The most exciting gaming news I’ve come across lately is that Part 1 of the official Identity V × Time Raiders crossover is finally on the way. As a long-time fan of both franchises, I could barely contain my excitement when I saw the official announcement.

It officially goes live after server maintenance on July 16 and runs until August 17, spanning the entire summer break — more than enough time for me to grind through all the event content at a leisurely pace.

The character casting for this crossover feels totally spot-on. Wu Xie is paired with Novelist, and Zhang Qiling with Mercenary — honestly, Mercenary's hooded design and stoic demeanor are a perfect match for Zhang Qiling (affectionately known as Kylin by fans). His elbow pads are replaced with phantom visual effects of the Black Gold Ancient Blade, and it looks absolutely stunning.

Wang Pangzi goes to Aeroplanist, and this pairing is quite clever too. Pangzi's rugged agility complements Aeroplanist's mobility really well, bringing such a vivid, fun gameplay vibe to life.

The biggest surprise for me is Forbidden Crone being assigned to Naiad. From the effect previews, Naiad's staff is adorned with red spider lilies, her facial makeup features tear-streak effects, and her Abyss is infused with imagery of drowned souls from the seabed — the eerie atmosphere is completely immersive. What's more, it's the only A-tier costume in this crossover that's available for free. You can redeem it in the event shop using tokens earned from daily matches, so even free-to-play players are guaranteed to unlock it.

Speaking of free rewards, Wang Pangzi's costume is also a direct login reward with zero quest requirements, and it comes bundled with the A-tier accessory Mojin Talisman. Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling's costumes are available for direct purchase in the in-game shop, priced at 1388 Echoes per individual costume. Wu Xie's Snake-browed Bronze Fish accessory features an exclusive notebook interaction animation, while Zhang Qiling's Ghost Seal comes with in-match phantom effects of the Black Gold Ancient Blade — these subtle details perfectly capture the authentic vibe of the original novel.

That said, if you want to grab both Wu Xie and Zhang Qiling's costumes on launch day, you'll want to stock up on Echoes ahead of time. I've already checked out COCODP myself, and it offers far better value than direct in-game purchases. After all, two A-tier costumes plus their matching accessories don't come cheap, so every little bit saved goes a long way.

Aside from costumes, this crossover comes with plenty of extra rewards. The public map Misty Sea Treasure Hunt has unlocked a limited-time Underwater Tomb themed zone with exclusive interactive underwater easter eggs. Custom Lobby furniture such as the Bronze Gate and Coral Sacred Tree can be claimed for free by collecting event tokens.

Truth be told, I’m already really satisfied with how substantial this crossover with such a household IP is. Just having the Iron Triangle gather together in the Manor is touching on its own. This weekend I’m planning to tune into streamers’ livestreams to watch them try out the new skins. I’ll also head over for poppo live recharge to buy some coins and send live chat and gifts to my favorite creators. I watch gaming streams on this platform on a daily basis anyway, and tons of streamers will be covering the crossover content lately — it’ll be great to join in the fun.

I’ll absolutely log in the second servers go live on July 16. First I’ll claim Wang Pangzi’s costume, then take my time farming tokens for Forbidden Crone. With a full month of event runtime, it’ll be more than enough to grind out all the rewards I want. See you in the Underwater Tomb zone of Misty Sea Treasure Hunt!

※Based on test server leaks player theories. Final details subject to official release.