Supplement dated August 25, 2026
to the following initial summary prospectus(es):
Nationwide Defender Annuity dated May 1, 2026 
This supplement updates certain information contained in your initial summary prospectus. Please read and
retain this supplement for future reference.
Effective November 6, 2026, Nationwide is making the following updates:
I.
The Return of Premium Death Benefit Option is no longer available for election as of November 6, 2026.
II.
For applications signed on or after November 6, 2026, there is no fee associated with the Return of Premium Death Benefit, and it is now the standard Death Benefit for applicants whose ages are 75 or younger at the time of application. For applicants whose ages are 76 or older at the time of application, the standard Death Benefit is the Contract Value.
III.
The following new Index Strategies are offered as investment options under the Contract:
•
MSCI EAFE Index 1 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
MSCI EAFE Index 3 Year with Cap Rate & 10% Buffer
•
MSCI EAFE Index 3 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
MSCI EAFE Index 6 Year with Cap Rate & 10% Buffer
•
MSCI EAFE Index 6 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
Nasdaq-100 Index® 1 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
Nasdaq-100 Index® 3 Year with Cap Rate & 10% Buffer
•
Nasdaq-100 Index® 3 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
Nasdaq-100 Index® 6 Year with Cap Rate & 10% Buffer
•
Nasdaq-100 Index® 6 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
Russell 2000 Index® 1 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
Russell 2000 Index® 3 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
Russell 2000 Index® 6 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
S&P MidCap 400® 1 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
S&P MidCap 400® 3 Year with Cap Rate & 10% Buffer
•
S&P MidCap 400® 3 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
•
S&P MidCap 400® 6 Year with Cap Rate & 10% Buffer
•
S&P MidCap 400® 6 Year with Cap Rate & 20% Buffer
Accordingly, the following changes apply to the initial statutory prospectus:
1. The Optional Death Benefit item under the Contract Features subsection under the Overview of the Contract section is deleted in its entirety.
2. The Spousal Protection Feature item under the Contract Features subsection under the Overview of the Contract section is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:
Spousal Protection Feature. The standard Death Benefit contains the Spousal Protection Feature, which allows a surviving spouse to continue the Contract while receiving the economic benefit of the Death Benefit upon the death of the other spouse, subject to certain conditions.
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3. The Are there Ongoing Fees and Expenses? row under the Fees, Expenses, and Adjustments table under the Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract section is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: 
Are there Ongoing Fees
and Expenses?
Yes.
 
Under the Index Strategies, there is an implicit ongoing fee to the extent that your
participation in Index gains is limited by our use of a Cap Rate, Cap+ Rate and
Participation Rate. This means that your returns may be lower than the Index’s
returns. In return for accepting a limit on Index gains, you will receive some
protection from Index losses. This implicit ongoing fee is not reflected in the tables
below.
4. The Are There Any Restrictions on Contract Benefits? row under the Restrictions table, under the Important Information You Should Consider About the Contract section is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: 
Are there Any
Restrictions on
Contract
Benefits?
Yes.
 
● Performance Lock:
● Once a Performance Lock is exercised it is irrevocable.
● For each Index Strategy, the Performance Lock feature may be exercised only once
during a Strategy term.
● Only the full Index Strategy Value can be locked-in (no partial lock-ins).
 
See "Performance Lock."
 
