The headline number is the one that matters: ZZZ Version 3.1 gives every player a free S-Rank Agent of their choice. That is the anniversary centerpiece, and it lands July 29 alongside a login campaign, standard-channel additions, and a Polychrome haul that, added up, is one of the most generous stretches the game has run. This post is the reward ledger and the selector decision, not the banner hype. If you want the 3.1 special program recap with codes or the pre-patch prep checklist, those are their own reads. Here we answer two questions: what do you get, and who do you pick.
The free S-Rank selector is the whole event
Anniversary selectors are the single most valuable thing a gacha hands out, because you are choosing a guaranteed top-tier unit instead of gambling for one. For a returning or newer player, the right pick can anchor a whole account. For a veteran, it can complete a team you have been one Agent short of for months.
The selector pool is the standard-channel S-Ranks, the permanent roster rather than the current limited banner unit. That is the important caveat: do not expect to grab the newest flagship Agent here. You are picking from the proven, always-relevant core, which is exactly what you want a guaranteed unit to be.
Who to pick from the selector
The right choice depends entirely on what your roster is missing, so here is the decision framed by account state rather than a single "best" answer.
| Your situation | Pick priority | Why |
| New or light roster | A flexible S-Rank DPS | A guaranteed main carry does the most work when you own almost nothing. |
| Have a carry, no sustain | A defensive or stun support | The team-building math breaks without a stun or heal anchor. |
| Anomaly-focused account | An Anomaly enabler | Feeds the Anomaly team core that scales harder than raw hits. |
| Deep, complete roster | The best future-proof unit | Pick the Agent with the widest team coverage, not the one you like most. |
The general rule: pick the unit that unlocks a full team, not the one with the flashiest ultimate. A carry with no support around it clears nothing in Shiyu Defense or Deadly Assault. Check the ZZZ tier list and, more importantly, look at the three Agents you already own before you lock the choice, because a selector is only as good as the team it completes.
Everything else in the reward stack
The selector is the star, but the supporting rewards add up to real pull equity if you claim all of them.
- Anniversary login campaign. A multi-day login hands out Polychromes, Master Tapes, and upgrade materials across the patch. Miss days, miss pulls; set a reminder.
- In-game mail Polychromes. Anniversary mail typically drops a lump-sum Polychrome gift the day the patch goes live. It sits in your mailbox on a timer, so claim it before it expires.
- Redemption codes. New anniversary ZZZ codes go live around the special program. They also expire fast, so redeem on day one.
- Standard-channel additions. New Agents joining the permanent pool change what the selector and standard pulls can give you long-term; check the pool before you spend saved Master Tapes.
- Event Polychromes and endgame income. The anniversary event, plus your usual Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault clears, stack on top of everything above. Clear them; they are the quiet majority of your free pulls.
The mistakes that waste free rewards
Generous patches are also the patches where players leave the most on the table, because the rewards are scattered across mail, login, codes, and events instead of one button.
- Sitting on the selector. Some players freeze, waiting for the "perfect" pick. Choose based on your current roster gap and lock it. An unclaimed guaranteed S-Rank helps nobody.
- Letting mail expire. Anniversary mail Polychromes and gifts run on timers. Empty your mailbox the day the patch lands.
- Skipping codes. Anniversary codes are among the most Polychrome-rich of the year and they expire within days. Redeem immediately.
- Ignoring the login streak. The campaign rewards are back-loaded; missing the final days costs you the biggest drops.
- Spending the haul on reflex. All this free currency is tempting to dump on the anniversary banner. If the banner unit is not on your list, bank it. A full pity walking into 3.2's Claret and Roxy window is worth more than an impulse pull now.
Bottom line
Version 3.1 is the most reward-dense ZZZ patch in a year, and the free S-Rank selector alone justifies logging in every day it runs. Claim everything, pick the selector unit that finishes a real team rather than the one with the best animation, and hold your saved pulls for a banner you have actually decided on. Then check the ZZZ tier list and the beginner teams guide so your free Agent slots into a lineup that clears endgame, not a bench.
Sources: the official ZZZ 3.1 special program and HoYoverse anniversary announcements for confirmed rewards and the selector pool, cross-referenced against prior HoYoverse anniversary reward structures. Exact numbers finalize in-game at patch launch on July 29; claim windows and code expiries are time-limited. See the Zenless Zone Zero review for the wider picture.
