Identity V Chinese New Year 2026: Echoes Guide & D

Chinese New Year 2026 Schedule & Key Dates

Illusion Hall rotations run December 18, 2026 through April 2, 2026:

Dec 18: Wintry Wish A-Tier (Soul Weaver)
Dec 25: Mr. Hyde A-Tier (Nightmare)
Dec 30: Lock Core A-Tier (Mechanic), Desire in a Box B-Tier accessory
Dec 31: Femme Fatale A-Tier (Dream Witch), Werther A-Tier (Lawyer)
Jan 1: BLK.ELI A-Tier (Seer), Trembling Chord A-Tier (Prisoner), Hearts Aligned S-Tier accessory (Seer)
Jan 8: The Parish Boy A-Tier (Acrobat)
Jan 15: So Long at the Fair A-Tier (Barmaid)
Jan 22: Edward Beneath the Crown A-Tier (Knight)
Apr 2: Dazzling Lone Wolf A-Tier (Prospector), Dazzling Glory S-Tier accessory (Prospector), Mario B-Tier pet

Identity V Echoes top up online via BitTopup ensures instant delivery for limited-time costumes.

Critical Timing Windows

Jan 1, 2026 00:00 UTC+8: Echo recharge reset with 24-hour double rewards. Best value opportunity all season.

Jan 29, 2026 08:00 UTC+8: Hotfix confirms Frost pricing—2,888 Echoes (S-Tier), 1,178 Echoes first week/1,388 standard (A-Tier).

Frost Wu Chang Set: Complete Pricing

Identity V Frost S-Tier Wu Chang costume artwork from Chinese New Year event

Frost S-Tier costume: 2,888 Echoes or 12,888 Fragments
Frozen Core A-Tier accessory: 1,178 Echoes (first week) / 1,388 Echoes (standard)
Complete set: 4,066 Echoes (first week) / 4,276 Echoes (standard)

First-week purchase saves 210 Echoes—don't miss it.

Fragment Alternative

12,888 Fragments for Frost requires duplicate pulls: 1,000 Echoes per A-Tier duplicate, 3,000 per S-Tier. High investment path.

Memory Sphere Pull Rates vs Direct Purchase

Identity V Memory Sphere vs Illusion Hall purchase comparison screenshot

Pull Costs:

100 Echoes per pull
S-Tier rates: 1.5-2% (150-250 pulls = 15,000-25,000 Echoes expected)
A-Tier specific target: 3.5-4.5% (25-40 pulls = 2,500-4,000 Echoes expected)

Direct Purchase Value:

S-Tier at 2,888 Echoes = 81.5-88.5% savings vs pulls
A-Tier at 1,178-1,388 Echoes = 52.9-70.5% savings vs pulls

Direct purchase eliminates gacha risk and guarantees acquisition.

Season 40 Essence (Dec 18, 2025): Mayfly S-Tier (First Officer), No Heart A-Tier (Mad Eyes), No Passage A-Tier (Goatman) compete for same Echoes pool.

F2P Echoes Budget: Dec 2025-Jan 2026

Identity V F2P Echoes earning sources guide screenshot

Total F2P earnings: 11,104-12,504 Echoes

Monthly breakdown (1,500-2,500 Echoes):

Logic Path: 1,000-1,200 Echoes
Daily missions: 300-500 Echoes
Events: 500-800 Echoes

Winter Wishes event (Dec 18, 2025-Jan 7, 2026) adds bonus opportunities.

F2P can afford: Complete Frost set (4,066-4,276 Echoes) + 6,828-8,438 Echoes surplus for additional A-Tier items.

F2P Strategy

Prioritize first-week discounts (210 Echoes savings per A-Tier)
Secure S-Tier targets first
Use surplus for multiple A-Tier costumes

For supplemental Echoes, cheap Identity V Echoes recharge through BitTopup offers secure transactions and competitive rates.

Strategic Purchase Order

Priority Tier 1: S-Tier Costumes & Accessories

S-Tier costumes (2,888 Echoes): Highest value—visual impact, rarity, collection prestige. Frost Wu Chang is top priority as returning Chinese New Year exclusive.

S-Tier accessories (1,388 Echoes): 48% of costume cost, substantial enhancement. Hearts Aligned (Jan 1) and Dazzling Glory (Apr 2) for character mains.

Priority Tier 2: First-Week A-Tier Items

A-Tier costumes: 1,178 Echoes (first week) vs 1,388 standard = 15.1% discount.

