Arknights x Persona 3 Reload Collab Guide: Rewards to Claim Before the Event Closes
Arknights x Persona 3 Reload Timeline and Deadlines
The combat portion of the collab is finished, but the reward window is still open, and it closes for good on September 25.
Official schedule
| Date | Content |
|---|---|
| August 29 | Official event preview published |
| September 4, 12:00 | SideStory stages open, unlock requirement is clearing Main Story 1-10 |
| September 4 - September 18, 03:59 | Stage group "School Route" open |
| September 11, 16:00 - September 18, 03:59 | Stage group "Funeral Hall" open |
| September 4 - September 25, 03:59 | Campus shop, tarot board rewards, event rewards and exchanges |
| September 4 - September 25, 03:59 | Bundles and CROSSOVER outfit series on sale |
Where the free pulls come from
Two sources add up to roughly 30 collab pulls:
- Ten-day login: day 8 grants one ten-pull permit, day 10 grants 8 Tier-3 skill summaries and 1 Module Data Block, plus 3 Data Supplements, 5 Recruitment Permits and 1 Chip Catalyst.
- Daily mail: starting September 4 at 12:00, one single-pull permit arrives in the mailbox every day for 10 days, for a total of 10.
Both permit types are locked to the limited headhunt and expired on September 18, 03:59, with the related mails expiring September 17, 23:59. Check your inventory before assuming they are still usable.
Shop clearing order
Tarot board rewards and the travel-plan tasks pay out event furniture, growth materials, LMD, module materials and "old tapes". Spend in this order:
- Module Data Blocks and module materials, because the limited window never comes back.
- Chip Catalysts and Data Supplements, the bottleneck for E2 and mastery.
- LMD and Advanced Battle Records, always useful.
- Furniture and old tapes, only once the essentials are done.
Arknights Collab Operators: How to Get Them and Whether to Build Them
Four operators came with this collab, and each uses a different acquisition route.
Makoto Yuki (6-star)
Makoto Yuki is the 6-star of the collab and comes only from the limited headhunt. Collab operators do not enter standard banners afterwards, so building him to E2 is worth it only if he stays in your regular squads. If you pulled him and have spare chips, E2 plus skill level 7 is the sane stopping point before mastery.
Aigis and Yukari Takeba (5-star)
Both are 5-star operators from the same limited headhunt. Their E2 cost is markedly lower than a 6-star's, so for a thin roster, taking a 5-star collab operator to E2 with skill level 7 beats forcing a 6-star to the same point.
Koromaru (1-star, free)
Koromaru is a 1-star welfare operator obtained by completing the travel-plan tasks during the event, no gacha required. He gets the standard trust bonus inside collab stages, but his combat value is limited, so treat him as a collection and task item.
Arknights Defender Priority for September 2026
The list below follows the community consensus for the September 2026 patch, documented in the Bahamut forum guide "Arknights Operator Training Recommendations" (September 2026 edition).
Top picks and second tier
| Priority | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Yu, Zhan Ye Xingxiong, Nian | Yu offers a displacement trick on skill 2, blocks 5 and clears crowds; Zhan Ye Xingxiong is a physical shield who doubles as a ranged arts damage dealer and can save a teammate's life at the cost of leaving the field; Nian is the physical-defense ceiling, with silence on skill 2 and DEF, block count and resistance buffs for allies on skill 3 |
| Second | Dihuo Jessica (DJ), Hoshiguma | Dihuo Jessica is a physical shield with light damage, anti-air, stun, and a module that reveals stealth; Hoshiguma has been a reliable sponge since launch |
| Lower | Faith Mixer, Liskarm, Mudrock | Faith Mixer shares Dihuo Jessica's branch and reveals stealth with a module, one of the few welfare operators actually worth raising |
Transition picks and what to skip
| Category | Operators |
|---|---|
| Transition | Cuora, Bubble, Cardigan, Matterhorn |
| Special | Horn, Eunectes |
| Guest | Ulpianus |
| Skip | Penance |
Arknights Medic Priority for September 2026
Medics are scarcer than damage dealers, and a wrong pick shows up immediately in high-difficulty stages.
Mon3tr first, Nightingale and Ptilopsis second
| Priority | Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Top | Mon3tr | Heals, buffs ATK, buffs attack speed and deals true damage; the module fixed its healing decay |
| Second | Nightingale, Ptilopsis | Nightingale remains the best arts-resistance medic; Ptilopsis keeps a universal SP aura |
| Lower | Lumen, Warfarin | Lumen is a welfare medic from the "Stultifera Navis" interlude, with wide-range cleanse; Warfarin's skill 2 buff targets one random ally, so placement matters |
Niche and guest slots
Transition medics: Shining, Whisperain, Silence, Perfumer, Sussurro, Myrrh, Ansel. Niche picks: Kal'tsit, Reed the Flame Shadow, Titi. The last two are functionally Casters, so treat the healing as a bonus. Guest slot: Haruka, Qiu.
Arknights Resource Planning for the Event Wind-Down
How you spend the gap between the collab and the next patch decides whether you can clear the next event's stages comfortably.
Banner budget
Collab operators never enter the standard pool, so the real question is whether you will use them long term. If your Originite Prime and Orundum are limited, secure next patch's pity first and top up the collab banner after.
Materials and sanity
- E2 and mastery are gated by chips and skill summaries, not by currency.
- Modules are finite; spend them on confirmed core operators.
- Don't dump every sanity potion at the end of a patch. Keep enough for the next event's opening days.
Come discuss in the Gghubs comments.
FAQ
Q: Can I still claim the collab rewards after September 25?
A: No. Stages closed September 18, 03:59, and the campus shop and tarot rewards end September 25, 03:59. Unspent rewards are lost.
Q: Do I need to pull for Koromaru?
A: No. Koromaru is a free 1-star welfare operator from the travel-plan tasks.
Q: How do the 30 collab pulls add up?
A: One ten-pull permit from the ten-day login, plus 10 single-pull permits from daily mail across the first 10 days. That is 20 singles plus a ten-pull.
Q: Have the collab permits expired?
A: Yes. Both permit types expired September 18, 03:59, and the mails expired September 17, 23:59.
Q: I have no strong Defender. Who do I raise first?
A: Per the September 2026 community list, start with Cuora, Bubble, Cardigan or Matterhorn, then jump straight to Yu or Zhan Ye Xingxiong once resources allow.
Action list
- Log in and check your inventory for leftover At Every Full Moon permits, and spend them immediately if any remain.
- Open the campus shop and clear it in this order: module materials, chip catalysts, LMD.
- Check travel-plan progress for Koromaru and the event furniture set.
- Decide on the CROSSOVER outfits before September 25, 03:59, since the sale ends permanently.
- Concentrate this month's resources on one damage dealer and one medic, with a single transition Defender.