ZZZ 3.1 New Eridu City Fund Reward Guide

The Version 3.1 New Eridu City Fund is scheduled to open after the July 29, 2026 update and remain available until September 7 at 03:59 server time. The familiar battle-pass structure includes a free progression track and optional paid plans, with upgrade materials, W-Engine-related resources, cosmetics, and a time-limited Great Builder's Certificate among the announced rewards.

The most important planning detail is that the Great Builder's Certificate belongs to the current City Fund period and does not carry into the next period. Players should understand what the certificate does in the live client, reach the required Fund Level before the deadline, and avoid upgrading a paid plan simply because one reward is labeled limited.

Confirmed Schedule and Reward Structure

The 3.1 City Fund begins after the update and ends on September 7, 2026 at 03:59 server time. Server time matters; local time may differ.

The official notice lists rewards associated with Growth Plan or Premium Plan progression, including the exclusive namecard Time for Afternoon Tea, W-Engine Microcontroller Unit, Resonating Core, Hamster Cage Pass, and upgrade materials. Exact level placement and quantities should be checked on the live track.

Item	Confirmed planning point
Opening	After Version 3.1 update on July 29, 2026
Closing	September 7, 2026 at 03:59 server time
Free track	Progress without purchasing a paid plan
Growth/Premium rewards	Additional materials and exclusive items after purchase
Great Builder's Certificate	Time-limited to the current City Fund period
Carryover	The certificate does not remain for the next City Fund period

Inspect the Full Track Before Upgrading

After Version 3.1 is live, scroll through every Fund Level. Record free rewards, paid rewards, milestone items, and the level containing the Great Builder's Certificate. Do not rely on a cropped announcement image.

Check whether the account already owns or needs the listed resources. A Hamster Cage Pass can have high value for an account with important skill upgrades waiting, while an account with a large reserve may value it less. W-Engine Microcontroller Units and Resonating Cores should be judged against current build plans.

The exclusive namecard is cosmetic. Its value depends on whether the player will equip it, not on rarity alone.

Understand the Great Builder's Certificate

The Great Builder's Certificate is explicitly described as a reward limited to the current City Fund period. It will not be retained into the next period. That means players who obtain it should review its live description and use conditions before the period ends.

Do not assume the certificate automatically converts into another item, remains in inventory, or can be used on a future City Fund. The official notice warns against carryover.

When the update is live:

Locate the certificate on the reward track.
Read its exact item description.
Confirm the Fund Level required.
Check what selection or redemption it enables.
Record any separate use deadline.
Use it before the period ends if required.

A time-limited reward has no value if it remains unclaimed or unused.

Free Track Strategy

Players who do not purchase a plan should still complete efficient weekly and seasonal objectives. Focus on tasks that overlap with normal play: spending Battery Charge, completing routine combat, upgrading planned Agents, and participating in current events.

Do not perform wasteful upgrades solely for Fund EXP. If an objective requires spending resources on an Agent with no account role, compare the Fund progress with the resource cost.

Claim rewards regularly. Waiting until the final day creates a risk of unclaimed items and makes it harder to notice whether a level remains incomplete.

Growth Plan Versus Premium Plan

The live client should show the exact differences. Compare them in three categories:

Progression Resources

Count materials the account will use within the next one or two versions. Do not value every item at full price when inventory already contains a surplus.

Exclusive Cosmetics

Namecards, avatars, or other cosmetics have personal value. Assign value only when they will be equipped or collected intentionally.

Convenience or Level Advantages

A higher plan may include immediate Fund Levels or additional items. Level skips are useful only when the player would otherwise miss the deadline. Buying them early while normal play would reach the cap wastes part of the convenience value.

Estimate Natural Completion

Review how many Fund Levels the account normally earns per week. Use the first week of Version 3.1 as a baseline. Separate one-time seasonal tasks from repeatable weekly income.

Calculate required pace:

Record current Fund Level.
Record the target level for the desired reward.
Subtract current progress.
Divide the remaining levels by the remaining full weeks.
Add a small safety margin.

If the account naturally reaches the target, there is no reason to pay for level skips.

Buy Late When Uncertain

A paid plan can usually be evaluated after the player has made progress. Waiting lets the account confirm natural completion, actual playtime, and whether the rewards still solve real needs.

Do not wait past the purchase deadline. Record the exact time shown in the client. If paid rewards unlock retroactively for completed levels, verify that behavior before relying on it.

Late purchase is especially useful for players whose schedule may change during August.

Reward Valuation by Account Type

New Accounts

New accounts generally use more basic upgrade materials, but should confirm they can complete enough levels. A large reward list has little value if progress remains low.

Developing Accounts

These accounts may gain the most from skill and W-Engine materials because several teams are still unfinished. Prioritize resources tied to active builds.

