The neon-lit streets of New Eridu shimmered with anticipation as fireworks burst across the digital skyline, signaling not just the arrival of 2025 but the beginning of Zenless Zone Zero's grandest celebration yet. The Day of Brilliant Wishes event swept through the city like an electric storm, wrapping players in a whirlwind of festive chaos centered around Astra Yao's urgent mission: transforming the humble Bangboo Eous into a dazzling showstopper worthy of the New Year's stage. Who could resist the charm of dressing up their mechanical companion while competing against other Proxies? The air buzzed with competitive spirit and the joyful panic of last-minute costume changes, as players discovered that fashion battles could be just as intense as Hollow raids. Yet beneath the glitter and glamour lingered an unspoken tension—could this temporary unity among rivals survive beyond the festival's finale? The answer danced just out of reach, like confetti caught in the wind.

🌟 A Star-Studded Invitation

To join Astra's glamorous endeavor, Proxies needed more than enthusiasm—they had to prove their mettle. Reaching Inter Knot Level 15 and completing the Soldier 11 Agent Story: Mole in the Hole served as the golden ticket. The event's generous timeline, spanning from January 23 to March 10, allowed even casual players to immerse themselves without rush. Yet a whisper of melancholy touched those who skipped Astra-Nomical Moment; stumbling into dialogues about characters they'd never met felt like crashing a private reunion. Why did Evelyn's knowing smirk or Astra's reference to 'that incident in Sector 7' leave them feeling like outsiders? The emotional weight of unfinished stories hung heavy, a reminder that in New Eridu, every connection mattered.

👗 The Runway Revolution: Ridu's Got Boo

At the heart of the event lay Ridu's Got Boo, a flamboyant showdown where Eous battled rival Bangboos in 1v1 fashion competitions. Three stages unfolded:

• Main Competition: Following Astra’s whimsical storyline felt like chasing a shooting star—brief, beautiful, and strangely intimate

• Extra Training: Unlocked through outfit collection, where each new costume made Eous shuffle nervously, as if asking, "Do I really have to wear this?"

• Refinement: High-stakes duels where tapping arrow keys to rhythmic beats became an obsessive dance

The gameplay loop thrilled and frustrated in equal measure. Matching arrow keys flooded the screen like digital rain, building toward Fever Mode—a crescendo of frantic tapping where players hammered keys as if their life depended on it. Victory tasted sweet, but defeat? That hollow pang when Eous’s costume malfunctioned mid-performance... could any amount of polychromes heal that pride?

✂️ Crafting Couture: Tailored for Boo

Behind every great Bangboo stood an exhausted Proxy hunting fabrics in dank Hollows. Tailored for Boo was less a quest and more a fashion emergency, sending players scrambling through Ether-filled corridors to battle Ethereals for shimmering materials. The process felt bizarrely therapeutic—after hours of combat, watching Eous nervously model a sequined cape made monster-slaying feel like haute couture sourcing. Main story outfits came easily, but the real treasures hid behind side quests. Tracking those elusive markers through New Eridu’s labyrinthine alleys sparked unexpected adventures: stumbling upon hidden noodle stalls, overhearing NPC gossip about Nicole's mysterious new attire, or simply pausing to watch fireworks reflect in rain puddles. Was collecting virtual clothes supposed to feel this... human?

🥕 Chaos & Carrots: Grand Marcel Adventure

Then came the beautiful madness of Grand Marcel Adventure—a Fall Guys-inspired free-for-all where 12 Proxies collided in candy-colored obstacle courses. Platforms vanished beneath feet, bounce pads launched players into comedic free-falls, and the desperate scramble for Carrots turned allies into temporary rivals. Ranking felt intensely personal: the euphoria of a top-three finish versus the soul-crushing defeat of missing the finish line by milliseconds. Yet in the chaos, magic happened. Strangers coordinated jumps, sacrificed leads to revive fallen competitors, and spammed celebratory emotes at the finale. That surreal camaraderie—could it outlast the 2,200 Carrot grind? The event never answered, letting memories of shared laughter hang in the air like unanswered questions.

🎁 Glittering Rewards & Nicole’s Secret

Completing Astra’s vision showered players in riches:

Reward	Quantity	Emotional Impact
Polychromes	1680	"Finally! That banner pull is mine!"
Nicole’s Outfit	1	A fashion masterpiece shrouded in mystery
Ether Chips	Various	The satisfying click of progression

But the crown jewel—Nicole’s free outfit—demanded emotional investment. Filling the Illumination Countdown bar through story missions felt like unraveling a love letter to New Eridu. Receiving it mid-event, not after exhausting all content, was a genius touch. Players could admire Nicole’s new style while still immersed in the festival’s glow, wondering: Who designed this? Why these colors? The outfit whispered secrets the event never spelled out.

As March approaches, The Day of Brilliant Wishes leaves behind more than just rewards. It gifted moments—Astra’s proud smile when Eous finally nailed a routine, the collective groan of 12 players missing a jump, the solitary pride in dressing a digital companion. In reframing combat as creativity and competition as connection, Zenless Zone Zero asked quietly: can a game make us feel truly brilliant? For thousands of Proxies lost in New Eridu’s glow, the answer shimmered in every firework, every costume change, every wish made upon the virtual stars.