Quick answer: Every Roxy release-date post you have read says "September 30, probably" and calls it a projection. That is because they all checked the wrong document. HoYoverse has not published a Phase 2 start time — but it did publish a Phase 1 end time, in the official V3.2 Limited-Time Channels (Phase I) notice: 2026/09/30 11:59 (server time). In Version 3.0 and Version 3.1 the Phase 2 channels opened at 12:00 server time on the same day, one minute after Phase 1 closed, with no gap either time. So the Roxy "Cindernight Respite" Signal Search opens at 12:00 server time on 2026-09-30 — a date that is effectively first-party, and an hour nobody is printing. The notice that says so in as many words should land around 2026-09-28, two days out, which is when both previous Phase 2 notices were published.
This guide covers Version 3.2 "Their Secret Histories", live since 2026-09-09 (06:00, UTC+8). HoYoverse publishes its length outright in the update announcement: "Version 3.2 will run for 42 days, ending on 2026/10/21 06:00 (UTC+8)." Everything labelled confirmed below is quoted from HoYoverse's own announcements and notices on HoYoLAB. Everything that is an inference is labelled as one, and everything circulating from beta builds is quarantined in its own section so you can see exactly where the line sits.
When does the ZZZ Roxy banner start?
Start with the one sentence that matters. The official V3.2 Limited-Time Channels (Phase I) notice opens with this:
"The Agent and W-Engine Signal Search Event period is as follows: After the Version 3.2 Update – 2026/09/30 11:59 (server time)."
— HoYoverse, V3.2 Limited-Time Channels (Phase I), published 2026-09-07
That timestamp is the hard edge of Phase 1. The Claret "Bloodmoon Rising" channel, the Nangong Yu "Axiom of Captivation" channel and both Phase 1 W-Engine channels all stop at 11:59 server time on September 30. Whatever replaces them replaces them from that minute onward.
Now the precedent, which is where the hour comes from. ZZZ has run the same handoff at each of the last two version midpoints, and every one of these numbers is printed in a HoYoverse notice:
| Version | Phase 1 channels end | Phase 2 channels begin | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0 | 2026/07/08 11:59 server time | 2026/07/08 12:00 server time | 1 minute |
| 3.1 | 2026/08/19 11:59 server time | 2026/08/19 12:00 server time | 1 minute |
| 3.2 | 2026/09/30 11:59 server time | not yet published | — |
Two independent versions, the same 11:59 to 12:00 turnover, no downtime and no maintenance window between halves. Applied to the published Version 3.2 figure, the Roxy channel opens at 12:00 server time on 2026-09-30.
One detail that trips people up: "server time" is not UTC and it is not Beijing time. It is the clock of the server your account lives on — America, Europe or Asia. 12:00 server time means noon wherever your account is registered, so an Asia-server player and an America-server player both get Roxy at local midday, thirteen real hours apart. There is no single global unlock moment to set an alarm for.
The end of the Roxy channel follows the same pattern. Version 3.0's Phase 2 ran to 2026/07/28 14:59, the day before the 3.1 update; Version 3.1's Phase 2 ran to 2026/09/08 14:59, the day before the 3.2 update. Version 3.2's end is published — 2026/10/21 06:00 UTC+8 — so the Roxy channel should close at 2026/10/20 14:59 server time. The closing timestamp is an inference, not a quote, but it rests on a published version end plus the same two precedents, and the Version 3.2 event calendar already has three events terminating on 2026/10/20 03:59, which is consistent with a final-day wind-down.
Why "September 30" is everywhere and still gets called unconfirmed
Because almost every calendar is reading the Version 3.2 Update Announcement, which lists Roxy under new agents and never mentions a phase date at all. We made the same call in our own ZZZ 3.2 banner guide on September 8, and it was the right call with the documents available that day: the announcement says Roxy arrives in the second half and stops there.
The Limited-Time Channels notice is a different document, published separately on September 7, and it is the one carrying the timestamps. It never says the word "Roxy" — which is exactly why aggregators skip it. It bounds the Roxy banner from the other side.
