The Identity V 2026 Chinese New Year event runs December 18, 2026 through April 2, 2026, featuring Frost S-Tier Wu Chang (2,888 Echoes) and Frozen Core A-Tier accessory (1,388 Echoes). F2P players can earn 11,104-12,504 Echoes during December-January through daily missions, Logic Path, and events. First-week discounts save 210 Echoes per A-Tier item. S-Tier pull rates sit at 1.5-2% (150-250 attempts needed).
Event Overview: Timeline and Mechanics
The Illusion Hall rotation system operates weekly from December 18, 2026-April 2, 2026. Access requires Muse Mark level 1.
Key Dates:
Dec 18: Wintry Wish A-Tier (Soul Weaver)
Dec 25: Mr. Hyde A-Tier (Nightmare)
Dec 30: Lock Core A-Tier + Desire in a Box B-Tier (Mechanic)
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
Jan 8: Parish Boy A-Tier (Acrobat)
Jan 15: So Long at the Fair A-Tier (Barmaid)
Jan 22: Edward Beneath Crown A-Tier (Knight)
Apr 2: Dazzling Lone Wolf A-Tier (Prospector), Dazzling Glory S-Tier accessory, Mario B-Tier pet
Season 40 starts Dec 18 with weekly resets Thursdays 08:00 UTC+8. Jan 1 recharge reset offers double rewards for 24 hours.
Pricing Structure:
S-Tier costumes: 2,888 Echoes
S-Tier accessories: 1,388 Echoes
A-Tier costumes: 1,388 Echoes (1,178 first week)
B-Tier accessories: 688 Echoes
B-Tier pets: 388 Echoes
Complete Frost set costs 4,066-4,276 Echoes with first-week discounts.
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F2P Echo Farming Breakdown
Monthly F2P Income (1,500-2,500 Echoes):
Daily missions: 300-500 Echoes
Logic Path: 1,000-1,200 Echoes
Events: 500-800 Echoes
Daily Generation (50-85 Echoes):
Daily missions: 10-15 Echoes
Ranked matches (3-5): 15-25 Echoes
Logic Path progress: 25-45 Echoes
Duplicate compensation: 1,000 Echoes (A-Tier), 3,000 Echoes (S-Tier).
Penrose Maze costs 1,800 Sealing Wax (100 per move, 18 moves total).
Best Farming Strategies
3-Tier Priority System
Tier 1 (Must-Acquire):
Frost S-Tier Wu Chang (2,888 Echoes)
Frozen Core A-Tier (1,178 first week)
A-Tiers for your 3 most-played characters
Tier 2 (High-Value):
S-Tier accessories (Hearts Aligned, Dazzling Glory)
Popular character A-Tiers
First-week discount items
Tier 3 (Optional):
B-Tier accessories/pets (688/388 Echoes)
Rarely-played character costumes
With 12,000 Echoes: complete Frost set (4,066-4,276) + 6-7 A-Tier costumes.
30-Minute Daily Routine
Phase 1 - Mission Review (2 min):
Log in at/after 08:00 UTC+8 reset
Review daily missions
Identify high-priority missions
Note time-gated requirements
Phase 2 - Ranked Focus (20 min):
Complete 3 ranked matches
Target multiple mission objectives
Focus on performance rewards
Earn 25-40 Echoes
Phase 3 - Cleanup (8 min):
Finish medium-priority missions
Complete simple tasks
Collect Logic Path rewards
Verify completion
Generates 50-85 Echoes daily, 1,500-2,550 monthly.
Weekend Blitz Strategy
Saturday (90-120 min):
6-8 ranked matches
Weekly tier advancement
Performance milestones
100-150 Echoes
Sunday:
Weekend events (50-100 Echoes)
Weekly mission completion
Guild activities
100-150 Echoes
Weekly total: 550-895 Echoes (weekday + weekend combined).
