Installing NIKKE under Linux

nikke-linux.md

Running NIKKE on Linux

Linux guide for GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE into launcher-specific paths.

Paths

Path	Description	Guide
Bottles	Recommended launcher setup	Guide
Faugus	Launcher setup	Guide
Heroic	Launcher setup	Guide
Steam	Non-Steam game setup	Guide
Lutris	Script-based install	Guide
DW Launcher	Dawn Winery launcher	Guide
Windows + Steam	Last resort if Linux-side install paths fail	Guide

Runner Options

DW Proton and miniloader are the runner options covered here. Both can do the same job, but DW Proton is recommended. If you cannot get the game running with DW Proton, try miniloader.

Shared Requirements

• A Linux distribution
• The NIKKE Windows installer from the official website

Each path has additional launcher and runner requirements in its guide.

Troubleshooting

Shared caveats and known issues are kept at the repository root: known issues.

The fresh bottle install with the normal guide instructions + the nvidia environment variable worked for me on Bazzite using DW Proton 11.0-1 as the runner

I'm with the same devices as yours (Bazzite + DW proton 11 + Nvidia GPU (4070))
The only difference is that i'm using LUTRIS...
Does your Nvidia Bazzite Image is the OPEN or the Stable one ?
The videos into nikke (as laplace one in the heros chapter) play well for you ???

The fresh bottle install with the normal guide instructions + the nvidia environment variable worked for me on Bazzite using DW Proton 11.0-1 as the runner

I'm with the same devices as yours (Bazzite + DW proton 11 + Nvidia GPU (4070)) The only difference is that i'm using LUTRIS... Does your Nvidia Bazzite Image is the OPEN or the Stable one ? The videos into nikke (as laplace one in the heros chapter) play well for you ???

@ImRobot777 I'm using the stable one.
I tested it on the recollection room for chapter 1, the one for Laplace and Red Ash as well. I should also mention I installed the optional dependencies mentioned in the guide in my bottles instance as well (mfc42, vcredist2012 and vcredist2022 and for the font I picked allfonts).

Here's the version I see I'm running when I do rpm-ostree status:

State: idle
Deployments:
● ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia-open:stable
Digest: sha256:d8743773b84627d376ae168cc9807e8f27849ad345d075dd1201617f833de5df
Version: 44.20260515 (2026-05-15T07:01:51Z)
LayeredPackages: git-lfs

Maybe the issue is somehow related to the nvidia environment variable? I haven't used LUTRIS yet so I don't know if there is some specific way you need to do it

The fresh bottle install with the normal guide instructions + the nvidia environment variable worked for me on Bazzite using DW Proton 11.0-1 as the runner

I'm with the same devices as yours (Bazzite + DW proton 11 + Nvidia GPU (4070)) The only difference is that i'm using LUTRIS... Does your Nvidia Bazzite Image is the OPEN or the Stable one ? The videos into nikke (as laplace one in the heros chapter) play well for you ???

@ImRobot777 I'm using the stable one. I tested it on the recollection room for chapter 1, the one for Laplace and Red Ash as well. I should also mention I installed the optional dependencies mentioned in the guide in my bottles instance as well (mfc42, vcredist2012 and vcredist2022 and for the font I picked allfonts).

Here's the version I see I'm running when I do rpm-ostree status:

State: idle
Deployments:
● ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia-open:stable
Digest: sha256:d8743773b84627d376ae168cc9807e8f27849ad345d075dd1201617f833de5df
Version: 44.20260515 (2026-05-15T07:01:51Z)
LayeredPackages: git-lfs

Maybe the issue is somehow related to the nvidia environment variable? I haven't used LUTRIS yet so I don't know if there is some specific way you need to do it

Thank you very much for the details !

