UNiVERSE

maimai DX UNiVERSE, released on September 16, 2021, is the third entry in the maimai でらっくす series, launching with a space-themed visual identity centered around a "Space Station" aesthetic and the kanji 宙. Its key new area, the permanent Space Station Area, introduced the Perfect Challenge mechanic requiring players to clear consecutive songs at high accuracy to unlock exclusive rewards. The Friend Matching mode received its first seasonal overhaul, incorporating season points and seasonal rankings with milestone and leaderboard rewards.

Quality-of-life improvements included the removal of the post-result "NEXT TRACK" screen to reduce downtime between songs, and a class system revision that lowered the starting rank for most players as classes were rebalanced for the new version. Stamp Cards were significantly expanded: they can now award DX Charts, icons, frames, and nameplates as rewards, and players gained the ability to switch stamp cards before completing them. Two new partner characters were introduced as stamp card unlocks alongside the universe theme. The version also continued cross-game integration with CHUNITHM and オンゲキ cabinets, allowing songs to be unlocked across arcades through linked play events. A new "induction song" mechanic was added, where certain tracks could be unlocked by reaching the LEGEND class or by playing alongside a LEGEND-class player.