ZZZ 2nd Anniversary 2026 – Free S-Rank Selector, Rewards & Event Guide

Zenless Zone Zero turned two in 2026, and HoYoverse is celebrating inside Version 3.1 "The Long Goodbye," the patch that runs from July 29 to September 9, 2026. Rather than a separate event, the second anniversary is woven directly into the version's reward structure, which means every Proxy who logs in during the window qualifies for a stack of freebies that would normally take months to accumulate. The centerpiece is the Marcel Anniversary Gift, a version-long event that hands out a limited S-Rank Agent of your choice plus a matching W-Engine — completely free.

Because the anniversary sits inside a content patch, the smart play is to treat the free rewards as your foundation and only spend Polychrome on the new banners if a gap remains. A Zenless Zone Zero top-up at Topuplist through the official Topuplist storefront is there when you decide a specific Agent is worth the recharge, but most returning players will not need it this patch.

When Is the ZZZ 2nd Anniversary?

The anniversary campaign is active for the full duration of Version 3.1, so there is no single day you must log in — but the login events and the Marcel Gift both expire when the version ends on September 9, 2026, at 06:00 (UTC+8). The earlier you start, the more check-in rewards you bank, because the two login tracks run on independent timers that begin when you first claim them. Mark the date now: anything unclaimed at version end is gone for good, and the free S-Rank selector is too valuable to miss.

The Marcel Anniversary Gift (Free S-Rank Selector)

The Marcel Anniversary Gift is the event to clear first because it contains the most account-defining rewards. It runs from after the Version 3.1 update until the end of the version. To participate you need Inter-Knot Level 5 and the Event feature unlocked in the Main Story Prologue, which most active players already meet.

The headline prize is a limited S-Rank Agent of choice, and the selector includes five strong options:

Jane

Soldier 0 – Anby

Trigger

Lucia

Hugo

Each chosen Agent also comes with its corresponding limited S-Rank W-Engine through a related choice reward, so you are not forced into the weapon banner to make the unit viable. For a free-to-play or low-spend account, that single selector can close a roster hole — an Anomaly option, an Attack option, a Stun option, or a Support option — before any Polychrome is spent.

All Free Rewards at a Glance

Pulling the anniversary package together, every eligible Proxy can claim, across the version:

One limited S-Rank Agent of choice (via Marcel Gift)

One limited S-Rank W-Engine of choice (via Marcel Gift)

Polychrome ×1,600 in login rewards

Encrypted Master Tape ×20 across the two check-in events

Boopon ×10

An anniversary avatar and title

Lucy's free outfit, "Princess on Holiday," from the Summer Waves Roll In event

Pyrois Mindscape and W-Engine overclock materials through gameplay

That is a remarkable haul for a single patch. The 20 Encrypted Master Tapes alone represent ten guaranteed premium pulls, and the Polychrome stack adds roughly ten more, giving even a brand-new account a meaningful shot at the new banners without opening a wallet.

Two independent login tracks carry most of the tape count. Gift From the Clouds asks for seven total logins and returns Encrypted Master Tape ×10. The Great En-Nah Giveaway! is another seven-day check-in that hands out Encrypted Master Tape ×10 plus Boopon ×10. Because they are separate, starting both early doubles your passive pull income for the version.

The trick is consistency: missing a day does not reset most HoYo login events, but it delays the final reward, and with the version ending September 9 you want both tracks fully claimed well beforehand. Set a phone reminder for the first week of the patch and the rewards will accumulate in the background.

Custom Search Gets Yanagi, Caesar, and Zhu Yuan

One quietly powerful anniversary addition is the expansion of Custom Search. Version 3.1 adds Tsukishiro Yanagi, Caesar, and Zhu Yuan — plus their exclusive W-Engines — to the Custom Search pool. Custom Search lets you pre-select six S-Rank Agents from a mix of limited and standard units, so any off-banner S-Rank signal you pull comes from your curated list with equal odds.

For anniversary players, this means the free pulls you bank from the login events are far less likely to whiff on a duplicate you will never build. Pairing Custom Search with the free tapes is one of the most efficient uses of the version's generosity, especially for accounts that already own the standard roster and want targeted upgrades instead of random luck.

