Patch overview and release schedule
Rating matches were suspended during technical work on March 26 (08:00 - 11:00 UTC +8, forced shutdown after 11:00). Fast matches, custom games, events and Logical Path remained available throughout the time.
| Phase | Date | Key Event |
|---|---|---|
| Hotfix/Maintenance | March 26, 2026, 08:00 UTC +8 | Rating matches closed; exit until 10:30 |
| Celebrating the Return of Costume | March 26, 2026 | Free coupons, all characters are unlocked |
| April Update of the Hall of Illusions | April 2nd, 2026 | Blinding glory, blinding lone wolf, Mario's pet |
| Character Days (Orpheus, Grace, Chi Shii) | 2-5 April 2026 | New awards for past participants |
| Conclusion of the "Guest from the Outside" investigation | April 22, 2026 | Last day of daily assignments for evidence/fragments |
| Celebrating the return of costumes | May 6, 2026 | Last Day of Free Coupons |
| Expiration of Echo discount coupon | May 31, 2026 | Longest term in this patch |
Important point: The Echoes discount coupon is valid until May 31-longer than all other offers-but according to official notes, it cannot be summed up with the first week discounts.
The official wiki is the most reliable secondary source; information on fan wiki resources is sometimes updated with a delay of 24 - 48 hours when adjusting features.
New cosmetic items: what to buy
April 2 is a key date for new content. Two cosmetic items on the Burator and one pet were released, and the priority of purchases was not as one might expect.
Costume "Blinding Lone Wolf" and accessory "Blinding Glory"(The Burner)
- Dress for the Blind Lone Wolf: 1388 Echoes standard price. 1178 Echoes in the First Week - The 15% discount is real, use it if the Miner is your main character.
- Accessories "Blinding glory"(S-rank): 1388 - 1888 Echoes (see the exact amount in the regional in-game store).
Mario Pet is a Smarter Choice for F2P
At Price 388 Echoes Mario belongs to the B-rank, but this is the right priority for economical gamblers. An active F2P player earns approximately $100 million. 5000 - 5800 Echoes over the 28-day period of the event (daily tasks ~ 3360, weekly ~ 2000, rating ~ 1400, events ~ 200 - 500). Mario fits into this budget.
The community's opinion is clear: pick up limited pets from collaborations before S-rank accessoriesItems from collaborations are not returned according to the standard schedule, which makes them more valuable in the long run for economical players.
If you want to save up for "Blinding Glory" or "Lone Wolf", it's worth considering. Echoes in Identity V Through the loot hub-the first replenishment bonus when buying at $9.99 gives approximately $0.0132 for one Echo, which is enough for Mario and remains more.
Archer-S-rank, which can be opened in a week
The archer holds the S-rank since the 36th season. 688 Echoes A dedicated F2P player can open the Archer in about a week of daily tasks and matches. "Borrowed Time"("Knee Jerk Reflex")An important clarification that many guides miss: this build is especially strong against single-damage Hunters. Against multi-damage hunters or area control hunters, you will have to adapt.
Balance adjustments after patch
Correction of the Inertia Error in the Mercenary (Cueist)
The official notes confirm: The effects of Inertia are now correctly applied when damage is received during decoding with delay from fearPreviously, if the Survivor suffered damage during the decryption process with delay from fear, the debaff did not sum up properly. This fix makes the Mercenary pressure toolkit more consistent in the later game, where such situations occur frequently.
This is not a traditional buffs or nerfs, but a correction of mechanics. However, in practice, it is a small buffs of the Mercenary vs. the Hunter in certain game situations.
For survivors: The decryption penalty is now applied correctly when damage is delayed due to fear. Adjust your position when decoding if you are injured.
Mechanics of the "Fool's Day" regime
Only for limited mode-do not apply this in rating strategies. But mechanics are really interesting.
The Hunters:
- Increase with successful strikes and when the Survivor on the chair → greater attack radius, faster breaks the chair, slower climbing over obstacles.
- Decreased with misses and loss of control → reduced radius, faster climbing through pallets.
