After Valentine's event ends March 4, 2026, save 12,000-18,000 Echoes depending on your spending tier. February 27 maintenance launches Season 41 Essence 2 with premium costumes, while Chinese New Year Illusion Hall rotations and April releases demand careful budgeting. This guide provides Echo allocation strategies using official pricing and confirmed timelines to maximize currency efficiency through spring 2026.
Valentine's Event End & Critical Timeline
Blooming Augury Valentine's event ends March 4, 2026 at 23:59 UTC+8. Fluttering Heart Package shares this deadline—convert all event currency before expiration.
February 27, 2026 maintenance runs 08:00-12:00 UTC+8, launching Season 41 Essence 2 immediately after. This creates a seven-day gap between new Essence launch and Valentine's end—balance current purchases against upcoming content.
Season 41 Essence 1 ends February 26, 2026, resetting pity counters. Understanding reset timing is essential for budgeting, as carrying pity requires stopping pulls before reset. Buy Identity V Echoes through BitTopup for competitive pricing and instant delivery.
Fabulous Beasts Crossover extends until March 14, 2026 at 23:59 UTC+8, allowing flexible spending prioritization.
Echo Savings Targets by Player Type
Free-to-Play: 12,000 Echo Minimum
Maintain 12,000+ Echoes to secure one guaranteed S-Tier (2,888 Echoes) plus essential A-Tier items. This covers Chinese New Year Frost S-Tier Wu Chang and Frozen Core A-Tier accessory (4,066-4,274 Echoes with February 12-19 first-week discount).
Remaining 7,700+ buffer accommodates limited releases or partial Essence progress. Single pulls cost 318 Echoes, 10-pulls cost 3,180 Echoes—this reserve enables ~24 pulls toward 250-pull hard pity (79,500 Echoes max).
Light Spenders: 15,000-18,000 Optimal Range
Target 15,000-18,000 for comprehensive spring coverage. Secures both Frost set (4,066-4,274) and April 2 Dazzling set with Dazzling Lone Wolf A-Tier Prospector, Dazzling Glory S-Tier accessory, and Mario B-Tier pet (4,664-4,874 total).
Combined Illusion Hall rotations need 8,730-9,148 Echoes, leaving 5,850-9,270 for Essence pulls or emergency releases.
Collectors: 25,000+ Full Coverage
Maintain 25,000+ for complete seasonal content. Covers all Illusion Hall items (~9,000), Season 41 Essence 2 pulls (6,000 for 18-20 pulls), and 10,000 emergency fund for surprise releases typical during spring festivals.
Historical patterns show Identity V introduces surprise crossovers during March-April. Matador Breaking Dawn Package (798 Echoes) and SIBUXIANG Crossover Package (1,958 Echoes) exemplify unexpected releases requiring immediate allocation.
February 27 Update Content & Pricing
Season 41 Essence 2 Costumes
Ballad of the Emerald Lark (S-Tier Coordinator Martha): Up to 250 pulls at 318 each, max 79,500 Echoes
Cernunnos (A-Tier Gamekeeper): Higher drop rates, typically 50-100 pulls
Robin (A-Tier Lanternist): Shares drop pool with Cernunnos
Pity counter displays in Essence menu, resets after any S-Tier drop. Track pulls carefully to optimize spending.
Illusion Hall Schedule & Costs
Chinese New Year 2026 (first-week discount February 12-19):
Frost (S-Tier Wu Chang): 2,888 Echoes
Frozen Core (A-Tier Wu Chang accessory): 1,068 Echoes
April 2, 2026 Dazzling set:
Dazzling Glory (S-Tier Prospector accessory): 1,888 Echoes
Dazzling Lone Wolf (A-Tier Prospector): 1,388 Echoes
Mario (B-Tier pet): 388 Echoes
April 2 items total 4,594-5,464 Echoes. Top up Echoes through BitTopup for fast delivery and secure transactions.
