Since its launch in July 2024, Polychromes have remained the lifeblood of Zenless Zone Zero’s gacha system. Whether you’re hunting for the latest limited S-rank Agent or stocking up on Encrypted Master Tapes, knowing where to find this premium currency can make or break your account. But are you sure you’re claiming every free Polychrome available? As of 2026, the streets of New Eridu are still packed with hidden rewards, and we’ve compiled the most up-to-date methods so you never run dry.
📰 Howl’s Newsstand Daily Scratch Card
One of the simplest daily rituals takes place at Howl’s Newsstand. Every server reset, players can grab a free scratch card. Scratch off the NXN section and hope for three excited Howls — that lucky roll hands you 40 Polychromes. While the outcome is random, this tiny habit can net you over 280 Polychromes a week with almost no effort. Think of it as New Eridu’s version of a daily lottery, and it’s completely free.
✅ Daily Errands — Your Bread and Butter
If you’re only doing one thing every day, make it the Errands. In the Random Play video store, check the shelf to the right of the TV to see your daily task list. Clearing all objectives rewards you with 60 Polychromes plus Inter-Knot Credit (account EXP). A crucial detail: the flame icon indicating your activity level must be clicked to claim these rewards — they don’t drop into your inventory automatically. With server resets occurring daily, Errands are the reliable cornerstone of any free-to-play Polychrome income.
🏆 Inter-Knot Proxy Primer – Leveling & Trials
The Inter-Knot menu holds two steady sources of Polychromes. First, every time your Inter-Knot level increases (the equivalent of a world level or Trailblaze level), the Proxy Primer offers level-up rewards that often include sizable Polychrome drops. Second, don’t overlook the Trials on the left side of the same panel. Completing these challenges delivers Polychromes alongside Coup-Ens (used for pulling Bangboos), Tapes for Signal Searches, and various upgrade materials. How often do you check back after earning a few levels? If the answer is “rarely,” you’re probably leaving currency on the table.
📋 Commissions — Story, Combat, and Scattered Tasks
Zenless Zone Zero is packed with commissions, and nearly all of them grant Polychromes. Story, Combat, and Exploration Commissions typically yield around 10 Polychromes each, while Rally Commissions and small overworld tasks (like photographing stores) offer fixed lump sums. To accept them:
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Talk to NPCs with a blue exclamation mark above their heads.
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Open the Help Request Info section in the Inter-Knot and take jobs from desperate posters.
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Check your Direct Messages for shady offers from brokers and other suspicious individuals.
With so many ways to pick up commissions, even a short play session can turn into a Polychrome spree.
🌌 Hollow Zero – Weekly Deep Dives
Hollow Zero is ZZZ’s answer to the Simulated Universe from Honkai: Star Rail. Completing a battle for the first time gives a fixed 80 Polychromes plus additional goodies. Moreover, your License Level (visible at the bottom left of the Hollow Zero screen) rewards Polychromes each time it hits a number divisible by three (3, 6, 9…) and five (5, 10, 15…). The catch? Every run costs Investigation Points, and you can only accumulate 5,000 points per week. That makes Hollow Zero a high-priority weekly activity — skip it and you’ll lose out on hundreds of Polychromes a month.
🎭 Character Demos
Whenever a new banner rotation arrives, Character Demos become available. These let you test the featured five-star Agent and, upon completion, reward you with 20 Polychromes and upgrade materials. It’s a modest but quick bonus. In 2026, with the character roster larger than ever, you’ll find these demos appearing frequently — enough to build a small Polychrome cushion for your pulls.
🤖 VR Training
Inside the Random Play store, interact with the VR Device and enter the VR Training module. Here, combat tutorials and Agent Cooperation Exercises teach you how to master each character’s kit. Each completed challenge grants 10 Polychromes plus upgrade materials. Have you exhausted all the tutorials yet? They’re a one-time source, but they add up fast, especially for new Proxies or anyone who never bothered to clear the backlog.
🎉 Limited-Time Events
As a live service title, Zenless Zone Zero runs events almost constantly. These limited-time celebrations shower players with Polychromes, Encrypted Master Tapes, and other premium resources. In 2026, the event schedule shows no sign of slowing down — from festival-themed mini-games to combat challenges, logging in regularly and participating in everything on offer is perhaps the single most lucrative way to keep your Polychrome balance healthy.
🕹️ God Finger Arcade Achievements
New Eridu’s arcade, God Finger, isn’t just for fun — it’s a Polychrome pinata. Every mini-game has associated achievements, and completing them grants bursts of Polychromes. Some time-limited events also set up shop in the arcade, so keep an eye out for exclusive opportunities. How many arcade machines have you 100%? If the answer is none, you’re sitting on a pile of unclaimed currency.
📹 Perfect Video Footage Rewards
In the Random Play store, the shelf on the left of the TV holds the Commission Log. Open it and select the Video Collection tab to see your progress. Achieving perfect video footage — which means completing all objectives within a Hollow — earns you Polychromes. Rewards vary by commission type (Phaethon’s Story, side jobs, etc.), and chasing those last few objectives can be surprisingly rewarding.
📘 Proxy Handbook Tutorials
Interact with the Workbench in Random Play to open the Proxy Handbook. It’s a repository of every tutorial you’ve ever encountered. Click on any entry marked with a “new” badge, then exit the page — you’ll be silently rewarded with Polychromes for each one you read. It’s a one-time boon, but early game it can feel like a second salary.
💳 New Eridu City Fund (Battle Pass)
The battle pass is split into a free Basic Plan and a paid Growth Plan. Only the Growth Plan, which requires real money, directly grants Polychromes and Encrypted Master Tapes as you level it up. The free track still provides a handful of Master Tapes for the standard gacha. If you’re a light spender, the paid plan is one of the most efficient ways to accelerate your Polychrome income.
💎 Premium Currency Exchange
Finally, for those who prefer a direct route, premium currency can be purchased and exchanged for Polychromes in the shop. Rates have remained consistent through multiple version updates, making this the fastest — if not always the most wallet-friendly — method.
In 2026, the Polychrome landscape in Zenless Zone Zero has seen only minor tweaks to numbers, but the core veins remain intact. By weaving together dailies, weeklies, one-time completions, and event participation, even a strictly non-spending Proxy can comfortably chase the banners that matter. The key is consistency — and never ignoring that tempting flame icon or unclicked tutorial badge. New Eridu never stops giving, if you know where to look.