Survivors increase as They are held, pursued or deciphered → faster drop pallets, longer stun, slower climb.
Survivors are reduced when get hit, open chests or fail skills tests → climb faster, can pass through pallets in a minimum size.
Encryption machines run away when approaching and increase during long chases - Long-term chases actively complicate decoding for your team. This encourages Survivors to finish the chase quickly rather than kikittens endlessly.
Additional regime changes: Rocket chairs can be pursued, they automatically pick up downed Survivors; undead transforms chairs; facial jackets bite. None of this affects the rating.
Meta Survivors: Deep SS-rank analysis
The period when all characters are free (March 26-May 6) allows you to test each Survivor without spending Echoes.
Matador-why SS-rank is justified
Mulet's skill numbers explain everything:
| Features | Value |
|---|---|
| Distance of the jerk | 6 metres |
| Wave radius | 2.5 meters |
| The window of invulnerability to damage | 0.6 seconds |
| Distance of bonus snatch when hit | 10 metres |
| Slow down the hunter when triggered | 50% for 2.5 seconds |
The details of timing that many guides miss: ahead of the Hunter's strike to absorb damage and cause rejectionA reactive jerk after you've already been hit completely wastes the window of invulnerability. Practice this in quick matches before you go to the rankings-the difference between a good player and a great player on Matador lies in this timing.
Optimal composition of the team: Striker + Matador + Seer + MechanicCovers kite, decryption speed, review control and repair. Community testing confirms that it is particularly effective against the Wheel of Grief due to immunity to rejection.
List of Survivors of Season 41
| Tir | The survivors |
|---|---|
| SS. | Striker, Chirleadshea, Archangel, Matador |
| S | Seer, Mercenary, Battery, Lantern, Doctor, Toy Seller, Gardener, Grave, Novelist, Mechanic, Prisoner, Antiquarian, Meteorologist |
Why are these four in SS-rank: The striker has the highest kite potential for experienced players. The cheerleader multiplies the efficiency of any other Survivor. The control of the card and the speed of the Miner decoding are unmatched. Matador creates a unique resistance to the Hunter that no other Survivor can replicate.
The Mercenary's correction is a small plus for his S-rank position: the more stable Inertia overlay makes his pressure resistance tools more reliable.
No major revisions of the Hunters, other than the Mercenary correction, have not been confirmed. The Hunters ratings from the end of the 40th season remain relevant for April 2026 without significant changes.
Rating Mode-Season 41
Rating matches resumed as normal after maintenance on March 26. There are no changes to the scoring system or thresholds in this patch.
The "Deduction Star" event This will last until April 2026-this is one of the most effective ways to obtain permanent cosmetic items A-rank without spending Echoes. Earnings "Letters of Muses": 5 for a win, 4 for a draw, 3 for a defeat, limit of 15 per day.
Solo vs Team Game: The composition of four SS-rank characters works best in coordinated teams. In the solo queue, stay simple: play as SS or S-rank Survivors, prioritize decryption efficiency, and be treated before returning to the cipher machines after the Mercenary is patched.
Gacha vs Direct Purchase: Mathematics
Most of the articles are silent about it, so here are the facts: Direct purchase in the "Hall of Illusions" is 23 - 57 times cheaper than achieving a guarantor in gacha.
According to community calculations, the guarantor in gacha is approximately 79,500 Echoes. S-rank suit for direct purchase costs 2,888 Echoes or about 2,166 Echoes with a discount of 25% in the first week. If you have not already made more than 50 cool in the banner, direct purchase is always a better economic solution.
April 2026 specific: buy the "Blinding Lone Wolf"(1178 Echoes in the first week) and the pet Mario (388 Echoes) directly.
Players who want to make the most of Echoes 'budget for direct purchases can compare options Added Identity V - The first deposit bonus offers the best Echoes course.