Moreover i'm on the stable image :
State: idle
Deployments:
● ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia:stable
Digest: sha256:bf99b0d893795baca379579756872cf4d04d7df003c68ddc48f6dc20da94a3f5
Version: 44.20260515 (2026-05-15T07:00:40Z)
InitramfsEtc: /etc/modprobe.d/fix-nvidia-peermem.conf

But you must know that you're on the OPEN image, as soon as you see OPEN (via rpm-ostree status) that means that you're on the OPEN image ;-) (i mean even if you see "stable" of the end of the line)

I think i'm gonna switch on the Open image too, just to test the vids in nikke !

EDIT : I've switched to the open image and the non playing vids issue is still here, the issue is not related to Nvidia's driver, for sure !

@ShikiMashiro, it should work just fine as it's just Linux, but I can't confirm as I don't have one myself

It did work; however, I ran into a problem. The problem is that if I open the game again, it's telling me to install even though I already did.

@ShikiMashiro are you using DWProton or miniloader?

DWProton and I used the Steam (Non-Steam game setup) method.

But you must know that you're on the OPEN image, as soon as you see OPEN (via rpm-ostree status) that means that you're on the OPEN image ;-) (i mean even if you see "stable" of the end of the line)

Oh I didn't see that it had "open" before the stable in the output there, my bad

@ShikiMashiro can you check if you have this folder in the prefix? [link]

Yeah that sounds like that issue. I also tested it on my Steam Deck with non-steam game route and it works, I guess that launcher issue is something that happens sometimes when updating/installing the launcher?

Maybe right now, I just factory reset my Steam Deck so I can start all over, but I need some help with the guide. I'm mostly a visual learner.

The fresh bottle install with the normal guide instructions + the nvidia environment variable worked for me on Bazzite using DW Proton 11.0-1 as the runner

I'm with the same devices as yours (Bazzite + DW proton 11 + Nvidia GPU (4070)) The only difference is that i'm using LUTRIS... Does your Nvidia Bazzite Image is the OPEN or the Stable one ? The videos into nikke (as laplace one in the heros chapter) play well for you ???

@ImRobot777 I'm using the stable one. I tested it on the recollection room for chapter 1, the one for Laplace and Red Ash as well. I should also mention I installed the optional dependencies mentioned in the guide in my bottles instance as well (mfc42, vcredist2012 and vcredist2022 and for the font I picked allfonts).
Here's the version I see I'm running when I do rpm-ostree status:

State: idle
Deployments:
● ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia-open:stable
Digest: sha256:d8743773b84627d376ae168cc9807e8f27849ad345d075dd1201617f833de5df
Version: 44.20260515 (2026-05-15T07:01:51Z)
LayeredPackages: git-lfs

Maybe the issue is somehow related to the nvidia environment variable? I haven't used LUTRIS yet so I don't know if there is some specific way you need to do it

Thank you very much for the details !

Moreover i'm on the stable image : State: idle Deployments: ● ostree-image-signed:docker://ghcr.io/ublue-os/bazzite-nvidia:stable Digest: sha256:bf99b0d893795baca379579756872cf4d04d7df003c68ddc48f6dc20da94a3f5 Version: 44.20260515 (2026-05-15T07:00:40Z) InitramfsEtc: /etc/modprobe.d/fix-nvidia-peermem.conf

But you must know that you're on the OPEN image, as soon as you see OPEN (via rpm-ostree status) that means that you're on the OPEN image ;-) (i mean even if you see "stable" of the end of the line)

I think i'm gonna switch on the Open image too, just to test the vids in nikke !

EDIT : I've switched to the open image and the non playing vids issue is still here, the issue is not related to Nvidia's driver, for sure !

EDIT2 : With Bottles instead of Lutris, the video issue is no more here !!! VICTORY !!!

Niceee

@ShikiMashiro you want a video for the Steam version, I can help you with that later

Yes, please and thank you.

@ShikiMashiro I had to compress the video in order to get a preview: [link]. Just follow this along with the guide and you should be good

Thank you so much @d-kja, it's helped me a lot!!!

