Right after NTE 1.2 "999 Nights" went live, the official channels confirmed the two S-Class characters for 1.3: Zankou from Scarlet Letter and Linko from ETD-6, expected to arrive in two phases across August and September.
1.3 will wrap up the Scarlet Letter storyline, and Zankou — a longtime antagonist — is being turned into a playable character, sparking discussion in the community. This article breaks down both characters' kits, team comps, and pull planning, and weighs how reliable the current leaks actually are.
If you have already decided to gear up for Version 1.3, you can quickly stock up on crystals via GamsGo to top up NTE!
Information in this article falls into two tiers of reliability. Most reliable are official channels: both characters' identities, elements, and splash art come from official drip marketing starting July 9, and the confirmation that 1.3 wraps up the Scarlet Letter arc comes from the 1.2 livestream — all of this can be treated as settled.
Everything else — including both banner dates, Zankou and Linko's kits, weapons, and combat roles — is speculation. It isn't baseless guesswork, though; it's reasoned from NTE's 1.2 banner cadence, the Esper Cycle mechanic, and known story beats. Treat it as a reference only, not confirmation, until the developers say otherwise.
What We Know About NTE 1.3 So Far
Following the launch of 1.2 "999 Nights," the developers revealed 1.3's two new characters on X. Zankou was announced first on July 9, with Linko following shortly after; both are confirmed S-Class. Neither character's weapon type nor full kit has been officially revealed, and there's no official release date yet — the dates below are community estimates based on the standard three-week patch cadence.
On the version side, 1.3's official subtitle hasn't been announced. The 1.2 livestream did reveal that this update will close out the Scarlet Letter storyline, bringing a direct confrontation with Inanna's faction and resolving Nanally's fate after the "Dreamwalk Corridor" event, with an overall tone leaning toward summer events and seasonal cosmetics.
| Character | Element | Rarity | Faction | Story Background | Expected Release | Weapon / Kit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Zankou | Incantation | S-Class | Scarlet Letter (antagonist faction) | Chapter 4 "A Research in Scarlet" boss | ~August 19 (Phase 1) | Unconfirmed |
 Linko | Anima | S-Class | ETD-6 (Bureau of Anomaly Control) | Appears at the end of "Debt Collector," partnered with ghost anomaly Xiaozhen | ~September 9 (Phase 2) | Unconfirmed |
NTE 1.3 Release Date & Banner Schedule
NTE currently runs on a three-week banner cadence. The ongoing 1.2 Phase 2 banner for Iroi closes on August 19 (UTC+8 05:59), and new versions typically launch right as the previous one ends — so 1.3 is expected to arrive around August 19–20, with Linko's Phase 2 window following three weeks later.
| Version / Milestone | Character | Expected Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1.2 Phase 2 (live now) | Iroi | July 29 – August 19 |
| 1.3 Preview Livestream | — | ~August 8–9 (estimated) |
| 1.3 Phase 1 | Zankou | ~August 19–20 |
| 1.3 Phase 2 | Linko | ~September 9 |
NTE 1.3 Phase 1: Zankou (Incantation S-Class)
Zankou Confirmed: Element, Splash Art & Scarlet Letter Backstory
Zankou is the limited S-Class character headlining 1.3 Phase 1, running the Incantation element — making her the second Incantation Esper in the game after standard-pool character Baicang. Officials revealed her redesigned splash art on X on July 9: white hair, red eyes, and dark wafu-style attire.
Story-wise, she belongs to the antagonist faction Scarlet Letter, first appearing as the boss of Chapter 4, "A Research in Scarlet," before resurfacing at the tail end of 1.1's "Dreamwalk Corridor" alongside faction leader Inanna.
Since 1.3 is set to close out the entire Scarlet Letter storyline, Zankou plays a major role in this update — which is why she's making the jump from story boss to playable character, becoming the faction's first member to get that treatment.
Zankou's Weapon & Combat Role: Still Unknown
On weapons: it's worth flagging clearly that Zankou's weapon type hasn't been officially confirmed. Her splash art and boss-fight model both show her wielding a bladed weapon, which the community widely assumes is a katana — but until it's officially confirmed, that's still an assumption, not a fact.
As for her combat role, she's likely to be built as a main DPS. Two reasons support this: first, the game's only existing Incantation main DPS, Baicang, sits on the standard pool, and developers typically add a limited-banner DPS to round out an element that lacks one — Zankou fits that gap neatly. Second, characters who make the jump from story boss to playable unit tend to be built as strong damage dealers.
That said, a sub-DPS or support build hasn't been ruled out either, and her actual combat role will only be confirmed once official skill data drops — it's too early to call it either way. How to build a team around her comes down to NTE's elemental reaction system, which the next section covers in detail.
