Zenless Zone Zero: preparing for Sigrid's arrival — pre-farming, materials and pulls before the August 19 banner

Sigrid of Azure arrives in Zenless Zone Zero on Wednesday, August 19 at 1:00 PM (Paris time, i.e. 12:00 PM server time Europe), with the second phase of version 3.1 "Long Farewells." Her signal search banner, "'Till the Ends of the Sky," will remain open until the end of the version, on September 8 at 11:59 PM. An S-Rank Ice attacker wielding a spear, she is the headliner of the second half of the anniversary patch.

There are therefore twelve days left, and almost everything that costs time can be settled before her release: ascension seals, skill chips, Drive Discs, pull reserves. HoYoverse has even placed a triple patrol reward window from August 12 to 17, ideal for stocking up without burning extra energy.

Here is the official schedule for phase 2, the list of materials to pre-farm with their exact French names, the free pulls to secure, and a "pull or skip" analysis based on the state of your account as of August 7, 2026.

Sigrid of Azure, Roscaelifer's Ice lancer

Revealed by the official "Character Reveal" of season 3, Sigrid of Azure is deputy administrative director of Roscaelifer's Airspace Patrol Department (HoYoverse has not yet published a French label for this faction). She is an S-Rank Agent with an Attack specialty and Ice attribute, with an aerial knighthood style, voiced by Dani Chambers in English and Yuhko Kaida in Japanese.

On paper, she is above all the first real field Ice carry since Ellen, released at the game's launch two years ago. After Remielle and her Lumiflux Anomaly archetype in phase 1, 3.1 thus closes its anniversary loop with a much more classic profile: crit, direct damage, and a starting spot on the field.

A kit built for stun windows

According to client data compiled by Game8 (updated as of August 3) and Icy Veins, her gameplay revolves around the Aerial Patrol Spear state (French client labels still unknown, as Sigrid has not yet been released): each so-called Unbridled Spear attack — EX Special Skill, chain attack, ultimate, counterattack after a dodge, or fourth hit of the basic combo — refreshes this state and charges one use of Converging Spear, her alternate basic attack.

Converging Spear unfolds in three increasingly powerful stages. While charging the first two, Sigrid can block an attack with her shield: a successful block cancels the damage and refreshes the state in the process. The whole thing also increases her crit rate — Icy Veins notes a gain that can reach around 66%, a beta figure to be confirmed at release.

The emerging playstyle is clear: stay on the field, maintain the state, then compress the full sequence into stun windows. Her signature W-Engine, "Knight's Extolment" (S-Rank, Attack), will be featured in the weapon banner running alongside her own.

The official phase 2 schedule

The reruns of Dialyn, Ukinami Yuzuha and Asaba Harumasa accompany the brand-new banner, according to the schedule relayed by Game8. When phase 2 opens, Remielle's banner and her W-Engine's banner close for good for this version: if you're still interested in her, this is your deadline.

Pre-farming: the materials to stock up on, with their English names

The names below are the official English labels from the HoYoLAB wiki. This is the most cost-effective part of your preparation: everything can be farmed starting today.

• Level-ups (level thresholds): Basic Attack Seal ×4, Advanced Attack Seal ×32 and Pioneer's Seal ×30, plus roughly 800,000 Dennies overall according to Game8. Head to the Combat Simulations, accessible via the VR device in the Random Play store.
• Skills: Basic Chip: Ice, Advanced Chip: Ice, and Specialized Chip: Ice. Level 12 of each skill also requires a Hamster Cage Access — five in total to fully max everything out — obtainable via the Ridu Fund (New Eridu's battle pass) and events.
• Core Skill: the boss materials tied to Sigrid hadn't been confirmed yet as of August 7. Don't burn through your weekly boss attempts before her release: save them for the week of the 19th.
• Drive Discs: Game8 highlights a 4-piece "Dawn's Bloom" build paired with a 2-piece "Branch & Blade Song"; if you don't have these recent sets, a 4-piece Woodpecker Electro set remains a safe, crit-focused alternative. Main stats to aim for: CRIT DMG in slot 4, Ice DMG in slot 5, ATK in slot 6, with crit-focused substats as top priority.

