting too: since Voice of the Voyager is Linko's tailored Arc and currently has no other source, pulling her without it — or it without her — leaves half the kit unfinished.
For more on what else Version 1.3 brought before this banner switch, GameMarket.gg's full 1.3 stream recap covers the broader update, the Zankou build guide is worth reading before her banner closes, and the Akane Rin reveal has details on who's coming after Linko and Hotori's window ends.
If your roster isn't ready for the switch, browse verified Neverness to Everness accounts with an established Esper lineup, book Neverness to Everness hourly services to keep dailies and event clears moving before the 9th, or use Neverness to Everness boosting to close out story and endgame progress ahead of the switch.
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