Offline Celebration: Taipei Zenless LIVE 2026

The second anniversary is not only in-game. HoYoverse confirmed a large offline celebration at the Taipei Music Center on August 8–9, 2026. The daytime (11:00–19:00) transforms the outdoor space into a "Roskaleffa" -themed pop-up — the game's sky-island main city — with immersive sets, stage interactions, and limited event merchandise for attendees to unlock.

At night, the headline act is "Zenless LIVE 2026 — Taipei Station," a DJ electronic party at SUB Live. Tickets are NT$2,980 (all standing) via the ibon system, with performers MES and E1and announced. Buyers receive collector perks: a Remielle premium flash card, a ZLIVE 2026 light stick, and a ZLIVE 2026 laser ticket. It is the largest physical HoYo event for the title in the region and a natural bookend to the in-game anniversary.

Operation Yum Returns with Haidilao Singapore

The annual food collaboration "Operation Yum" also returns for the anniversary, this time with Haidilao Singapore from August 1 to September 30, 2026. Two meal sets feature Ellen Joe and Manato merchandise: the Weekday Sukiyaki Supply Set and the All-Week Sukiyaki Squad Set, each including collab badge mystery bags, character acrylic stands, and in-game redemption codes. Purchasing either also redeems a Perfect Taste Bundle with Dennys, Senior Investigator Logs, and a collab-exclusive commemorative avatar.

For players who cannot make Taipei, the Haidilao collab is the accessible real-world way to celebrate, and the in-game codes feed directly into the same account progression the anniversary rewards support. It is a neat example of how HoYoverse ties the in-game milestone to the wider fan community.

When the reruns and new modes eat into your reserves, you can top up Zenless Zone Zero through Topuplist's ZZZ page and keep everything organized from the Topuplist dashboard.

How to Claim Everything Before 3.1 Ends

Work the list in this order so nothing expires underneath you:

Claim compensation mail (600 Polychrome) before August 28.

Open the Marcel Anniversary Gift and pick your free S-Rank + W-Engine as soon as you are eligible.

Start both login tracks — Gift From the Clouds and The Great En-Nah Giveaway! — and check in daily.

Unlock Enigma of the Labyrinth at Inter-Knot 40 for the steady seasonal rewards.

Finish Summer Waves Roll In to grab Lucy's free outfit.

Decide on Remielle or Sigrid only after the free value is secured.

For the official rewards overview, the Zenless Zone Zero news hub is the source of truth, and aggregated breakdowns on Game8's ZZZ guide help you map the events to your own play schedule so you miss nothing.

If you would rather not ration your pulls, a Zenless Zone Zero top-up via Topuplist is the simplest way to keep pulling through the anniversary, and the Topuplist storefront lists every supported title in one place.

Step-by-Step: Claiming the Marcel Gift

Opening the Marcel Anniversary Gift is straightforward, but new players sometimes miss a prerequisite. First, reach Inter-Knot Level 5 — a few story commissions and Hollow runs will get you there quickly. Second, make sure the Event feature is unlocked in the Main Story Prologue; if you blasted through the intro, revisit the Prologue tab and complete the short unlock. Once both are met, the event page appears automatically. Inside, the selector lets you pick one of the five Agents and, on a second step, its matching W-Engine. Confirm both choices — they are permanent, so do not rush the decision if you are unsure which role your roster lacks. Most players benefit from taking the unit that covers their weakest category: Jane for Anomaly, Soldier 0 – Anby for Attack, Trigger for Stun, Lucia for Support, or Hugo for a premium Ice/Attack option.

Taipei Logistics for the Offline Event

If you are attending the Taipei celebration, plan around the two-part format. The daytime Roskaleffa pop-up runs 11:00–19:00 and occupies the public outdoor space, so you can explore the sets and photo spots without a ticket, though exclusive merchandise may require on-site steps. The nighttime Zenless LIVE 2026 at SUB Live is ticketed (NT$2,980, all standing) via ibon, with doors opening 60–90 minutes before showtime on each night. Buyers receive the Remielle flash card, light stick, and laser ticket as collectible perks. Arrive early for the outdoor portion if you want unobstructed photos, and keep your ticket QR handy for the evening entry. The Taipei Music Center is served by the MRT, so public transit beats driving given the expected crowds.