So the honest framing is this. September 30 as a date is now effectively confirmed, because the thing it replaces has a published expiry on that date and ZZZ has never left a gap. September 30 as an officially announced Roxy start does not exist yet, and will not until HoYoverse publishes the V3.2 Limited-Time Channels (Phase II) notice. Based on the last two versions — the 3.0 Phase 2 notice went up two days before the switch, the 3.1 Phase 2 notice also two days before — expect that notice on or around 2026-09-28.
What has HoYoverse officially confirmed about Roxy in Zenless Zone Zero?
This is the complete first-party list as of 2026-09-20. It is shorter than most Roxy articles imply.
She is an S-Rank Wind Stun agent. The Version 3.2 Update Announcement lists her as "S-Rank Agent Roxy (Wind - Stun)" under new agents. That is the entire officially published description of her combat identity — an attribute and a specialty, nothing more.
Her channel is called Cindernight Respite. Same announcement: Roxy "can be obtained through the 'Cindernight Respite' Signal Search." The name is confirmed even though the dates are not.
Her signature W-Engine is Crimson Moon Casket. Listed as "S-Rank W-Engine Crimson Moon Casket (Stun)," obtainable through its own "Crimson Moon Casket" Signal Search. That is a standard debut W-Engine channel, which matters for the pull math below.
She belongs to the Roscaelifer Flint Workshop. Her official Agent Record, posted to HoYoLAB on 2026-08-07 — a full month before Version 3.2 went live — gives her full name as Roxy Ifrita Pryce and places her at Flint Works under the workshop banner. The same record carries the only officially published line about how she is regarded in-world:
"What do you mean 'where are my other nine assistants?'... Roxy alone is worth ten of them!"
— Claret Flint, official Roxy Agent Record
She has the full debut content package. Version 3.2 adds Agent Trust Events and Quality Time Events for Claret and Roxy, dynamic wallpapers for both, and a Tactical Prism plus a Tactical Prism Program with its own Exploration Mission. Every one of those is itemised in the update announcement, and HoYoverse released Claret and Roxy's character avatars in a separate post on 2026-09-10 — this is a standard flagship debut, not a side release.
That is it. Element, specialty, channel name, W-Engine name, faction, support content. There is no published skill list, no numbers, no Mindscape descriptions, no team recommendations.
What about Roxy is not confirmed yet?
A lot of very specific-sounding Roxy information is circulating right now: named skills, tornado-stacking mechanics, a CRIT threshold, Mindscape breakpoints, damage multipliers. None of it appears in any HoYoverse notice, announcement or Agent Record. It comes from beta builds, and beta kits get rebalanced between the test client and live more often than not.
Treat any of the following as unverified until Roxy is actually playable:
- Named passives, skill names, or the mechanic that supposedly drives her kit
- Any percentage, multiplier, Daze value, or energy figure
- Mindscape Cinema effects and "she needs M2" style advice
- Best-team lists and tier placements built on preview footage
There is a real cost to getting this wrong: pulling on a preview kit that changes at launch is how accounts end up with a unit they do not play. Our Version 3.2 best teams guide only ranks agents that are live, and Roxy will be added to it after her channel opens, not before.
The one soft signal worth noting is that Roxy is a Stun agent, and the Stun slot is the most structurally load-bearing role in a ZZZ team. If your account already runs a premium Stun unit, Roxy is a luxury. If it does not, she is the kind of unit that unlocks a second full team — which is a much stronger reason to pull than any leaked number.
How many pulls will the Cindernight Respite banner cost?
Cindernight Respite is an Exclusive Channel — the debut-agent banner type — and Crimson Moon Casket is a W-Engine Channel. Those two channel types have different guarantee rules, and the difference is large:
| Channel | Hard pity | Target rule | Worst case for your target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cindernight Respite (Roxy) | 90 | 50% promotional | 180 Encrypted Master Tapes |
| Crimson Moon Casket (W-Engine) | 80 | 75% promotional | 160 Encrypted Master Tapes |
The debut agent banner is the single most expensive guarantee among the limited channels — 180 pulls worst case, double what an Exclusive Rescreening rerun costs for a guaranteed target. Counters also do not pool: 80 searches on Crimson Moon Casket move you zero steps toward Roxy herself. The full cross-channel comparison, including the rerun channels that are structurally cheaper, is in our ZZZ pity system breakdown.