Event content-full analysis for F2P
Celebration of the Return of Costume (March 26-May 6)
Free rewards for each player:
| Subject | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Voucher for returned costume × 1 | Any returned S/A rarity suit is free | 8,000 pieces, if all is already there |
| Discount card 50% × 2 | 50% off echo on returned S/A rarity costumes | Only for valuable items |
| Discount coupon in echo x3 | Discount 388 echoes on any S/A rarity suit | Valid until May 31; not added with first week discount |
The voucher is the most valuable free item. Fragment packages in this event: 1,888 pieces for 160 Echoes (Limit 1) and 6,888 pieces in 980 Echoes (Limitations 1).
Famous returning costumes:
- Series ONCE (A-Rank): Ripper "Good Child", Grave "epitaph", First Assistant "Date of Departure", Doctor "Restoration", Fiddler "Symphony of the Devil".
- The Ivory Tower Series (B-rank): Doctor "Gentle Student", Perfume "Royal Maid", Mercenary "Black Sheep", Coordinator "Lady".
Investigation "Guest from the Outside"(March 26-April 22)
Daily combat missions bring clues, fragments and monocles. This is the main event for Pharma fragments during the patch period. Complete daily tasks sequentially-the deadline of April 22 is strict.
Character Days (2 - 5 April)
Orpheus, Grace and Qi Shia have their days with additional reward levels for players who participated in past character days. Check the event tab for participation.
Daily Entry Awards
After accumulating 3,000 community entries, rewards are opened: Map of opening accessory A-rank, 888 Inspiration, 1888These are awards for community achievements, not individual series entries.
Truth and Conclusions: The Oath of Traitors
Receive The Princess Mask. and Dress of the Gardener "Freilina" through the story-Echoes are not required. Complete the story chapters before the event ends.
Action plan: priorities on deadlines
This week (until April 9th):
- Pick up a free voucher, two 50% discount cards and three Echoes discount coupons in the Event tab.
- Buy The Blinding Lone Wolf for the first week price (1,178 Echoes) if the Burner is your main character.
- Start your daily "Guest from the Outside" investigation tasks.
- Use the free access window to all characters to test SS-Rank Survivors you don't have.
Until 22 April: 5. Complete all the daily tasks of the investigation "Guest from the Outside". 6. Take part in character days if you have a history of involvement in events with Orpheus, Grace or Qi Shii.
Until 6 May: 7. Use your return suit voucher-don't let it expire. 8. Buy Mario (388 Echoes)-pets from collaborations do not return according to the standard schedule. 9. Go through Truth and Conclusions for the free Princess Mask and Gardener costume.
Until 31 May: 10. Use your Echoes discount coupons (388 Echoes discount on any S/A-rank suit).
Rating councils:
- First practice timing Matador's preemptive jerk in quick matches.
- Use the Striker + Matador + Seer + Mechanic line-up in a coordinated play.
- In the lead queue: give priority to decryption efficiency, be treated before returning to the encryption machines.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most important thing to do in this patch? Collect a free return suit voucher until May 6. It allows you to get any returning S/A rank suit free of charge per fragment or convert into 8,000 pieces if you already have all the items available.
Are all characters really free? Yes, officially confirmed. All characters are available to play from March 26 to May 6, 2026. This is a trial period, not permanent possession.
Which Survivor Should You Focus on? If you can master only one-Matador. The highest ceiling of skill and direct opposition to top Hunters. The attacker is a safer choice if you are new to kite.
Has the speed of the encryption machines changed in the rating? No. The standard decryption speed in the rating has not changed. The "Fool's Day" mode changes the behavior of machines (they run away, grow during chases), but this only applies to this mode.
Pet Mario or "Blinding Glory"-what to buy? Mario for economical players.388 vs. 1388 + Echoes, besides pets from collaborations do not return according to the standard schedule. F2P earnings are enough for Mario without Donat;"Blinding Glory" requires additional spending.
What exactly changes the Mercenary's correction? The Inertia effects are now correctly superimposed if the Survivor is injured during decoding with fear delay. Survivors: adjust the position when decoding. Hunters playing against the Mercenary: your pressure tool set is now more stable in the late game.
When does season 41 end? Keep an eye on the Identity V official website and in-game announcements. The Deduction Star event, which runs through April 2026, is your best source of rating cosmetic awards at the moment.