Strategic Budget Calculation
Step 1: Inventory Assessment
Calculate exact Echoes as of March 4, 2026:
Main balance in shop
Unclaimed Logic Path rewards
Pending ranked season rewards (Season 40 ended February 5)
Convertible Fragments (12,888 Fragments = 2,888 Echoes for S-Tier)
Step 2: Income Projection (March 5 - April 2)
28-day guaranteed income:
Daily missions: 120 × 28 = 3,360 Echoes
Weekly Logic Path: 500 × 4 = 2,000 Echoes
Chinese New Year Check-in (February 16-23): Retroactive if unclaimed
Ranked rewards: 200-800 Echoes based on tier
Conservative projection: 5,560-6,160 Echoes monthly from free sources.
Step 3: Priority Allocation
Time-Limited Exclusives: Illusion Hall rotations disappear after periods
Main Character Costumes: Prioritize most-played survivors/hunters
Essence Progress: Allocate remaining toward pity advancement
Crossover Items: Fabulous Beasts available until March 14
Step 4: Buffer Calculation
Maintain 3,000 Echo emergency reserve. Historical data shows surprise packages during updates, typically 1,500-3,000 Echoes for complete sets.
Post-Valentine Echo Farming
Daily Mission Efficiency
Complete all dailies for 120 Echoes minimum:
Survivor/Hunter matches: 20 Echoes each
Character deduction: 30 Echoes per milestone
Ranked participation: 50 Echoes daily bonus
Consistent completion over 28 days = 3,360 Echoes (one 10-pull bundle).
Weekly Logic Path
Each reset provides ~500 Echoes through milestones, totaling 2,000 monthly. Three ranked matches daily completes 60-70% of weekly requirements.
Fragment Conversion Timing
Convert Fragments only when approaching deadlines. Conversion rates favor direct Echo purchases:
S-Tier: 12,888 Fragments vs 2,888 Echoes (4.46:1 ratio)
A-Tier: 4,888 Fragments vs 1,388 Echoes (3.52:1 ratio)
Convert immediately before Illusion Hall deadlines to maximize purchasing power while preserving Echoes for Essence pulls.
Ranked Season Rewards
Season 40 ended February 5, 2026, with rewards within 72 hours. New seasons provide 500-1,200 Echoes depending on tier placement. Prioritize ranked during early season for easier climbing.
Critical Spending Mistakes to Avoid
Impulse Memory Sphere Purchases
Seven-day gap between Essence 2 launch (February 27) and Valentine's end (March 4) creates temptation. Resist until confirming no Valentine's items need last-minute acquisition. Memory Spheres are permanent; event items disappear forever.
Ignoring Pity Positioning
Pity resets after S-Tier drops. Players at 200+ pulls should evaluate whether completing pity in Essence 1 (ending February 26) provides better value than Essence 2 interest. Stopping at 240/250 wastes progress; forcing completion for unwanted S-Tier wastes Echoes.
Underestimating Illusion Hall Costs
April 2 items (4,594-5,464 Echoes) surprise players who allocated budgets to March content. Reserve minimum 5,000 specifically for April 2 to avoid missing limited Prospector content.
Missing Conversion Deadlines
Event currencies like Valentine's Inspirations expire at event end (March 4, 23:59 UTC+8). Set reminders 48 hours before deadlines. Even low-value items beat complete currency loss.
Gacha Pity Mechanics & Optimization
250-Pull Hard Pity
Guaranteed S-Tier at exactly 250 pulls max, requiring 79,500 Echoes at 318 per pull. Counter displays in Essence menu, tracking pulls since last S-Tier. Players at 150 pulls know 31,800 Echoes guarantees next S-Tier.
Pity Carry-Over
Progress carries between Essence rotations within same season. Season 41 Essence 1 pity transfers to Essence 2, but resets when Season 42 launches. Players approaching season transitions (Season 41 ends ~late April) should evaluate completion value vs fresh start.
Strategic Stopping Points
50 pulls: Minimal investment, ~20% S-Tier chance
100 pulls: 35-40% acquisition rate
200 pulls: Needs only 15,900 more for guaranteed completion
Stopping between milestones wastes pity value.
Limited vs Permanent Pool
Prioritize limited Essence pools. Season 41 Essence 2 costumes eventually rotate to permanent pools but create acquisition urgency. Permanent items remain purchasable through Fragment conversion (12,888 for S-Tier).
