Complete Guide to the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship in Zenless Zone Zero

Fishing minigames are becoming a ubiquitous addition to almost every genre. Now Zenless Zone Zero has one with the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship, one of the more rewarding mid-update events the game’s yet seen. Here’s how to complete every part of the event.

How to Start the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship

Screenshot by Destructoid

If you’re a newer player to Zenless Zone Zero, it will take you at least a few days to unlock access to the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship. To access the event, you need to be at Inter-Knot level 23 and have completed Chapter 2 – Intermission. Getting at least that far will see you introduced to Qingyi of Public Security.

Reaching Inter-Knot level 23 requires you to get through several level gates at earlier Inter-Knot levels, a process that’s liable to take at least a couple of real-world days. That’s not counting the length of the story missions themselves, which add at least a dozen hours or so of content to experience.

Once you’ve met the prerequisites, starting the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship is easy. Head to the noodle shop on Sixth Street and meet with Qingyi nearby. She’ll kindly “request” the Phaethon twins’ presence at the fishing competition, and you can head there immediately or whenever is convenient for you.

Qingyi will be near the docks once the time comes. She’ll introduce you to the staff running the competition and her ulterior motive for coming: catching art thieves moving stolen goods by sea.

Of course, you’re there to help and enjoy some fun fishing times while you’re at it.

How to Fish in the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship

Screenshot by Destructoid

The fishing mechanics in Zenless Zone Zero are pretty straightforward. The process works as follows:

• Use your Interact button to cast a line. Press it again when the pink-purple circle reaches the on-screen button to hook a fish.
• You need to mash or hold the buttons on the left or right of your screen to reel fish in. The mash prompt has an orange circle flash around the on-screen button. The hold prompt is a light blue circle that shrinks in around the on-screen button.

Mash or hold enough to deplete the fish’s Stamina gauge at the top of the screen. The more blue than orange is on the gauge, the closer you are to catching the fish. Should you not press the button correctly, the fish will gain some more gauge back, but once the bar is completely blue, you’ll catch the fish.

Additional mechanics become available as you progress through the main story. They include:

• Strong Rod Pull is a separate on-screen button on a cooldown. When it’s ready, it will turn from grey to light blue, and pressing it automatically awards about 20% progress toward catching the fish.

As you gain Angler Points by completing the story and side content in the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship, you’ll get additional buffs to your fishing ability, between the amount of ATK power you can field against the fish to increasing your stamina so you can reel in longer.

How to Complete the Ridu Fishing Festival Commission

Screenshot by Destructoid

The main story quest of the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship is spread across three commissions: Ridu Fishing Festival, Trush Beneath the Water, and Elpis Ultimate Angler. While fishing is central to completing it, Hollow exploration and combat are just as important. After speaking to Qingyi at Port Elpis, you’ll receive a brief tutorial on fishing; then, you need to participate in an introductory match to officially enter the competition.

Specifically, you need to place in the top three competitors to advance. In my run, I needed to catch two fish within the time limit to top the leaderboard. I would still have placed second or third with just one fish, though. You’re automatically placed at the top of your current score bracket whenever you get a point during the competition. If the top competitor has one point and then you score a point, you’ll be placed ahead of them, and so on.

Screenshot by Destructoid

After competing in the pre-tournament match, you’ll need to delve into a Hollow for some combat challenges. You can bring whatever team works best for you, and if you don’t already have her, Qingyi is also available as a trial character. The order of operations in the Hollow is as follows:

• Speak to Eous near the shipping container to move it.
• Interact with the console on your right near the yellow warning signs.
• Defeat the Ethereals that appear.
• Head through the passage that opens at the back of the grey shipping container.
• Follow the hallway around until you encounter more Ethereals.
• Clear the enemies and interact with the Sturdy Supply Box that appears.
• Head back to the first area and through the now-open yellow shipping container.
• Grab the Mini Cargo Truck and interact with the nearby console.
• Cross the bridge and clear the new Ethereals that appear.
• Head through the open container and nab the second Mini Cargo Truck in a side container with more Ethereals.
• Interact with the nearby console, cross the bridge, open the gate at the next console, and then defeat the Thanatos boss Ethereal that appears. It’s weak to Ice and Ether damage, so agents like Miyabi, Zhu Yuan, and Ellen Joe are best.
• Next, defeat the much weaker Dullahan and head through the red cargo container to reach the third and final Sturdy Supply box.