You can try using GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_RANK=nvh264dec:0,nvdec:0,nvh265dec:0

I'm trying to fix the video playback issue when playing the campaign. On Lutris, would I put this under Environment variables like this?

If so, it unfortunately doesn't work for me. So I want to try downloading mf, mfplat, windowscodecs, quartz, and devenum per the suggestions made here. Would that be under winetricks? Or is there a better/proper way to doing it?

EDIT2 : With Bottles instead of Lutris, the video issue is no more here !!! VICTORY !!!

@HawaiianPizza You can use Winetricks or manually add the components. I don’t use Lutris, so if that doesn’t work, try another launcher to see whether the issue is with Lutris or just specific to robot’s setup

Hi I am facing some issues with nikke on bottles, after TT Star it just continues to show system error and I can't get into the game on a specific network, but works on another network connection.
How can I fix this?

Hi I am facing some issues with nikke on bottles, after TT Star it just continues to show system error and I can't get into the game on a specific network, but works on another network connection. How can I fix this?

Hi, if this is IPV6 network it won't work

Hello. After the new update, I had to download some files through the launcher. Once I've done it, I've cut and pasted all the files from the update_files folder to the parent folder and launched the game. It opened, but almost immediately I am told to download another patch through the launcher. The problem is that when I quit the game and go back to the launcher, I am not given an option to download anything. I can only open the game again only to be greeted by the same message I got earlier.

How do I go about this?

Hello. After the new update, I had to download some files through the launcher. Once I've done it, I've cut and pasted all the files from the update_files folder to the parent folder and launched the game. It opened, but almost immediately I am told to download another patch through the launcher. The problem is that when I quit the game and go back to the launcher, I am not given an option to download anything. I can only open the game again only to be greeted by the same message I got earlier.

How do I go about this?

Got the same issue.
But after having again the small windows that is updating, i've noticed that the icon nikke game is displaying in the taskbar (at the right side) and i've double cliked on it and the launcher window appeared, the i've just clik on the "launch" button of this windows and the game has started !
PS : Do not close the small windows before launching the game !

EDIT : The exact steps to follow :
1/ Click on the game icon as usual
2/ When the small window appears, do not click yet on "confirm" button
3/ Instead, double click on the nikke game icon (at the right of the task bar) the launcher windows should appear.
4/ Then if you can click on the launch button clik on it, if not, click on the small window "confirm" button then quicly clich on "launch" button of the launcher windows before the small windows finish to update and your game should start !

Hey, I tried to follow the instructions to update Nikke; however, anything wrong, so I tried to reinstall it again, but something went wrong.

Hello. After the new update, I had to download some files through the launcher. Once I've done it, I've cut and pasted all the files from the update_files folder to the parent folder and launched the game. It opened, but almost immediately I am told to download another patch through the launcher. The problem is that when I quit the game and go back to the launcher, I am not given an option to download anything. I can only open the game again only to be greeted by the same message I got earlier.
How do I go about this?

Got the same issue. But after having again the small windows that is updating, i've noticed that the icon nikke game is displaying in the taskbar (at the right side) and i've double cliked on it and the launcher window appeared, the i've just clik on the "launch" button of this windows and the game has started ! PS : Do not close the small windows before launching the game !

EDIT : The exact steps to follow : 1/ Click on the game icon as usual 2/ When the small window appears, do not click yet on "confirm" button 3/ Instead, double click on the nikke game icon (at the right of the task bar) the launcher windows should appear. 4/ Then if you can click on the launch button clik on it, if not, click on the small window "confirm" button then quicly clich on "launch" button of the launcher windows before the small windows finish to update and your game should start !

I am not quite sure which game icon you mean - maybe you have a different method of launching the game. I use the Steam method, so I launch it through the Steam Library.

What also confuses me is the small window appearing - do you mean the launcher? Or the small white window that prompts the user to update? If so, I've already had that appear earlier and ever since I updated it hasn't appeared.