Must-Have vs Skippable Content
Meta Relevance Analysis
Coordinator Martha: Top-tier survivor with rescue specialization—Ballad high-value for survivor mains
Gamekeeper: Mid-tier hunter, situational—Cernunnos moderate priority
Wu Chang: Top-tier hunter, strong tournament presence—Frost high-value for hunter mains
Prospector: Popular utility survivor—Dazzling set appealing for support players
Prioritize costumes for ranked characters. Collector appeal alone rarely justifies 79,500 max expenditure.
Limited Availability
Illusion Hall rotations represent true limited availability—items disappear with uncertain return schedules. Chinese New Year Frost and April 2 Dazzling demand immediate decisions; missing windows may mean 6-12 month waits.
Essence costumes enter permanent pools 3-6 months post-launch. Under strict budgets, prioritize Illusion Hall over Essence.
Character Priority System
Primary Main (500+ matches): Justify max expenditure including pity completion
Secondary (100-500 matches): Moderate budgets for A-Tier, opportunistic S-Tier
Occasional (<100 matches): Skip unless exceptional visual appeal
Focus Echoes on 2-3 primary characters for premium costumes on actually-played characters.
Maximizing Purchase Value
Optimal Purchase Windows
Wait until March 4 evening (after Valentine's end) to calculate precise deficits for March content. This provides complete information about past spending and future requirements, enabling exact purchases without excess.
BitTopup Platform Advantages
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Speed proves critical during limited releases—missing Illusion Hall deadlines by hours wastes entire purchase value.
Avoiding Over-Purchasing
Calculate exact requirements:
List desired items with Echo costs
Subtract current balance and projected income
Add 500-1,000 buffer
Purchase only calculated deficit
Prevents accumulating excessive unused Echoes. Over-purchasing by 5,000+ represents poor planning unless intentionally building reserves.
Emergency Echo Acquisition
Last-Minute Farming
Ranked grinding: 50 Echo daily bonus in 15-20 minutes
Logic Path rushing: Target unclaimed milestone rewards
Achievement completion: Review near-completion tasks
Character deduction: Advance trees near milestones
Combined methods generate 200-500 Echoes daily—bridges small gaps without purchases.
Fragment Liquidation
Convert Fragments only as last resort. Unfavorable rates (3.5:1 to 4.5:1) make this inefficient vs direct purchases. But missing limited items wastes more value. If facing April 2 deadline with 4,000 Echoes needing 4,594, convert 2,500+ Fragments for 594 deficit rather than missing B-Tier pet.
Strategic BitTopup Quick Top-Up
Instant delivery enables last-minute purchases without missing deadlines. Automated processing delivers within minutes, accommodating hours-before-deadline purchases. Calculate exact shortfall, purchase only necessary quantities.
FAQ
How many Echoes should I save after Valentine's event?
Save 12,000-18,000 depending on spending level. F2P needs minimum 12,000 for essential Illusion Hall items. Light spenders target 15,000-18,000 to cover Chinese New Year Frost (4,066-4,274) and April 2 Dazzling (4,664-4,874) plus Essence pulls.
When does Valentine's 2026 event end?
March 4, 2026 at 23:59 UTC+8. Fluttering Heart Package shares this deadline. Convert all event currency before expiration—unused currency expires permanently.
What's confirmed for March 2026?
Season 41 Essence 2 (February 27): Ballad S-Tier Coordinator, Cernunnos A-Tier Gamekeeper, Robin A-Tier Lanternist. Chinese New Year Illusion Hall: Frost S-Tier Wu Chang, Frozen Core A-Tier accessory. April 2: Dazzling Prospector set (4,594-5,464 Echoes).
How does Essence pity work?
Hard pity guarantees S-Tier at 250 pulls max (79,500 Echoes at 318 per pull). Counter displays in Essence menu, resets after any S-Tier drop. Pity carries between same-season rotations but resets when new seasons launch.
Can I convert Valentine's currency to Echoes?
No. Event currencies like Valentine's Inspirations expire at event end (March 4, 23:59 UTC+8) and must be spent on event shop items. Only Fragments convert to Echoes through standard shop exchange.
Where should I buy Echoes safely?
BitTopup provides secure purchases with competitive pricing, instant delivery, encrypted transactions, and 24/7 support. Transparent pricing without hidden fees, multiple payment methods for international players—ideal for emergency and planned top-ups.