Let me tell you, Proxy, when I first laid eyes on the New Eridu City Fund, I honestly thought it was just another run-of-the-mill battle pass. I could not have been more wrong. After I unlocked the Growth Plan and eventually said 'screw it, give me the premium upgrade,' my account went from scraping by on a few stray Encrypted Master Tapes to absolutely swimming in them. If you have been sleeping on this event, now is the time to wake up and smell the Dennies.

I remember during the Version 2.2 season, the event window ran all the way until October 13, 2025 at 03:59 server time. That may feel like old news now here in 2026, but the core loop has not changed one bit. Each new season still drops the same sweet mechanics, and I still use the exact same strategy to max out my City Fund Level before the clock runs out. The early bird catches the worm, and in New Eridu, that worm is a shiny pile of upgrade materials.

The very first thing I had to do was unlock Combat Simulation by clearing Main Story Chapter 1, which the game calls 'Cat's Lost & Found.' It is not a huge grind, but it caught a few of my friends off guard. One buddy of mine was stuck wondering why his City Fund tab looked dead until he realized he had not finished that chapter. Do not be that Proxy. Knock out the story first, then the real fun begins.

At the start of every New Eridu City Fund season, the Basic Plan is automatically unlocked. That means you can complete Expansion Tasks to earn experience and raise your Fund Level without spending a single Polychrome. I made it a habit to log in daily and bang out these tasks like clockwork. Some are as simple as spending stamina, others are tied to specific combat modes, but they all add up. Before I knew it, my Fund Level was climbing, and the free rewards were rolling in.

Now here is where things get interesting. If you unlock the Growth Plan, and later grab the Plan Upgrade to reach the Premium Plan, the rewards get seriously spicy. I am talking Encrypted Master Tapes and a Selectable A-Rank W-Engine on top of everything else. That W-Engine alone is worth the price of admission if your roster is still missing a solid option. For me, it was a no-brainer. I picked the engine that finally pushed my favorite Agent to the next tier, and the power spike was immediate.

Speaking of Premium Plan goodies, the exclusive avatar 'Lotus Lucid Dream' and the exclusive namecard 'Where Sky Rests in Water' are pure flex material. I equipped them the moment I unlocked them, and honestly, every co-op partner I matched with knew I meant business. The namecard especially has this dreamy, reflective vibe that just screams 'I am a seasoned Proxy.' Here is a quick breakdown of the plans so you can see the value with your own eyes:

  • Basic Plan: automatically unlocked each season, free rewards through Expansion Tasks.

  • Growth Plan: adds Encrypted Master Tapes and a Selectable A-Rank W-Engine at milestone levels.

  • Premium Plan: includes all Growth Plan rewards plus exclusive avatar, namecard, and extra premium-goodie vibes.

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That image right there is exactly the kind of energy the City Fund brings every season.

One crucial detail I almost fumbled during the 2.2 season was the purchase window. The Growth Plan, Premium Plan, and Plan Upgrade purchases all closed on October 13, 2025 at 02:59 server time, which is about an hour before the event itself wrapped up at 03:59. After that, Proxies could still finish Expansion Tasks and claim pending rewards, but if you had not bought the plan yet, you were out of luck. I set a reminder on my phone after hearing a horror story from a guildmate who missed the window by thirty minutes. Do not let that be you.

Then there is the Great Builder's Certificate. Once I unlocked the Growth Plan or Premium Plan and hit City Fund Level Lv. 30, I could claim it. Now here is the kicker: this certificate is a time-limited reward for the current City Fund period. It will not be carried over to the next New Eridu City Fund season, and it expires automatically if you do not use it within the time limit. I learned to pop it the same day I claimed it. There is no point sitting on a golden ticket that is about to turn into a pumpkin.

Looking back, the New Eridu City Fund has been one of the most reliable bang-for-your-buck systems in Zenless Zone Zero, both back in the 2.2 update and now in 2026. A little bit of daily grinding goes a long way, and the premium upgrades are genuinely worth it if you plan to stick around. My advice? Do not sleep on the Expansion Tasks, do not miss the purchase deadline, and do not hoard the Great Builder's Certificate. Handle those three things and you will be swimming in rewards every single season. 😎🎁