The latest Arknights update introduces Fantasy in the Mirage, a new story collection event accompanied by a major set of limited-time additions, outfit releases, sanity optimizations, and a new recruitment banner. Below you’ll find a clear overview of everything available during this update so you can plan your sanity, resources, and farming priorities efficiently.

Fantasy in the Mirage – New Story Collection Event

Fantasy in the Mirage is the centerpiece of this update, running from December 11, 2025, at 08:00 (UTC-7) until December 18, 2025, at 03:59 (UTC-7). To participate, you only need to have cleared Main Story 1-10, making it accessible for most players.

This event introduces a set of new combat stages themed around a Mirage-inspired storyline. By completing these stages, players earn Sweetie, a special event currency that can be exchanged for rewards including materials and Information Fragments. These fragments can be used to unlock new stories in the Story Collection system, expanding the lore content available even after the event ends.

A secondary event, A School for Item Spirits, runs from December 11 to December 21. By trading Sweetie, players can redeem the 0011 Yun Series – Soaring Will for Bison, alongside various upgrade materials, recruitment permits, LMD, and battle records. Once the event concludes, this story will move into the Public Affairs section for permanent access.

Limited-Time Headhunting – The Rolling Thunder

A new banner, The Rolling Thunder, arrives alongside the event and is available from December 11 to December 25. This limited-time recruitment features the debut of two operators: Leizi the Thunderbringer (six star) and Record Keeper (five star). Both operators will also be added to the standard headhunting pool after December 25.

As with most limited banners, pity rules apply: if a player reaches 150 pulls without obtaining the featured six-star operator, the next six-star is guaranteed to be the rate-up unit. Additionally, both operators will gain added trust during event stages, making them easier to build as you progress.

Sanity Refund & Practice Mode Optimization

Beginning December 11, all sanity consumed during failed stages or abandoned runs will now be fully refunded. This applies to all standard operations, making practice and experimentation far less punishing.

Practice Drills also receive a major upgrade—they become unlimited-use and no longer consume Drill Plans. This change drastically improves the ability to test comps without worrying about resource waste, particularly for difficult high-end content like boss stages or later story chapters.

New Operators Now Available

Two new operators join the roster with this update: Leizi the Thunderbringer and Record Keeper. Both are available through the limited banner and will join the general recruitment pool later. Their event trust bonuses make them especially rewarding to level and use throughout Fantasy in the Mirage.

New and Returning Outfits

A wide selection of new and re-released outfits becomes available during the update period. The new arrivals include several entries from the Coral Coast summer series and a new EPOQUE outfit for Uljanus. Meanwhile, older Coral Coast outfits return for a limited time, letting newer players pick up cosmetics they may have missed.

New Furniture Set – Blue Country Study

A brand-new limited-time furniture theme, Blue Country Study, is available from December 11 through December 25. As with previous sets, players can purchase the full collection to decorate their dorms and boost operator comfort levels.

Limited-Time Packs

Several packs are now available for real-money purchase, including a Guard Chip Pack and multiple Integrated Strategies-related packs. These can help accelerate operator promotions or provide rare upgrade materials. As usual, these packs are available only for a short period and are aimed at players looking to optimize their progression during the event window.

New Redeemables in the Distinctions and Universal Certificates Shops

The update also adds new items to both the Distinctions store and the Universal Certificates Exchange Area, including the Afternoon Teatime outfit for Aciddrop. If you have leftover certificates, this is a good opportunity to spend them on cosmetics rarely available outside limited rotations.

Fantasy in the Mirage brings a packed schedule of story content, new operators, reruns, quality-of-life updates, and limited-time rewards to Arknights. Whether you’re here for the new story stages, the Rolling Thunder headhunting banner, the sanity and practice optimizations, or the wide range of outfits and packs, this event offers plenty of incentives to log in consistently and make the most of the limited-time features. With materials, Information Fragments, cosmetics, and new characters all up for grabs, it’s a good moment for both returning and active players to push their account progression forward.

If you want to enjoy Arknights with smoother performance, faster controls, and full keyboard and mouse support, you can play it on PC with BlueStacks. The platform enhances your gameplay experience with better optimization, multi-instance support, and several tools that make daily farming far more efficient. Install Arknights on BlueStacks today and get the most out of every event.