First-week eligible: Lock Core (Dec 30), Femme Fatale/Werther (Dec 31), BLK.ELI/Trembling Chord (Jan 1), The Parish Boy (Jan 8), So Long at the Fair (Jan 15), Edward Beneath the Crown (Jan 22), Dazzling Lone Wolf (Apr 2).

Pro tip: Five A-Tier first-week purchases save 1,050 Echoes—75.6% of another A-Tier.

Priority Tier 3: B-Tier Items

B-Tier accessories: 688 Echoes
B-Tier pets: 388 Echoes

Desire in a Box (Dec 30), Mario pet (Apr 2). Purchase after securing all S/A-Tier targets.

Rotation Overlap Management

Dec 30-Jan 1 creates dense decision window: Lock Core/Desire in a Box (Dec 30) → Femme Fatale/Werther (Dec 31) → BLK.ELI/Trembling Chord/Hearts Aligned (Jan 1).

Pre-calculate total desired purchases before Dec 31 rotation starts.

Illusion Hall vs Memory Sphere Efficiency

S-Tier comparison:

Illusion Hall: 2,888 Echoes guaranteed
Memory Sphere: 15,000-25,000 Echoes expected (1.5-2% rate)
Savings: 81.5-88.5%

A-Tier comparison:

Illusion Hall: 1,178-1,388 Echoes guaranteed
Memory Sphere: 2,500-4,000 Echoes expected (3.5-4.5% rate)
Savings: 52.9-70.5%

Memory Sphere only viable when wanting multiple items from same Essence and accepting random order.

Duplicate Compensation Reality

Pulling before Illusion Hall gives 1,000 Echoes (A-Tier) or 3,000 Echoes (S-Tier) duplicate compensation.

S-Tier duplicate compensation = only 12-20% of 15,000-25,000 pull cost. Net loss: 12,000-22,000 Echoes vs 2,888 direct purchase.

Official Information Sources

Dec 19, 2025 livestream (19:00-20:00 UTC+8): Primary source for event timing, reveals, pricing.

Jan 29, 2026 hotfix: Secondary confirmation of pricing details.

Always verify through official channels—community leaks occasionally inaccurate.

Common Misconceptions

All Illusion Hall items return annually False. Frost returns for CNY 2026 as seasonal exclusive, but not all items follow annual patterns. Some remain one-time releases.

Waiting until final days provides discounts False. First-week discount (210 Echoes on A-Tier) rewards early purchase. No final-day discounts exist.

F2P can't afford premium items False. 11,104-12,504 F2P Echoes exceeds 4,066-4,276 Frost set cost by 6,828-8,438 Echoes. Strategic saving works.

Future Availability

Frost's return establishes seasonal exclusive precedent, but timing unpredictable. Treat each appearance as potentially final opportunity—gaps between returns exceed 12+ months.

12,888 Fragment path offers permanent alternative but requires higher total investment through gacha duplicates.

Maximizing Echoes Value with BitTopup

Jan 1, 2026 double rewards: 24-hour window effectively cuts real-money cost per Echoes by 50%.

BitTopup advantages:

Competitive pricing
Secure transaction processing
Fast delivery
24/7 customer support
High user ratings

Optimal Top-Up Timing

Coordinate purchases with Jan 1, 2026 00:00 UTC+8 reset for doubled bonuses. Buy during window, use immediately for BLK.ELI/Trembling Chord/Hearts Aligned or save for Frost rotation.

Extended schedule through Apr 2026 allows strategic timing around bonus periods without missing items.

FAQ

When does Frost Wu Chang become available? Late January 2026 during Illusion Hall rotation. Jan 29, 2026 hotfix (08:00 UTC+8) confirms 2,888 Echoes pricing.

How many Echoes do F2P players earn Dec 2025-Jan 2026? 11,104-12,504 Echoes total via Logic Path (1,000-1,200), daily missions (300-500 monthly), events (500-800 monthly). Exceeds 4,066-4,276 Frost set cost.

Should I buy Frozen Core first week? Yes. First-week discount: 1,178 vs 1,388 Echoes = 210 savings (15.1%). Applies to all A-Tier items.

Direct purchase vs Memory Sphere pulls? Direct purchase saves 81.5-88.5% on S-Tier (2,888 vs 15,000-25,000 Echoes). Guarantees acquisition, eliminates gacha risk.

Best time to recharge Echoes? Jan 1, 2026 00:00 UTC+8 starts 24-hour double rewards. Maximum value, coincides with BLK.ELI/Hearts Aligned rotation.

Will Frost return after CNY 2026? Possible but unconfirmed. No guaranteed schedule—return gaps exceed 12+ months. Treat each appearance as potentially final chance.