One last logistical note: leveling up an S-Rank Agent quickly eats up more than a million Dennies once you factor in skills and Drive Discs. If your reserves are low, put some of your daily energy toward this right now rather than trying to catch up all at once on August 19.

August 12-17: don't miss the triple-loot window

The "Extensive Patrol: Triple Bounty" event triples Area Patrol rewards from August 12, 5:00 AM to August 17, 4:59 AM (Paris time). This window falls right before the banner: plan your farming sessions around it, as it offers the best energy-to-loot ratio of the fortnight.

Watch out for a calendar trap: the equivalent event for Combat Simulations, "Combat Training: Triple Bounty," only runs from September 2 to 7, meaning after Sigrid's release. Don't wait for it to farm your seals and chips; it will instead be useful for finishing off skill levels 11 and 12 later in the version.

And if you're reading this on the day of publication: the photo event "Snap! Focus Showdown!" opens today, August 7, at 11:00 AM (Paris time) and runs until August 24, offering easy Polychromes to pick up alongside your farming.

Your pull budget through August 19

Rules reminder: an S-Rank Agent is guaranteed by the 90th pull at the latest, with a 50% chance that it's Sigrid; if that fails, the next S-Rank is guaranteed. The worst-case full scenario therefore comes to 180 pulls. Before the banner opens, several free sources are worth locking in:

• "Gift From the Clouds": 10 Encrypted Master Tapes (limited pulls) for 7 days of login, until September 8 — start today if you haven't already;
• "The Great En-Nah Giveaway": 10 Encrypted Master Tapes and an additional 10 Boopons, over 7 days of login starting August 19;
• the 3.1 compensation: 2 × 300 Polychromes (from Inter-Knot 4 onward), one of which must be claimed by August 28 at 11:59 PM (UTC+8) at the latest;
• the Hollow Zero commissions: Bangboo Party, generous in Polychromes — we've dedicated a full guide to them.

Add to that the second anniversary rewards (30 pulls and an S-Rank Agent selector, detailed in our guide to the "A Long Farewell" event) if you haven't spent them yet: a diligent account can approach August 19 with a full guarantee without opening your wallet.

Should you pull for Sigrid? Three profiles, three answers

You got Hugo from the anniversary selector. Partial overlap: same Ice attribute, same Attack specialty. The gameplay differs — Hugo is an executor who converts Stun gauges into massive finishing blows, while Sigrid holds the field continuously — but your Ice showcase is already covered. On a young account with a tight budget, skipping this one is perfectly defensible.

Your account has no modern Ice carry. Ellen has two years of service under her belt, along with the stat inflation that comes with it: Sigrid is the expected upgrade. On the team side, Game8 recommends Norma and Astra Yao as a premium setup, or Anby and Soukaku as an accessible version. Without her signature W-Engine, Deep Sea Visitor or The Brimstone get the job done, with Cannon Rotor filling in as an A-Rank option.

You're saving up for 3.2. Nothing official had been announced as of August 7 about the next version: don't let rumors dictate your saving strategy. Sigrid's banner runs until September 8 — you have three weeks to sift through the first real-world feedback before making up your mind.

The checklist before August 19

• Starting today: claim the compensation, start the 7 days of "Gift From the Clouds", kick off "Snap! Focus Showdown!" and direct your daily energy toward Ice Chips and Attack Seals;
• from August 12 to 17: focus farming on the tripled zone patrol;
• before August 19: decide Remielle's fate, as her banner closes when phase 2 opens;
• August 19 at 1:00 PM: Sigrid's banner, the "Knight's Extolment" W-Engine, reruns, and the second login event;
• before August 28 at 11:59 PM (UTC+8): claim the second 300 Polychrome compensation.

Prepared this way, Sigrid can be leveled to 60, with skills trained and Discs equipped, within hours of obtaining her — just in time for the end of Bangboo Party's season and the end-of-version content.