After all that is done, you can head back to Port Elpis and begin the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship in earnest. Then, you can start doing the side stories called Port Anecdotes.

How to Complete the Truth Beneath the Water

Screenshot by Destructoid

Once you complete the first part of the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship story quest, wait an in-game day and return to Port Elpis, where you’ll chat with Qingyi again. The official tournament qualifiers are here, and they’re a two-round, two-person team affair. You and Qingyi will work together, and you need to be in the top two teams to advance.

In my experience, Qingyi only nets one or two fish for either 90-second round, so you’ll still be doing the bulk of the work. Winning the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship qualifiers is more of the same as the show match at the beginning of the story quest. Follow these tips, and you should be golden:

• Be as quick as you can to mash or hold the on-screen prompt.
• Use the Strong Rod Pull just before the prompt disappears for a burst of progress on the fish stamina bar.
• Don’t waste time between catching a fish and casting a new line.

There is a brief narrative intermission between the first and second rounds, with some drama about a fish disruptor in the water. As far as how many fish you need to catch, my toughest opponents in both matches only caught no more than three fish, so the minimum you should shoot for is three of your own.

After the qualifiers, you’ll be headed back into a Hollow for more investigation. The steps to complete the delve are as follows:

Screenshot by Destructoid

• Speak to Eous to open the way into the level.
• Defeat the Ethereals that appear.
• Head up the ramp beyond the cargo container that opens and interact with the console at the top. Don’t forget to grab the Mini Cargo Truck.
• Head down, cross the bridge, defeat the Ethereals that appear, and examine the box in the open yellow cargo container.
• Interact with the nearby console to make a bridge, watch a brief cutscene, then defeat some more Ethereals.
• Check the box in the newly opened yellow cargo container and grab the Mini Cargo Truck there, too.
• Head through the opened grey cargo container down the hallway. Avoid the exploding Ethereals, then turn left down the walkway and interact with the console to make another bridge.
• Take the elevator up and continue until you reach the Signal Lights challenge.

How to Complete the Signal Lights Challenge

Screenshot by Destructoid

The signal lights puzzle is very straightforward. You’ll see a small traffic signal with three colored lights near a console with colored squares that alternate between those three colors.

Your job is to interact with the console when it flashes on the proper color. This first challenge asks for green, then blue, then blue again. The second challenge, a bit later in the mission, asks for green, then blue, then yellow.

Once you solve the first signal light challenge, a yellow cargo container containing an objective crate and another Mini Cargo Truck will roll in. Interact with both, and then head through the spatial fissure behind you. In the new area:

Screenshot by Destructoid

• Cross the path and head down the right-hand side path to the console. You’ll need an ID to proceed.
• Leave the smaller path and make a U-turn, proceeding past the green semi truck until you meet some Ethereals. Defeat them. Collect the ID card from the nearby crate. Don’t miss the Mini Cargo Truck in the small alcove.
• Return to the console and use the new ID. Head through the new path, solve the signal light challenge at the far gate, and face the Thracian boss-level Ethereal.
• The box you’re looking for is in the yellow cargo container.

With the final box collected, you’ll head back to Port Elpis. Speak to all the characters, and last with Qingyi to prepare for the next and final chapter.

How to Complete Elpis Ultimate Angler

Screenshot by Destructoid

The time has come for the last two rounds of the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship and the final Hollow investigation. Speak to Qingyi when you’re ready for the semifinals.

Winning the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship semifinals follows the same formula as the previous stages. The competition is slightly fiercer, and you must take first place to advance. In my winning run of the tournament, my opponent’s highest score was two fish to my five. As before, you win in case of a tie, so if your closest competition only has two fish, you only need two to win. You should still try for at least one more than second place just to be safe.

After winning the semifinals, you’ll be going after the art thieves in the Hollow. Here’s the full step list:

Screenshot by Destructoid

• Talk to Zhu Yuan to open the way forward.
• Use the console to cross the bridge, deal with the enemies, then take the elevator behind the cargo container.
• Turn left and break all the boxes and Energy canisters. Keep left at the end of the path for additional Energy, then deal with the nearby enemies.
• Grab the Mini Cargo Truck and take the elevator down.
• Deal about 60% of the boss’s health to cause him to run away, then contend with the enemies he leaves behind. Next, take care of the enemies behind the breakable boxes and ride the elevator up.
• Follow the path around to the right and defeat the enemies that come out of the cargo containers.
• Ride the elevator down, defeat the enemies, grab the Mini Cargo Truck, and activate the console to move the hanging container on the upper level.
• Ride the elevator back up, activate the console to make the bridge, then challenge the enemies at the far end. At around 30% health, the red-helmet enemy will summon a boss-level Brute. Defeat them all and interact with the large stack of boxes to exit the Hollow.