Team Comp Predictions: Zankou & the Esper Cycle
To figure out who to pair with Zankou, it helps to understand NTE's core combat mechanic, the Esper Cycle. All six elements sit on a fixed ring in this order: Cosmos, Anima, Incantation, Chaos, Psyche, and Lakshana, looping back to Cosmos — and only adjacent elements on that ring can trigger a reaction. Non-adjacent pairings do nothing.
Incantation's two neighbors on the ring are Anima and Chaos, which gives Zankou two possible team-building directions. The Anima side lines up with the Hexed reaction: once a target is afflicted, Anima or Incantation damage they take gets bonus follow-up damage for a window of time. If Zankou ends up as a main DPS, an Anima teammate who can reliably trigger Hexed becomes genuinely valuable.
The Chaos side lines up with Scorch, a damage-over-time burn effect. The obvious partner here is Daffodil — the game's only early Chaos character, known for shredding defense, who can sustain Scorch alongside an Incantation attacker. Interestingly, Daffodil and Zankou are also connected in the story, so teaming them up doubles as a narrative callback.
| Reaction | Partner Element | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexed | Anima | Bonus follow-up damage | Most direct payoff if Zankou is main DPS |
| Scorch | Chaos | Sustained burn damage | Daffodil is a ready-made partner, plus story synergy |
If Zankou does turn out to be a melee attacker, the team could use a shield or healing character to hold the line — free Incantation support Adler is an easy pick. Worth repeating: every team comp above is a mechanics-based guess, not confirmed fact. Actual builds will depend on what her skills turn out to be.
One more thing worth noting: Zankou's reveal caught the community off guard — she wasn't on anyone's leak roadmap. Predictions from leak sources like Seele for 1.3's new character didn't include her, yet the developers dripped her reveal right after 1.2 launched.
NTE 1.3 Phase 2: Linko (Anima S-Class)
Linko Confirmed: Element, Splash Art & ETD-6 Backstory
Linko is an Anima-element S-Class character attached to the Bureau of Anomaly Control's ETD-6, the same department as 1.2's Chaos and as-yet-unreleased captain Exe and lieutenant Elyms. She's already appeared in the Co-Ex Test trailer, so she isn't coming out of nowhere.
Her defining trait is her ghost anomaly partner, Xiaozhen — a spectral companion that lives inside a TV Linko carries on her back like a backpack, and the core hook that sets her apart from the rest of the cast. Story-wise, players already crossed paths with her briefly at the end of the "Debt Collector" chapter, setting up her eventual playable debut.
Her official splash art keeps her signature high-tech uniform, vivid purple hair, and distinctive headset, with cables and plug motifs worked into the design to match her tech-focused background. The visual style stands apart from the rest of the current cast, and the S-Class badge on the art itself confirms her rarity.
Linko's Combat Role: Support or Sub-DPS?
No skill information has been officially revealed for Linko yet, so everything here is community speculation too. Unlike Zankou, the community isn't expecting her to land as a main DPS — the Anima roster is already crowded with Nanally, Jiu Yuan, Mint, and soon Iroi covering that role.
More people expect her to land as a support or sub-DPS instead, with Xiaozhen functioning more like a utility mechanic than a raw damage tool — think buffs or reaction triggers rather than Linko herself carrying the damage. Either way, this is another call that can only be settled once her actual kit drops; it shouldn't be treated as fact yet.
Team Comp Predictions: Linko & the Esper Cycle
Anima's two neighbors on the Esper Cycle ring are Cosmos and Incantation, giving Linko two possible team directions of her own — and one of them ties directly back to Zankou, since both characters launch in the same version and could plausibly share a team if their roles line up.
The Incantation side maps to Hexed: if Linko ends up as a support and Zankou as the Incantation main DPS, pairing them would reliably trigger Hexed, giving 1.3 a ready-made, buzzworthy duo without needing to wait on characters from other versions.
| Reaction | Partner Element | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexed | Incantation | Bonus follow-up damage | Natural pairing with same-version Zankou |
| Blossom | Cosmos | Spawns a periodic attack unit | Pairs with 1.2's Shinku |
The Cosmos side maps to Blossom, which could pair her with 1.2's Cosmos main-DPS Shinku as a secondary option. All of this is still built purely on elemental adjacency, though — Linko's actual skills and role are unverified until the developers confirm them.
The "All-Waifu" 1.3 Controversy
With both Zankou and Linko confirmed as female characters, some corners of the community pushed back, arguing 1.3 is going all-in on an "all-waifu" lineup and that players were hoping to see Exe — the male ETD-6 captain teased in the Co-Ex trailer — get priority instead.