Endgame Accounts

Veterans may value scarce items and cosmetics more than common materials. Compare the plan with direct purchases and existing inventory.

Collectors

Collectors should identify which exclusive items are truly unique to 3.1 and whether they will remain obtainable later. Do not assume no rerun unless official wording says so.

Coordinate With Version 3.1 Goals

The City Fund runs alongside new story, events, banners, Deadly Assault changes, and the Filmgoer Thank-You Gift. Avoid counting one purchase as if it independently creates full value in every system.

If New Eridu City Fund purchases generate commemorative ticket-stub progress for the Filmgoer event, use the official conversion value. Do not add bonus currency or unrelated rewards to the ticket calculation.

Keep three ledgers: Fund rewards, banner budget, and spending-event progress. This prevents double-counting.

Paid Purchase Checklist

Before buying:

Confirm the account and server.
Verify the current Fund Level.
Check the end date.
Compare Growth and Premium Plan contents.
Identify the exact desired rewards.
Estimate natural completion.
Read Great Builder's Certificate rules.
Confirm Filmgoer event treatment separately.
Set a maximum budget.
Save the receipt.

Players who have decided to recharge can review options at Topuplist and use the dedicated Zenless Zone Zero top-up page. Verify UID, server, product, currency, and payment total before ordering.

Choose the Paid Upgrade Timing

Players who are certain they will complete the track can buy early and use the paid materials throughout the version. Players with uncertain schedules gain information by waiting. A middle approach is to review progress after two full weekly resets, when repeatable income and available playtime are easier to estimate.

Do not wait until the final minutes. Payment processing, server-time confusion, or an incomplete objective can leave too little time to claim rewards. Set a personal decision date several days before September 7. On that date, compare current level, remaining objectives, desired rewards, and live plan price.

If retroactive paid rewards are displayed, verify that every completed level unlocks after purchase. Save a screenshot of the current level before upgrading and check each delivered item afterward.

Verify Certificate Claim and Use

Reaching the certificate's Fund Level may not be the final action. Open the reward track, claim the item, locate it in the appropriate inventory or selection interface, and complete any required redemption. Record the resulting item and remaining certificate balance.

If the certificate offers a selection, compare eligible choices against current W-Engines and future build plans. Do not select from memory. Inspect ownership, refinement, and which Agents can use each option. A duplicate can be valuable when it creates a planned upgrade, but it should not be chosen automatically.

If the live description remains unclear, wait for official clarification while keeping the deadline visible. Do not let the current City Fund period end with the certificate unused.

Review Value After the Period

After the City Fund closes, compare the planned rewards with what was actually used. Mark materials that immediately improved an Agent, cosmetics that remained equipped, and resources still sitting unused. This creates a personal reference for the next period.

A plan that looked valuable because of many common materials may prove less useful than expected. Conversely, one scarce item can justify most of the account value. Use actual consumption, not the original reward count, to improve future decisions.

Weekly Progress Routine

At the beginning of each week:

Review weekly objectives.
Mark tasks that overlap with planned gameplay.
Avoid resource-wasting tasks.
Complete limited event objectives before routine farming.
Claim earned Fund rewards.
Update the pace calculation.
Check whether the certificate target remains reachable.

This keeps progress controlled without turning every task into mandatory work.

Final-Week Plan

During the final week, stop assuming there is more time. Convert the September 7 03:59 server deadline to local time.

Complete the highest-value remaining objectives first. Claim all unlocked rewards. If the Great Builder's Certificate has a separate use process, finish it before the deadline and take a confirmation screenshot.

Do not purchase a level skip without checking whether one normal objective would provide the same progress.

Common Mistakes

Treating the Certificate as Permanent

The official notice says it does not carry into the next City Fund period.

Buying the Premium Plan for Unneeded Materials

Value rewards according to the actual account inventory and build plan.

Paying for Levels Too Early

Natural weekly progress may reach the target without skips.

Forgetting Server Time

September 7 at 03:59 server time may not match the local date and hour.

Double-Counting Filmgoer Value

Use the separate event's confirmed conversion rules.

A Practical Value Formula

List only rewards the account will use. Assign a personal value to scarce progression items, cosmetics, and convenience. Subtract the value of unused materials. Compare that total with the exact live price.

The formula is not universal because account needs and regional prices differ. The key is consistency: use the same method when comparing the City Fund with another purchase.

Final Recommendation

The Version 3.1 New Eridu City Fund is most valuable for players who will naturally complete the track and can identify several paid rewards they genuinely need. Inspect the full live track, calculate natural pace, and treat the Great Builder's Certificate as a current-period item that must be handled before the deadline.

Buy a paid plan only after separating progression value, cosmetic value, convenience, and Filmgoer event progress. The number of items on the track matters less than how many will actually improve or personalize the account.