Can't really reproduce these steps as they are right now, could you please give a more detailed explanation?

Hello. After the new update, I had to download some files through the launcher. Once I've done it, I've cut and pasted all the files from the update_files folder to the parent folder and launched the game. It opened, but almost immediately I am told to download another patch through the launcher. The problem is that when I quit the game and go back to the launcher, I am not given an option to download anything. I can only open the game again only to be greeted by the same message I got earlier.
How do I go about this?

Got the same issue. But after having again the small windows that is updating, i've noticed that the icon nikke game is displaying in the taskbar (at the right side) and i've double cliked on it and the launcher window appeared, the i've just clik on the "launch" button of this windows and the game has started ! PS : Do not close the small windows before launching the game !
EDIT : The exact steps to follow : 1/ Click on the game icon as usual 2/ When the small window appears, do not click yet on "confirm" button 3/ Instead, double click on the nikke game icon (at the right of the task bar) the launcher windows should appear. 4/ Then if you can click on the launch button clik on it, if not, click on the small window "confirm" button then quicly clich on "launch" button of the launcher windows before the small windows finish to update and your game should start !

I am not quite sure which game icon you mean - maybe you have a different method of launching the game. I use the Steam method, so I launch it through the Steam Library.

What also confuses me is the small window appearing - do you mean the launcher? Or the small white window that prompts the user to update? If so, I've already had that appear earlier and ever since I updated it hasn't appeared.

Can't really reproduce these steps as they are right now, could you please give a more detailed explanation?

i'm ussing the bottles way !

But whatever, it's rather hard to reproduce the steps even for me, i'm gonn re-install the game.... again...

I'm actually impressed I haven't run into any of these issues 😅. I've been using the exact same setup since the first month of this guide, and I've never had to reinstall or do anything weird (besides the update_files) to keep it working

@ShikiMashiro - I’ll need a bit more info to help. Moving the files from the update_files folder should work, but if you’re running into a specific issue, I can only make assumptions without more details

@miku-baka - I think he's referring to the taskbar icon. On Linux, it creates a separate rounded white window with the game icon, usually in the top‑left corner of the screen:

@ShikiMashiro - I’ll need a bit more info to help. Moving the files from the update_files folder should work, but if you’re running into a specific issue, I can only make assumptions without more details

@miku-baka - I think he's referring to the taskbar icon. On Linux, it creates a separate rounded white window with the game icon, usually in the top‑left corner of the screen:

Moving the files from the update_files does not work for me, the small window (that detects an update to do) always appears and this is not possible to pass to the step where the real launcher windows should appear (unless we are used to click on several windows with random race conditions : referring to the steps i've tried to explain earlier)
That's why i always have to re-install the game at each update...

Whatever, during my several installations i've notice the real reason of the inside game video no playing and the solution is what you mentionned on the possible issue page ie : GST_PLUGIN_FEATURE_RANK=nvh264dec:0,nvdec:0,nvh265dec:0 !!! There is nothing else to add on our launcher to make the vids play !!! This is at least a very good point.

Now, we have to find why Moving the files from the update_files does not work for everyone at 100% !!!
You're saying that the game as always work for you : may you tell us your exact setup ?
I mean :
Linux
CPU / GPU
Launcher your using
DW proton version.

Thanks a lot in advance !

@ImRobot777 It's understandable... the only issue is that they don't provide logs so that we can connect the dots, and I'm also using the same setup for quite a while, so it might be version related

* vkd3d-proton-3.0

* dxvk-2.7.1-12-9963ecd

* wine-cachyos (miniloader)

Same deps, no envs, and no extra configuration

• Linux: Plain arch - latest
• CPU: i7 9gen
• GPU: RX 7800 XT
• Launcher: Bottles
• I never switched to DW Proton, there was no reason to... Everything was already working fine. Like I said, I never upgraded lol

I just used DW Proton to record the steam video, but only on my notebook