Back at Port Elpis, speak to McDunn, then President Qi to leave for the reef island, where you’ll need to fish a submarine out of the water. There’s no special mechanics here. Mechanically, it’s just a regular fish.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Catching the sub ends the narrative portion of the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship and queues up the finals. Like the semis before them, the finals are functionally identical to the other rounds of the tournament, with a few exceptions.

• You need to finish first to advance.
• You need to catch at least three fish to beat Ben (based on my winning run).

Once you’ve won, speak to Qingyi and McDunn one last time to finish the event’s main story quest. If you haven’t already caught all the fish or done all the Port Anecdote side activities, now’s the time.

How to Complete All Port Anecdotes in the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship

There are 15 Port Anecdotes to complete during the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship, five per phase. Most of them only take two or three minutes to complete, and you’ll want to for a couple of reasons. First, they award Angler Points, which increase your Fishing Permit, earning you additional rewards and buffs to your fishing prowess. Second, you’ll need to complete nine of them to get all the limited-time Polychrome rewards for the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship event.

Phase One Port Anecdotes

Screenshot by Destructoid

The Phase One Port Anecdotes are mostly relatively quick, save the first one, Aristocratic Delicacy, which sees you delving into a Hollow to dispose of some questionable cooking.

How to Complete Aristocratic Delicacy

The longest of the five phase one Port Anecdotes, this one sees you doing a favor for Victoria Housekeeping’s Rina and Lycaon. The steps are:

• Meet Lycaon and Rina near the docks.
• Catch two fish for Rina.
• Speak to Lycaon and head into the Hollow.
• In the Hollow, first speak to Eous to progress.
• Head across the bridge and deal with the Ethereals, then take the elevator down.
• Keep left on the path and hide one of Rina’s “dishes” in the corner.
• Head to the larger area across the way and deal with the Ethereals, then hide another “dish” near the blue barrels.
• Take the nearby elevator down and deal with the miniboss Ethereal. Hide the third and final “dish” near the Ether crystals.
• Return to the blue barrels to find Soukaku having serious regrets about her latest snack.

After speaking with Soukaku, Lycaon, and Rina, you’ll complete the Anecdote.

How to Complete The Master’s Concerns (I)

You’ll unlock your next two Anecdotes once you complete Aristocratic Delicacy. The Master’s Concerns part one sees you helping the Eous and Amillion Bangboo with their photography skills. You only need to take one picture after talking to President Qi near the bench by the fry stand.

Snap a pic of the yellow fishing festival flags to the right of the event billboard. Return to Qi with the picture to complete the Anecdote.

How to Complete One Denny Friendship

Meet with One-Dennyboo and Soldier 11 to the left of the fry stand. The little Bangboo is having a party and needs you to catch one fish to complete the meal. Once caught, speak to the pair again, then head to Sixth Street. Go behind the concrete pipes near the 24-hour store to join the party: One-Dennyboo and his feline friends.

Once the party’s over, the Anecdote is too.

How to Complete Aquatic Delicacy

Unlocked after completing three Port Anecdotes, Aquatic Delicacy is another fishing mission. First, head to the far side of the docks to meet Coach Explorey and his student Rocketz. Speak to them a moment, then head down the longer dock and catch a single fish to complete the Anecdote.

How to Complete Intense Competition

For this Anecdote, visit Eddite on the dock near the purple-clothed fisher. He asks you to visit Ben, who’s hanging around nearby, and they will request a friendly fishing competition. Place first or second to advance, which took a minimum of two fish in my run. Once the match is over, speak to Eddie and Ben again to complete the Anecdote.

Those are all the Anecdotes we’ve completed so far, but we’ll update this article shortly with the remainder!