Some comments argued it feels off to fast-track a story antagonist like Zankou ahead of ETD-6 characters that were confirmed via trailer much earlier, while others joked that the devs "forgot some players want something besides waifus."
Beyond Exe, here are a few other characters the community has been watching for a while that still aren't playable:
Unconfirmed:
| Character | Image | Identity | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exe |  | ETD-6 Captain, male | Appeared in the Co-Ex trailer; the character at the center of this controversy |
| Elyms |  | ETD-6 Lieutenant | New design shown at the 1.2 livestream; community speculates flight/butterfly-themed powers |
| Nitsa |  | ETD-6 candidate member | Appeared in the Co-Ex trailer; no other details yet |
| Blackbird |  | Witch character | Long tied to the "Witch's Cottage" location; a longstanding community favorite |
| Akane (Rin) |  | — | Reportedly confirmed for release by devs during offline CN testing; highly anticipated |
| Alphard |  | — | Repeatedly shown in trailers and leaked art; details remain scarce |
Should You Pull? Zankou vs Linko Pull Planning
| Category | Zankou | Linko |
|---|---|---|
| Role | Main DPS (predicted) | Support / Sub-DPS (predicted) |
| Banner Phase | Phase 1 | Phase 2 |
| Playstyle | Sustained damage & burn stacking (predicted) | Buffs / utility support (predicted) |
| Team Role | Core damage slot | Utility slot, pairs with Zankou for Hexed |
| Resource Cost | Character + Arc pity both apply | Character + Arc pity both apply |
| Best For | Players missing an Incantation DPS or chasing the strongest unit of the patch | Players wanting an Anima utility piece, or planning to pull both for a Hexed team |
- Missing a main DPS? Prioritize Zankou — if her kit confirms as main DPS, she directly fills that gap.
- Already have a solid damage core? Linko may be the better pickup — utility characters tend to slot into existing teams more easily, for a better marginal return.
- Want a Hexed team? Pulling both is the most direct route, but it means double the character and Arc pity investment — budget accordingly.
- Limited on resources? Wait for the 1.3 preview livestream to confirm actual skills before deciding — neither character has official kit data yet, and pulling blind carries real risk.
NTE Banner History: Every Limited S-Class So Far
Before diving further into 1.3, it's worth looking back at every limited S-Class character released so far — it makes NTE's release cadence and elemental spread easier to see at a glance, and gives useful context for reading Zankou and Linko's likely roles.
| Version | New Limited S-Class Characters |
|---|---|
| NTE banner 1.0 | Nanally (Anima, the game's first limited S-Class), Hotori (Cosmos) |
| NTE banner 1.1 | Lacrimosa (Chaos), Chaos (Chaos) |
| NTE banner 1.2 "999 Nights" | Shinku (Cosmos), Iroi (Anima) |
Final Verdict
To summarize the latest leaks, Zankou and Linko will headline the Phase 1 and Phase 2 banners of Version 1.3, respectively. Zankou leans toward being a burst-heavy Main DPS, whereas Linko shows promise as a crucial support character that enhances existing team setups.
If your account lacks a reliable Incantation Main DPS, Zankou should generally be your top priority. If you already boast a fully-built damage-dealing roster, then Linko's potential value as a support — and her natural Hexed synergy with Zankou — is definitely worth watching.
Enhance Your Neverness to Everness Experience with GamsGo
With Zankou and Linko slated to release back-to-back in Version 1.3, many players have already begun budgeting their gacha resources in advance. For those aiming to pull both characters, relying solely on daily missions and event rewards might prove a bit stressful.
GamsGo is a dedicated platform for digital services and game top-ups, currently serving millions of users worldwide. The platform supports secure payments, order tracking, and 24/7 customer service, making the top-up process swift and seamless. It is a highly convenient and cost-effective choice for players looking to restock their resources.
If you want to stockpile more crystals before the new banners drop, you can opt to use GamsGo to top up NTE crystals and rapidly replenish your stash. GamsGo offers direct top-ups via UID, multiple crystal tier packages, and fast delivery, making it easier than ever for players to prepare for the Zankou and Linko banners.
Ready for Zankou & Linko?
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FAQ
When does NTE 1.3 release?
There's no official date yet. Based on the standard three-week banner cadence, 1.3 is expected to begin around August 19–20, right after the current Iroi banner ends.
Should I pull for Zankou or Linko?
It depends on your roster. Zankou is expected to be a main DPS, so she's the priority if you're missing a strong Incantation attacker. Linko is expected to lean support, making her a better pickup if your damage core is already solid — or if you want to pair both for a Hexed team.
Are these leaks officially confirmed?
Only partially. Both characters' identities, elements, and splash art come from official drip marketing, so that part is solid. Their kits, weapons, and exact release dates are still community predictions and haven't been confirmed by the developers.
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