Infinity Nikki: The Rise, Fall and Potential Future of the Game

Nov 3

Written By Jae

Written by Vi-Anh Nguyen | November 3, 2025

Infinity is a game like no other. I first saw a trailer for it almost two years ago for the PS5. Then, a year later, it officially launched in December 2024. It came in as a big player among cozy games, with its main competition in the cozy open-world category being Palia. Yet, even then, the two games couldn’t be more different. Infinity Nikki leans far more into the traditionally “girly” aesthetic popular in the early 2000s, which helped it gain attention and hype very quickly.

Infinity Nikki entered as a new iteration of the Nikki franchise that felt completely fresh. A dress-up game combined with open-world exploration was an extremely novel concept. This was evident in the attention the initial PlayStation debut trailer received. Premiering two years ago, it garnered 1.2 million views and 39,000 likes. I remember the buzz that filled online spaces when the game first released on console. The company received so much goodwill that it lasted for months.

However, cracks began to show once the game was announced for release on Steam. Infold, the company behind Infinity Nikki, promised many rewards ahead of the Steam launch. On March 12, 2025, Infold posted that players would receive 11 Resonite Crystals—enough for at least 10 pulls on the game’s permanent banner. However, on April 10, fans noticed that the game’s Steam page had been quietly changed to list only two crystals (Koepp, 2025b). There was no announcement from the company about this reduction, and many players felt deceived.

Things worsened when, not long after the Steam release, promotional materials for the infamous Version 1.5 update revealed that the new five-star outfits would contain 11 pieces instead of the standard 10. This meant players would need to make 220 pulls to guarantee a complete outfit, compared to the usual 200 (Koepp, 2025c). In real-world terms, that meant spending roughly $20 more just to obtain a full set.

Since Version 1.5, the game has lost much of its luster. The update not only introduced numerous bugs but also altered the game’s core narrative structure. This was most evident in the sudden removal of the original introductory chapter. According to rumors, “Infold Games outright replaced the gacha RPG’s original opening with the new ‘Sea of Stars’ co-op level” (Koepp, 2025d). Whether this is true remains uncertain, but the confusion was significant enough that the Infinity Nikki Development Team released a statement attempting to clarify the situation.

They claimed, “The Threads of Reunion storyline’s absence in this version was never intended as a removal from Infinity Nikki’s narrative—its associated outfit remains on our development roadmap. Due to technical hurdles in Version 1.5, we were unable to properly refine the introduction of the Sea of Stars chapter and the narrative setup for Threads of Reunion, which regrettably led to confusion. These elements are planned for future updates” (Infinity Nikki Development Team, 2025).

While this statement framed the change as a temporary, technical issue, many in the community perceived it as a hollow excuse. Months later, the damage was done. A foundational part of the game’s story was now inaccessible, breaking narrative continuity for new players and making veteran players feel that their early experiences had been devalued. This sense of betrayal deepened when players realized that the company had made other unannounced changes as well.

One such example was the dyeing system. Earlier versions, including the Bullquet event from Version 1.3, implied that dye creation would rely on materials gathered from across the open world (IGN, n.d.). Instead, the system was reworked to depend largely on premium currency—pushing the game even further toward a monetization-first model.

To make matters worse, the controversy reached a boiling point when the game’s official social media accounts began banning even the word “boycott” (Koepp, 2025a). Players adapted by using the term “girlcott” to continue discussing their frustrations without fear of moderation. This heavy-handed censorship shattered the illusion of a respectful developer–player relationship and demonstrated a profound disregard for fan feedback.

This shift in company philosophy soon began to reflect in the game’s writing and character portrayal. In the current narrative, Nikki feels less like a girl discovering a new world and more like an omnipotent figure moving pieces on a game board. She no longer develops meaningful relationships with NPCs (Mirta, 2025). This shift, some argue, aligns more closely with preferences in the Chinese player base, where Nikki is seen as a “daughter” character who can do anything (Mirta, 2025).

In contrast, Western players often prefer a protagonist they can empathize with—someone flawed, grounded, and capable of growth. This cultural divide mirrors the earlier tensions from the Steam controversy. While the reduction in rewards was universally criticized, the characterization of Nikki highlighted deeper differences in fan expectations across regions.

For many Western fans, this favoritism feels disheartening. It suggests that their voices matter less. Many of us can’t help but wonder: What was all the time and energy we invested in this game for? It’s a bitter realization that Infinity Nikki, a title that once promised inclusivity and imagination, now seems to favor one side of its player base over another.

Sadly, this isn’t unique to Infinity Nikki. I’ve seen the same pattern emerge in other live-service gacha titles like Genshin Impact and Tower of Fantasy. Once a game achieves commercial success, corporate greed often overshadows artistic vision. Infinity Nikki appears to be following this same path—sacrificing its creativity and player goodwill for profit.

At the end of the day, a good game, to me, is defined by its story and emotional resonance. The recent patches have shown slight improvement, but since Version 1.5, much of the passion and excitement I once felt has faded. What remains is a cautious, weary optimism.

Infinity Nikki still holds immense potential. Games designed primarily for women and girls have long been sidelined, despite their passionate audiences. I hope Infold continues to rebuild trust and recognizes the value of this player base. With the release of Version 1.11, things are beginning to look brighter—but the question remains: is it enough?

As someone who still plays occasionally, I can’t help but wonder whether the game will eventually reach “End of Service,” when servers shut down and players lose access entirely. Too often, games marketed toward women fail to receive the long-term support they deserve. I hope Infinity Nikki proves to be the exception. More importantly, I hope it serves as a lesson to the industry: there is a thriving market for games with primarily female audiences.

We, as women, should not be underestimated. We’re often infantilized in gaming circles, but there are far more of us than most companies realize—and we deserve quality games too.