How to Catch All Fish in the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship

Screenshot by Destructoid

There are 17 regular fish and nine Bonus Discoveries to find by fishing in the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship. The regular fish come in four varieties, ranging from one to four stars. The star ranking is based on weight, and at the time of writing, the weight of the fish is random for each one you catch. The fourth star is also unique to the Rare Subspecies, so you need to catch a golden version of that fish to get it.

In short, be prepared to grind if you want all 68 possible stars.

All Aquarium Fish and How to Get Them

We’ve found 11 of the 17 available fish, but we’ll update the article as we find more!

Fish Name	Weight Range	Active Hours (when available to catch)	Active Waters (where to catch)
Mackerel	0.3 kg – 8 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Coastal, Bridge, Deepwater, and Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Flatfish	0.5 kg – 10kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Coastal, Bridge, Deepwater, and Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Striped Prawn	0.1 kg – 1 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Coastal and Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Arrow Squid	0.7 kg – 8 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening	Coastal Fishing Spot
Porcupine Fish	0.5 kg – 10 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Coastal Fishing Spot
Seahorse	0.1 kg – 1 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Bridge, Deepwater, and Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Lantern Fish	7 kg – 27 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Bridge Fishing Spot
Blackfin Shark	20 kg – 200 kg	Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Deepwater Fishing Spot
Bluefin Tuna	20 kg – 200 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Deepwater Fishing Spot
Lionfish	0.5 kg – 10 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Reef Fishing Spot (Coastal Reef)
Sailfish	20 kg – 200 kg	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Reef Fishing Spot (Coastal Reef)
Currently Unknown	Unknown	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Deepwater and Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Currently Unknown	Unknown	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Coastal Fishing Spot
Currently Unknown	Unknown	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Bridge, Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Currently Unknown	Unknown	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Bridge, Reef (Coastal Reef) Fishing Spots
Currently Unknwon	Unknown	Morning, Afternoon, Evening, Late Night	Deepwater Fishing Spot
Currently Unknown	Unknown	Morning, Afternoon, Evening	Reef Fishing Spot (Coastal Reef)

How to Get All Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship Rewards in Zenless Zone Zero

Screenshot by Destructoid

There are two reward sources during the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship.

• Leveling your Fishing Permit awards 300 Polychromes. You’ll need Angler Points, which you can earn by completing the main event story, side Port Anecdote missions, and adding caught fish to your Fishing Encyclopedia.
• Completing tasks specific to the Exclusive Rewards provides 900 Polychromes if you complete them all.

Here is a listing of all the rewards:

Permanent Fishing Permit Rewards

• Levels One to Ten: 30 Polychromes, six Original Chips, 20,000 Dennies.
• Levels 11 to 15: Six Original Chips, two Senior Investigation Log EXP items, 20,000 Dennies.

Exclusive, Time-Limited Rewards

All the rewards in the Ridu Fishing Festival section of the event:

• Complete the Ridu Fishing Festival event commission: 100 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.
• Complete one Port Anecdote: 60 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.
• Complete three Port Anecdotes: 60 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.

All the rewards in the Trush Beneath the Water section of the event:

• Complete the Truth Beneath the Water event commission: 100 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.
• Complete six Port Anecdotes: 60 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.
• Complete nine Port Anecdotes: 60 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.

All rewards in the Elpis Ultimate Angler section of the event:

• Complete the Elpis Ultimate Angler event commission: 100 Polychromes, two Specialized Burn Chips, 10,000 Dennies.
• Complete 12 Port Anecdote: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies.
• Complete 15 Port Anecdotes: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies.

All rewards in the Ultimate Angler Mission section of the event:

• Catch three different species of fish: 60 Polychromes, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch seven different species of fish: 60 Polychromes, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch ten different species of fish: 60 Polychromes, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch 13 different species of fish: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch 17 different species of fish: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch one rare fish subspecies: 60 Polychromes, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch three rare fish subspecies: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies.
• Catch nine rare fish subspecies: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies
• Fill in all Aquarium and Bonus Discovery activities in the Fishing Encyclopedia: Four Senior Investigator Log EXP items, 10,000 Dennies.

Successfully completing the Elpis Ultimate Angler Challenge, you’ll also get one Tuning Calibrator that guarantees you the main stat you want on a single Drive Disc at the Music Store.

With that, you know how to complete the Elpis Ultimate Angler Championship event in Zenless Zone Zero, are 1,200 Polychromes richer, and have done more fishing than you ever thought possible in a gacha game.

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