Two things worth saying plainly. Your Exclusive Channel counter and 50/50 state carry over from Phase 1 — if you pulled on Claret or Nangong Yu and lost your 50/50, you arrive at Roxy already guaranteed, which changes the budget completely. And soft pity, the point around the mid-70s where S-Rank rates visibly climb, is a community-derived figure from large pull datasets. HoYoverse has never published it. Plan against the printed 90, not the estimated 74.
How should you prepare before September 30?
Ten days is enough time to close a meaningful gap in your pull budget without spending anything.
Finish the Phase 1 channels you actually intend to finish. Bloodmoon Rising, Axiom of Captivation, Crimson Thirst and Neon Fantasies all expire at 11:59 server time on September 30. Anything half-done on them is done or abandoned at that minute.
Clear the version's free-reward events first. The Version 3.2 calendar is front-loaded with login and event rewards, including a 7-day login track, and several run right up to the second half. Our Version 3.2 events and dates guide lists every window and what each one pays out.
Decide the agent-versus-W-Engine split before the banner opens, not during it. Team breadth beats a signature W-Engine on almost every account that is not already running two complete teams. If you are unsure whether Crimson Moon Casket is worth 160 tapes to you, our W-Engine tier list ranks what you already have access to.
Do not spend to zero on a projected date. The September 30 date is well-evidenced but the confirming notice is still outstanding. Hold a reserve until the Phase II notice is published around September 28.
Playing something else while you save your tapes? Timesaver runs carries, currency and progression services across its live game catalogue.
FAQ
What is the ZZZ Roxy release date? HoYoverse has not published a Phase 2 start timestamp yet, but the official Phase 1 notice ends the current channels at 2026/09/30 11:59 server time, and the last two versions opened Phase 2 at 12:00 server time the same day. That puts Roxy's Cindernight Respite channel at 12:00 server time on 2026-09-30.
Is September 30 officially confirmed for Roxy? Not as a start date in so many words. It is confirmed as the end date of the channels Roxy replaces, which is the strongest available evidence. The explicit confirmation arrives with the V3.2 Limited-Time Channels (Phase II) notice, expected around 2026-09-28.
What element and specialty is Roxy? S-Rank, Wind attribute, Stun specialty, per the Version 3.2 Update Announcement. That is the full extent of the officially published kit information.
What is Roxy's banner called? Cindernight Respite. Her signature W-Engine, Crimson Moon Casket, runs on a separate W-Engine channel with its own independent pity counter.
How many pulls do I need to guarantee Roxy? 180 Encrypted Master Tapes in the absolute worst case — 90 to hard pity, a lost 50/50, then 90 more with the guarantee. If you already lost a 50/50 during Phase 1, the worst case drops to 90, because the counter and the guarantee state carry across Exclusive Channels.
When does the Roxy banner end? Not published. Version 3.0 and 3.1 both ended Phase 2 at 14:59 server time on the day before the next version update, which points to 2026/10/20 14:59, since HoYoverse has published Version 3.2 as ending on 2026/10/21 06:00 UTC+8. Treat that as an inference until the notice appears.
Should I pull Roxy or save for the next version? Decide on roster need, not preview footage. If you lack a premium Stun agent, a Stun debut is one of the highest-value pulls in the game because it unlocks a second team. If your Stun slot is already filled, waiting costs you nothing and buys you live data.
| Sources: HoYoverse, "Version 3.2 'Their Secret Histories' Update Announcement" (HoYoLAB, 2026-09-08); "V3.2 Limited-Time Channels (Phase I)" (HoYoLAB, 2026-09-07); "V3.1 Limited-Time Channels" and "V3.1 Limited-Time Channels (Phase II)" (HoYoLAB, 2026-07-27 and 2026-08-17); "V3.0 Limited-Time Channels (Phase I)" and "(Phase II)" (HoYoLAB, 2026-06-15 and 2026-07-06); "Agent Record | Roxy" (HoYoLAB, 2026-08-07); "Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.2 Character Avatars" (HoYoLAB, 2026-09-10); in-game Signal Search details screens for rates and guarantee rules. Images are official HoYoverse Version 3.2 promotional material. |
|---|
