Version 2.5 of Infinity Nikki dropped on April 23, 2026, and it is the kind of update that makes a player's to-do list weep. Two simultaneous 5-star resonances, an entirely new region called the Boneyard, a community-driven Starlight Contest, and a dozen limited-time events all competing for attention — what could possibly go wrong? Well, watching timers expire while one is still hunting Whimstars, that's what. So here is a thoroughly unscientific, mildly judgmental, but hopefully useful guide to claiming everything before it vanishes.

The Boneyard: Where Souls Return and Players Get Busy

The Boneyard is the star of 2.5. The main quest, "Where All Souls Return," unlocks permanently after completing Itzaland Chapter V: Light on Old Soil, A New Chapter Begins. Clearing it rewards Diamonds, clothing pieces, and the Phantom Token Guardian of Souls. But the real reason to push through the story early? Several limited-time events are gated behind Boneyard progress. Specifically:

• Chapter 6 required: Lumies in the Breeze, Hollowbreath Passage

• Chapter 7 required: Ethereal Return, Soothing Songs

• No chapter gate: Long-Lost Wonders (collect Whimstars in the Boneyard)

All three chapter-gated events end on May 28 at 12:49 UTC-7. That is not a suggestion. That is a countdown. Who wants to explain to their future self why they missed out on free Diamonds because they decided to reorganize their wardrobe instead?

The Long-Lost Wonders event is worth doing even for early-game players. Collecting Whimstars scattered through the Boneyard earns the card "Where the Dragons Slumber," Diamonds, and growth materials. More importantly, Whimstar hunting unlocks the Heart of Infinity sketch for the 5-star outfit Slumber by Blossoms, which can then be crafted using Dreambloom of Yore materials. Fashionably speaking, that is a win.

Two 5-Star Banners, One Impossible Decision

Both resonances run until May 28 at 12:49 UTC-7. They are separate, so Revelation Crystals must be allocated wisely. Floral Rebirth is the utility-focused pick: its bug-catching ability activates automatically when Nikki is in range, saving precious seconds during material farming. Evolving it to Stage 2 unlocks the Illusory Dance action using Radiant Heartchime: Night Blossoms, while Stage 3 adds Fading Sigh: Makeup, enhanced effects, and a new idle animation. For players who enjoy looking fabulous while doing chores, this is the obvious choice.

Guide of No Return, on the other hand, leans hard into combat. The Soul Vigil mode activates via the Call of Souls ability, granting aerial mobility and a unique attack style. Holding the Attack button at the right moment fires the Echo of Return barrage, which charges the Return Sigil. Consuming that sigil energy deals a finishing strike and fully restores Bow Energy. One catch: the Return Sigil will not recover over time while floating or in Winged Hover state, so landing between cycles is essential. Who knew fashion could be so tactical?

Both banners offer milestone rewards at 160 and 230 attempts. Reaching 160 in Evertide of No Return unlocks the Cycle of Souls decoration. Reaching 230 in either banner grants the Ocean's Glowing Gift Box, which includes the corresponding Heartshine and an Illusory Dance material. Also noteworthy: the Momo's Cloak: Soul Song from the Guide of No Return rewards. After every three shots, Momo's fourth attack becomes a piercing arrow hitting multiple targets. Hitting Esselings builds Soul Song Energy, and when the cloak skill triggers, Momo consumes all stored energy to restore Nikki's Health and Bow Energy simultaneously. Momo is officially a combat support MVP.

Starlight Contest: Show Off, Vote, Repeat

The Starlight Contest is a new community feature launching with 2.5. Access it through Current Adventures > Starlight Contest or Color Lookbook > Starlight Contest. The first theme, Tidal Requiem, runs until May 10 at 18:59 UTC-7. The event has three phases:

A word of caution: replacing a submitted work with a new one clears all votes that work had already received. Only swap if the new work is meaningfully better. Participating earns Diamonds and Upgrade Packs. The Color Lookbook also received a structural update: Popular and Discovery merged into a single Featured tab, and a new Shimmer Album category now houses Starlight Contest entries alongside publicly posted Snapshot works.

