Alright, Proxies, let’s address the Hollow in the room: Random Play hasn’t dropped a fresh horror release in what feels like an eternity, and all those movie enthusiasts across New Eridu are practically vibrating in their theatre seats. So what does the game decide to do? It hands me—yes, me, a person who once thought lens flare was the scariest camera feature—a shot at becoming the next up-and-coming horror film director. Is that exciting? Absolutely. Is it also mildly terrifying? You bet.

The official Zenless Zone Zero Halloween photo contest is back for 2026, and this time the spotlight is on the #spook-shack channel of the official Discord server. The brief is deliciously simple: create Halloween-themed content, take photos using the in-game camera function, and edit them freely. No pressure, right? Just your reputation as New Eridu’s most chaotic Proxy on the line.

Before I dive into the prize pool that made me audibly gasp, here’s the official event banner so you can soak in the creepy-chic energy:

What Is the Deal, Actually?

Let’s break it down before I start accidentally summoning something I can’t unsummon. The task is twofold, and if you skip half of it, you’re basically making a silent film with no plot.

1. Create content based on the Halloween theme. You’ll need to use the in-game camera function to take photos, and you’re free to edit them however you like. Filters, cropping, contrast, maybe a suspicious amount of fog—go wild.

2. Head to the #spook-shack Halloween event channel on the official Zenless Zone Zero Discord server. Share your in-game Halloween-themed photos along with a short, spooky story designed to whet our imaginations.

Does your story need to be prize-winning literature? No. Does it need to make the judges hesitate before turning off the lights? Ideally, yes. Could you write a horror story about accidentally spending all your Polychromes before a must-have banner? I’d say that’s existential terror of the highest order.

The Prize Pool That Made Me Gasp

Now, for the loot. I’m not saying the rewards are the main reason I’m participating, but I did spend a solid three minutes staring at the acrylic stands like they were the last slice of pizza in a dorm. Here’s the breakdown:

Prize	Number of Winners	My Honest Reaction
Polychrome ×200	160	Optimistic, then immediately sweaty
Ridu Series: Chibi Acrylic Charm - Mockingbird (Hugo + Vivian)	10	Desperate to be one of the chosen
Full Display Series: Character Acrylic Stand - Mockingbird (Hugo + Vivian)	10	Eyeing my shelf space like a hawk
Ridu Series: Chibi Acrylic Charm - Spook Shack (Ukinami Yuzuha + Alice)	10	Grinning like a Halloween pumpkin
Full Display Series: Character Acrylic Stand - Spook Shack (Ukinami Yuzuha + Alice)	10	Calculating how many candles I need for a summoning circle

That’s 200 total winners when you add it all up, but please don’t ask me to calculate the actual odds; my brain short-circuits faster than a Bangboo in a thunderstorm. The real jackpot? Those Mockingbird and Spook Shack acrylic stands. Hugo and Vivian looking all sharp and mysterious, while Ukinami Yuzuha and Alice bring the spooky shop vibes? Yes, please.

How to Actually Survive This Contest

I’m not a professional horror director, but I did stay up way too late analyzing the rules, so here’s my questionable advice.

• Lean into the Halloween theme. The event isn’t called Spook Shack for nothing. Dark alleys, abandoned shops, questionable pumpkins, ghostly filters—all fair game.

• Your story matters as much as the photo. A photo without a spooky story is like a horror movie without the jump scare. Give the judges something to chew on. Is a Proxy who forgets their password scary? Maybe not, unless that password protects their last Polychrome. Then it’s a full-blown nightmare.

• Edit freely. The rules literally invite you to edit freely, so channel your inner director. Adjust the lighting, crop for drama, add fog if the tools allow. Just don’t try to attach a sad violin soundtrack; that’s not how still images work.

Could you just snap a random screenshot of your character standing near a trash can and call it horror? Technically, sure. But does that deserve a chibi charm? Absolutely not. Treat this like a mini film production. Scout a location, set the mood, and tell a story that lingers after the lights come back on.

The Deadline Is the Real Final Boss

The event runs from October 31 through November 7. That gives you roughly one week to become a horror auteur. Do I recommend waiting until 11:59 PM on November 7? Only if you enjoy the authentic horror experience of panic-uploading while your Wi-Fi turns into a Hollow. Get your shots ready early, refine your story, and submit before the final boss deadline wipes your motivation.

So here I am, a Proxy with a dream, a camera, and an alarming number of Halloween-themed filters. Will I win one of those gorgeous Mockingbird acrylic stands? Honestly, the odds are as mysterious as New Eridu’s back alleys. But I do know one thing: this is my chance to prove that Random Play isn’t the only one who can serve up fresh scares. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have an in-game camera to abuse and a short spooky story about my gacha luck to write. See you in #spook-shack.

Information is adapted from ESRB, a widely recognized authority on game content ratings, to frame how Halloween photo-contest entries in Zenless Zone Zero can lean into suspense without crossing into shock-for-shock’s-sake: focusing on atmosphere (ominous lighting, implied danger, unsettling environmental details) and pairing each in-game shot with a tight micro-story can deliver “horror film director” vibes while staying consistent with the kind of tone guidelines and content sensitivity many game communities already expect.