Stockpiling vs Immediate Exchange
Stockpiling:
Accumulate Dec-Jan
Purchase final week
Complete information
Risk: miss first-week discounts
Immediate Exchange:
Buy during first-week windows
Lock in 210 Echo savings
Reduce decision paralysis
Risk: insufficient Echoes later
Hybrid (Recommended): Buy Tier 1 items first week, stockpile for Tier 2 evaluation.
F2P vs Premium Comparison
F2P Conservative (11,104 Echoes):
Frost set: 4,066 Echoes
5 A-Tier costumes: 5,890 Echoes
1 B-Tier: 688 Echoes
Reserve: 460 Echoes
F2P Optimal (12,504 Echoes):
Frost set: 4,066 Echoes
7 A-Tier costumes: 8,246 Echoes
Reserve: 192 Echoes
Light Spender (+2,000 Echoes):
Total: 13,104-14,504 Echoes
Frost set + 9-10 A-Tiers
Cost: ~$2-3 per A-Tier
Moderate Spender (+5,000 Echoes):
Total: 16,104-17,504 Echoes
Frost set + 12-13 A-Tiers + 1 S-Tier accessory
Feb-Apr provides 4,500-7,500 additional Echoes (3-6 more A-Tiers).
Character Selection for Efficiency
Top 5 Survivors
Mercenary - Elbow Pads, self-heal, rescue missions
Seer - Owl protection, safe rescues, high win rate
Mechanic - Doll decoding, 15-20% faster matches
Prospector - Magnets, versatile, Dazzling Lone Wolf Apr 2
Forward - Rugby ball, aggressive rescues, quick eliminations
Top 5 Hunters
Sculptor - Statues, map control, quick eliminations
Breaking Wheel - Web control, efficient pathing
Nightmare - Mr. Hyde costume Dec 25, dual-form pressure
Geisha - Dash ability, strong chase
Wu Chang - Frost S-Tier, dual-form, high skill ceiling
Balanced Team:
1 Decoder (Mechanic/Prisoner)
1 Rescuer (Mercenary/Gravekeeper)
1 Kiter (Forward/Prospector)
1 Support (Seer/Coordinator)
Completes matches 10-15% faster.
Avoid: Lawyer, Thief, Lucky Guy (Survivors); Gamekeeper, Hell Ember, Clerk (Hunters).
Mission Optimization
S-Tier Missions (15+ Echoes, complete first):
Win 2 ranked matches
Complete 3 ranked with specific type
Performance milestones
Guild ranked participation
A-Tier (10-14 Echoes):
Complete 5 quick matches
Win 1 ranked with designated character
Specific in-match actions
B-Tier (5-9 Echoes):
Participate in 3 matches
Customize appearance
Visit 5 friends
C-Tier (3-4 Echoes, skip):
Custom matches
Send gifts
Profile changes
Batch Completion
Example 1 - Survivor Ranked:
Select Mercenary (Rescuer mission)
Ranked match (ranked mission)
3 rescues (rescue mission)
Win (win mission)
Result: 4 missions, 12 minutes
Example 2 - Hunter Quick:
Select Sculptor (Hunter mission)
Quick match (quick mission)
2 eliminations (elimination mission)
Result: 3 missions, 10 minutes
Reduces daily time from 45-60 min to 25-35 min.
Weekly Reset (Thu 08:00 UTC+8):
Ranked tier progression
Guild activities
Weekly events
Logic Path challenges
Always Skip:
Custom match missions (0-2 Echoes)
Character purchase requirements
<3 Echo rewards
Never Skip:
15+ Echo missions
First-completion bonuses
Missions completable naturally
Advanced Techniques
Fragment Exchange Optimization
A-Tier duplicates: 1,000 Echoes
S-Tier duplicates: 3,000 Echoes
Fragment costs: 3,888 (A-Tier), 12,888 (S-Tier)
Extensive essence history yields 1,000-3,000 bonus Echoes.