● When the Annuitant and Co-Annuitant, if applicable, are age 75 or younger at
application, the Death Benefit is the greater of Contract Value or Purchase Payment
reduced by withdrawals. When the Annuitant or Co-Annuitant, if applicable, are age 76
or older at application, the Death Benefit is the Contract Value. See "Standard Death
Benefit."
● Ownership changes and assignments may terminate the Death Benefit (see "Impact of
Ownership Changes and Assignment on the Death Benefit" in the statutory prospectus).
● Withdrawals will reduce the Death Benefit, perhaps by more than the amount withdrawn
(see "Withdrawals" in the statutory prospectus).
● The availability of Contract benefits may vary depending on the broker-dealer through
which the Contract is sold (see "Appendix E: Financial Intermediary Variations" in the
statutory prospectus).
5. The Standard Benefits Table and Optional Benefits Table under the Benefits Under the Contract section are deleted in their entirety and replaced with the following:
Standard Benefits Table 
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum
Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations
Standard Death Benefit
(when Annuitant and
Co-Annuitant, if
applicable, are 75 or
younger at application)
Upon death of
Annuitant prior to
Annuitization, Death
Benefit equal to the
greater of Contract
Value or Purchase
Payment reduced by
withdrawals
None
● Nationwide may limit purchase payments to
$1,000,000
● Certain ownership changes and assignments could
reduce the death benefit
Standard Death Benefit
(when Annuitant or Co-
Annuitant, if applicable,
is 76 or older at
application)
Upon death of
Annuitant prior to
Annuitization, Death
Benefit equal to
Contract Value
None
● Nationwide may limit purchase payments to
$1,000,000
● Certain ownership changes and assignments could
reduce the death benefit
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Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum
Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions/Limitations
Spousal Protection
Feature
Second death benefit
None
● Not applicable to Charitable Remainder Trusts
● One or both spouses (or a revocable trust of which
either or both of the spouses is/are grantor(s)) must
be named as the Contract Owner
● For contracts issued as an IRA or Roth IRA, only
the person for whom the IRA or Roth IRA was
established may be names as the Contract Owner
● Only available to the Contract Owner’s spouse
● Spouses must be Co-Annuitants
● Both spouses must be 85 or younger at application
● Spouses must be named as beneficiaries
● No other person may be named as Contract Owner,
Annuitant, or primary beneficiary
● Benefit is forfeited if certain changes to the parties
or assignments are made
Systematic Withdrawals
(see "Systematic
Withdrawals" in the
statutory prospectus)
Automatic withdrawals
of Contract Value on a
periodic basis
None
● Withdrawals must be at least $100 each
● Will be taken proportionally from the Strategies in
which the Contract Owner is allocated based on the
Contract Value
● May be subject to a negative Daily ISE Percentage
calculation when taken during a Strategy Term
● May be subject to a CDSC, MVA, tax, and tax
penalties
Optional Benefits Table 
Name of Benefit
Purpose
Maximum
Fee
Current Fee
Brief Description of Restrictions/
Limitations
Performance Lock
"Locks-in"
the performance
of an Index Strategy
by transferring
the Index Strategy
Value
to the
Fixed Strategy
0.10% for
each year
remaining in
the Strategy
Term as of
the date of
the
Performance
Lock request
(with partial
years
rounded up
to the next
full year)
multiplied by
the Index
Strategy
Value subject
to the
Performance
Lock request
0.10% for
each year
remaining in
the Strategy
Term as of
the date of
the
Performance
Lock request
(with partial
years
rounded up
to the next
full year)
multiplied by
the Index
Strategy
Value subject
to the
Performance
Lock request
● Once a Performance Lock is
exercised it is irrevocable
● For each Index Strategy, the
Performance Lock feature may be
exercised only once during a
Strategy Term
● Only the full Index Strategy Value
can be locked-in (no partial lock-ins)
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6. The Annual Contract Expenses Table under the Additional Information About Fees section is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following:  
Annual Contract Expenses
The Contract does not assess any explicit annual contract expenses. However, Nationwide may limit the amount you can
earn on the Index Strategies by offering Participation Rates less than 100% and/or by assessing Strategy Spreads. This
means your returns may be lower than the Index Performance. In return for accepting this limit on Index Performance,
you will receive some protection from Index losses.
 
7. The table in the Index Strategies subsection of Appendix: Investment Options Available Under the Contract section is deleted in its entirety and replaced with the following: 
Index1
Type of Index
Strategy
Term
Index Crediting
Methodology
Current
Buffer (if
held until
end of
Strategy
Term)
Minimum
Cap Rate
(for the life
of the
Index
Strategy)
Minimum
Participation
Rate (for the
life of the
Index Strategy)
MSCI EAFE Index
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
MSCI EAFE Index
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
MSCI EAFE Index
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
MSCI EAFE Index
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
MSCI EAFE Index
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
MSCI EAFE Index
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
Nasdaq-100 Index®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
Nasdaq-100 Index®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
Nasdaq-100 Index®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
Nasdaq-100 Index®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
Nasdaq-100 Index®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
Nasdaq-100 Index®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
Russell 2000 Index®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
Russell 2000 Index®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
Russell 2000 Index®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
Russell 2000 Index®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
Russell 2000 Index®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
Russell 2000 Index®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
S&P MidCap 400®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
S&P MidCap 400®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
S&P MidCap 400®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
S&P MidCap 400®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
S&P MidCap 400®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
S&P MidCap 400®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
S&P 500®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
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S&P 500®
Market Index
1 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
S&P 500®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
S&P 500®
Market Index
3 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
S&P 500®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
10%
0.05%
100%
S&P 500®
Market Index
6 Year
Cap Rate
20%
0.05%
100%
1
Each Index offered under the Contract is a "price return index," not a "total return index," and therefore does not reflect dividends paid on the securities composing the Index. This will cause the Index to underperform in comparison to a direct investment in a total return index.
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