Haidilao Set Comparison

The two Operation Yum sets differ mainly in volume and the plush bonus. The Weekday Sukiyaki Supply Set includes two collab badge mystery bags, two character acrylic stands, and two in-game redemption codes at the lower price point. The All-Week Sukiyaki Squad Set adds a Bangboo Plush Surprise Box on top of the same badge, acrylic, and code contents. Either purchase also redeems the Perfect Taste Bundle — Dennys, Senior Investigator Logs, and a commemorative avatar — so the choice comes down to whether you want the plush. Since the in-game codes are the part that matters for progression, even the smaller set delivers the crossover value; the larger set is for collectors who want the physical Bangboo on their shelf.

Common Anniversary Mistakes

Three errors waste the patch's generosity. First, letting compensation mail expire on August 28 — that is 300 Polychrome lost forever. Second, ignoring one of the two login tracks, which halves your free tapes. Third, pulling on impulse before claiming the free selector, which can leave you with a duplicate of a unit you could have taken for free. The fix is boring but effective: claim everything, log in daily for both check-ins, and only after the free value is secured should you decide whether Remielle or Sigrid is worth a paid pull. Treat the anniversary as a foundation, not a sprint, and the patch rewards you for it.

Why This Anniversary Matters for the Game's Health

Two years in, Zenless Zone Zero is using its anniversary to do more than hand out gifts — it is flattening the entry curve for newcomers and rewarding lapsed players with a genuine reason to return. The free selector alone can rescue an account that stalled in Version 1 or 2, and the permanent Enigma of the Labyrinth gives returning players a low-pressure place to relearn the combat loop. For HoYoverse, a generous second anniversary is also a statement of confidence heading into the Winter 2026 crossover with Honkai: Star Rail, where re-engaged players on both sides will matter most when the event finally arrives.

Anniversary vs. a Regular Patch

It is worth framing just how much better 3.1 is than a normal version. A typical ZZZ patch offers the new banners, a login track or two, and the battle pass — generous, but built around spending. The anniversary flips that: the Marcel Gift alone delivers a free limited S-Rank and W-Engine that would otherwise cost a full weapon-plus-character investment, and the twin login tracks stack another 20 tapes on top of 1,600 Polychrome. For the math-minded, that is close to a half-step of account progression handed out for simply logging in. The practical lesson is to treat the anniversary as a reset button: clear your backlog, claim the selector to plug a hole, and only then think about paid pulls. Players who internalize that rhythm will find every future anniversary easier to navigate.

Don't Sleep on the Cosmetics

Beyond raw currency, the anniversary cosmetics — the exclusive avatar, title, and Lucy's "Princess on Holiday" outfit — are permanent account markers that will not return. The avatar and title in particular signal a day-one Version 3.1 player, and Lucy's outfit is earned purely through the Summer Waves Roll In storyline, no gacha required. Collectors should prioritize finishing that event early so the outfit is banked before attention shifts to Phase 2 reruns. Cosmetics are the easiest anniversary rewards to forget, and the ones most likely to feel missable in hindsight if you let the patch deadline sneak up.

FAQ

Q1: Is the ZZZ 2nd anniversary free S-Rank selector real?
A: Yes. The Marcel Anniversary Gift gives every eligible Proxy a limited S-Rank Agent of choice plus a matching limited S-Rank W-Engine at no cost.

Q2: Which Agents can I pick from the selector?
A: Jane, Soldier 0 – Anby, Trigger, Lucia, and Hugo, each with its corresponding limited W-Engine.

Q3: How much free Polychrome and tape does the anniversary give?
A: 1,600 Polychrome in login rewards plus 20 Encrypted Master Tapes and 10 Boopon across the two check-in events.

Q4: When does the anniversary end?
A: With Version 3.1, on September 9, 2026, at 06:00 (UTC+8). Unclaimed rewards expire then.

Q5: Where is the offline anniversary event?
A: Taipei Music Center, August 8–9, 2026, with a Roskaleffa pop-up by day and Zenless LIVE 2026 at SUB Live by night.

Q6: What is the Haidilao anniversary collab?
A: Operation Yum with Haidilao Singapore, August 1–September 30, 2026, with Ellen Joe and Manato meal sets and in-game redemption codes.