Jan 1 Multiplier Window
Strategy:
Prepare purchase amount before Jan 1
Buy between 00:00-23:59 UTC+8 Jan 1
Receive double Echoes (50% discount)
Purchase first-week discount costumes
Captures both multiplier + first-week discounts (50-65% total savings).
Ranked Match Bonuses
Tier advancement: 50-100 Echoes
Win streaks: 5-15 Echoes per win
Season milestones: 100-500 Echoes
Weekly participation: 25-50 Echoes (10+ matches)
Generates 500-1,000 additional Echoes Dec-Jan.
Common Mistakes
Misconception: Equal Costume Value
Character popularity matters (Mercenary/Seer > Lawyer/Thief)
Visual design quality varies
Seasonal exclusivity (Frost may not return)
Ignoring Deadlines
Missions reset 08:00 UTC+8
Late login (18:00-23:00) limits completion time
Solution: Log in within 2-4 hours of reset
Poor Exchange Timing
Standard pricing (1,388) vs first-week (1,178) wastes 210 Echoes
8-10 purchases = 1,680-2,100 wasted (1-2 costumes)
Solution: Maintain costume calendar
Character Inefficiency
Aesthetic picks extend matches 20-30%
Lawyer completes 3-4 matches vs Mechanic's 5-6
Solution: Separate farming/enjoyment characters
Last-Minute Rush
Burnout from 4-6 hour sessions
Reduced efficiency from fatigue
Missed first-week discounts
Jan 29 hotfix leaves minimal time
Solution: 30-min daily from Dec 18
BitTopup Currency Solutions
Why BitTopup:
5-15% below in-game pricing
Advanced encryption security
5-15 min delivery
24/7 multilingual support
Millions of users worldwide
Purchase Process:
Visit BitTopup Identity V page
Select Echo package
Enter account info (server, ID)
Complete payment
Receive delivery (5-15 min)
Verify in-game
Takes 3-5 minutes total.
Optimal Purchase Timing:
Jan 1 00:00-23:59 UTC+8 (double rewards)
First week of rotation (210 Echo discount)
Final week before rotation ends
Optimal Quantities:
1,000-2,000: Frost set with F2P
3,000-5,000: Frost + 8-10 A-Tiers
8,000-10,000: Near-complete collection
Platform Benefits:
5-10% bonus Echoes on large purchases
Promotional discounts
Loyalty rewards
Regional payment support
Post-Event Planning
Echo Persistence:
No expiration dates
No conversion penalties
Full future flexibility
Enables long-term saving
Fragment Options:
3,888 fragments → A-Tier costume
12,888 fragments → S-Tier costume
Indefinite accumulation
6-Month Roadmap (Dec 2025-May 2026):
Dec-Jan: CNY focus (Frost + 8-10 A-Tiers)
Feb-Mar: Essence pulls
Apr: Final CNY acquisitions (Prospector)
May: Next event prep
FAQ
When does the event start? Dec 18, 2025 at 08:00 UTC+8 with Season 40. Wintry Wish A-Tier available immediately, weekly rotations through Apr 2, 2026.
How many costumes can F2P get? 11,104-12,504 Echoes (Dec-Jan) = Frost set (4,066-4,276) + 5-7 A-Tiers. Extended farming through Apr = 8-13 A-Tiers total.
Fastest Echo farming method? 30-min daily routine (50-85 Echoes) + weekend blitz (200-300 Echoes) + Logic Path = 1,500-2,500 monthly.
Are first-week discounts worth it? Yes. 210 Echoes saved per A-Tier (15%). 8-10 purchases = 1,680-2,100 savings (1-2 extra costumes).
How does Jan 1 recharge work? 00:00 UTC+8 Jan 1, 2026 for 24 hours: double Echo rewards. 1,000 purchase = 2,000 received (50% discount). Highest-value window.
Will Frost return? Labeled re-release for CNY 2026, indicating previous appearance. Future rotation unpredictable. Guaranteed acquisition: purchase Dec 2025-Apr 2026.
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