Freebies, Check-Ins, and Double Rewards

The Last Vigil check-in event runs until May 10 at 18:59 UTC-7. Log in for 7 total days to earn 10 Revelation Crystals. That is one of the better free pulls available this patch. The Tales of Itzaland II event is structured as 5 chapters with one unlocking daily. Complete tasks in the Boneyard to earn Travel Insights, then exchange them for the 4-star outfit Verdant Chord plus its sketches and Diamonds. This event has an extended duration, so check future announcements for its end date.

Maintenance compensation from the April 23 downtime gives every eligible player 300 Diamonds and 1 Resonite Crystal. Claim it before 08:59 on May 1 UTC-7. The Deep Breakthrough double rewards event runs April 27 through May 18. Complete the qualifying world quest or reach the required story chapters, then challenge the Realm of Breakthrough for double rewards once per week. Unused attempts reset every Monday at 04:00 and do not carry over.

Mira Crown, Momo's Camera, and Quality-of-Life Goodies

The Mira Crown Merit Arena has a new theme called Echoes of Tides with 7 total arenas: 6 Regular Stages and a new Finale Stage. The first stage opens on patch day; after that, one new arena unlocks every Sunday at 13:00 UTC-7. Clearing all Advanced Stages in each Regular Stage earns the achievement Echo of the Tide. The Finale Stage unlocks after completing the sixth stage, and clearing it grants the achievement Trace the Echo of Return plus the title Conqueror of Miracles. The Mira Crown Pinnacle Contest schedule for May is split into two phases:

• Phase 1 (May 1 to May 16): +15% to Classical pieces and +15% to Glow pieces

• Phase 2 (May 16 to June 1): +15% to Classical pieces and +15% to Divine pieces

Classical pieces carry a bonus throughout the entire month, so investing in them is a smart move for Pinnacle Contest enthusiasts. Momo's Camera now supports Video Mode. On PC and PS, clips can be up to 10 seconds; on mobile, the cap is 3 seconds due to device performance limits. Video clips save to the Live Album, and players can scrub the playback timeline to pick a specific frame as the cover image. The Resonance interface has also been redesigned: thumbnails moved from a bottom horizontal row to a left-side vertical layout, ability previews let players switch between effects from a left-side tab, and Details and History merged into a single Resonance Details panel.

Mobile players get meaningful storage relief this patch. Evolution Stage 3 video resources for 5-star outfits no longer download automatically on install. They only download when a second 5-star outfit is obtained through Resonance, Stage 3 evolution is reached, or the cutscene is replayed. Players can still force-download everything through Settings > Features > Services > Download Outfit Evolution Resources if they prefer.

Ian the Cadenceborn is a new exchange system. Collect Dews of Inspiration and complete the world quest Hello, Ian the Cadenceborn to exchange for the 4-star outfit Whispered Dreams and three Momo's Cloaks: Soulheal, Howlbeast, and Feathered. The Momo Growth > Basic section adds the Itzaland Insight tab this patch. Unlocking its nodes grants Momo a special skill and Momo's Cloak: Trail, which gives Momo a rapid claw combo after three basic attacks, plus a Pawbeam for distant targets and an enlarged form that deals damage with headbutts and kicks.

Priority Order: Because Timers Are Merciless

With this many events running at once, a priority order helps. Based on deadlines:

1. Claim maintenance compensation before May 1 (300 Diamonds, 1 Resonite Crystal)

2. Start the Last Vigil check-in immediately since it ends May 10 and requires 7 login days

3. Push Itzaland story to Chapter 7 to unlock all four Boneyard limited-time events

4. Collect Boneyard Whimstars for Long-Lost Wonders rewards and the Slumber by Blossoms sketch

5. Run Deep Breakthrough weekly before May 18 for double Realm of Breakthrough rewards

6. Decide on resonance pulls before May 28 when both banners close

The Tales of Itzaland II event has no confirmed end date yet and will be available for an extended period. Do not deprioritize it entirely, but events with hard May deadlines should come first. After all, what is a fashion adventure without a little panic-induced efficiency?