HSR Currency Wars is closing its first season. "Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game", the auto-chess mode that launched with Version 3.7, ends with the Version 4.6 period on November 11, 2026. Once it closes, every unclaimed Ascension Level, rank and collection reward is gone, and your progress resets. This guide gives the exact end time for your region, how much Stellar Jade is still on the table, what carries over, and the characters and setups that dominated the season according to HoYoverse's own end-of-season data.
Quick answer (Version 4.6, checked October 25, 2026, 05:40 UTC):
- Ends: November 11, 2026, 06:00 (UTC+8), which is November 10, 22:00 UTC, per the official "Ending Soon" notice. That is about 16 days from today.
- Still claimable: up to 3,680 Stellar Jade in one-time rewards plus 5 Tracks of Destiny from Ascension Levels, if you start from zero. The weekly point track is shared with Simulated Universe and does not end with the season.
- Double Ascension Points have been live since the 4.6 update, so the 170-level Ascension track takes half the usual runs.
- What resets: everything except your Startup Guide and Advantage Layout progress.
- Season 2: officially named "Voyage Into the Canvas". No start date yet.
- Most deployed this season: Welt, Mortenax Blade and Himeko • Nova in the latest expansion. Cyrene was the most deployed 3-star 5-cost unit of the whole season.
When does Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game end?
HoYoverse's notice is short and blunt:
"Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game will end on 11/11 06:00 (UTC+8). Once it ends, rewards will no longer be obtainable!"
The end time is a single global timestamp, the same moment the Version 4.6 period closes and the Version 4.7 update maintenance begins. Here it is in local time:
| Region | Local end time | Day |
|---|---|---|
| UTC | 22:00 | Tuesday, November 10 |
| US Pacific (PST, UTC-8) | 14:00 | Tuesday, November 10 |
| US Eastern (EST, UTC-5) | 17:00 | Tuesday, November 10 |
| UK (GMT) | 22:00 | Tuesday, November 10 |
| Central Europe (CET, UTC+1) | 23:00 | Tuesday, November 10 |
| Asia (UTC+8) | 06:00 | Wednesday, November 11 |
US clocks fall back on November 1, so the US times above already use standard time. Treat the evening of November 10 as your real deadline if you play in the Americas or Europe. Your last run has to finish before the cut-off, and rewards you have earned but not pressed "claim" on are lost.
How much Stellar Jade can you still get from Currency Wars?
A lot more than most players think. The figures below come from the reward tables on the Honkai: Star Rail fan wiki, totalled level by level. Your in-game numbers will be lower if you have already claimed some of them.
| One-time reward track | How you earn it | Stellar Jade | Other highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ascension Level 1 to 170 | 800 Ascension Points per level | 2,640 | 5 Tracks of Destiny, 5 Self-Modeling Resin, 2 Variable Dice, "Final Victor" profile picture (Lv. 40) |
| Rank rewards (A0 to A8) | Reach each rank in Standard Gambit | 600 | Ascension Points, Lost Crystal |
| Expected Profit: Regular Challenge | 10 win conditions | 200 | Traveler's Guides, Refined Aether |
| Investment Strategy collection | Unlock 15 to 150 strategies | 120 | 1,200 Ascension Points |
| Investment Environment collection | Unlock 5 to 30 environments | 120 | 1,200 Ascension Points |
| Total | 3,680 | About 23 Warps |
The weekly point rewards are a separate thing, and you won't lose them. Since Version 4.2, Currency Wars points and Simulated Universe points feed one shared track. HoYoverse's merger notice says "the new cycle for Points updates once a week. It refreshes every Monday at 04:00 (server time)." The track pays Stellar Jade, Star Rail Passes, Tracks of Destiny, Herta Bonds and Credits. You can keep filling it through Divergent Universe after Zero-Sum Game closes, so it is not a reason to rush Currency Wars.
The Phase Reward I, II and III challenges (for example "Reach 999 Punchline Points during a battle" or "Obtain a 3-Star 5-Cost Silver Wolf LV.999") pay Relic Remains, Refined Aether and Lost Crystal, not Jade. Do them only after the Jade tracks above.
For context, a full Pure Fiction rotation pays 900 Jade (our Pure Fiction 4.6 guide). If you have not touched Currency Wars in a while, its leftover rewards are probably worth four of those.
What are Double Ascension Points?
The Version 4.6 update notice confirms it in one line: "Double Ascension Points mode is now live. Earn your Ascension Level Rewards more quickly!" Every win in Standard Gambit or Overclock Gambit now grants twice the Ascension Points it used to.
The Ascension track has 170 levels at 800 points each, or 136,000 points in total. Rank rewards give up to 7,000 more points and the two collection tracks another 2,400. Doubling halves the number of wins you need, which is why the last weeks of the season are the cheapest time to max it out.
Two practical notes:
- Standard Gambit pays more points than Overclock Gambit at the same difficulty, and higher difficulties pay more. If you have the time, climb rather than farm the lowest tier.
- Overclock Gambit is the time-efficient option. It is the quick-play mode, and its difficulty options depend on the highest rank you have reached in Standard Gambit.
What resets when Currency Wars ends?
According to the fan wiki's Currency Wars system page, when a new Period starts "all progression from the previous Period is reset except for Startup Guide and Advantage Layout progress."
| Kept into the next Period | Lost at the end of Zero-Sum Game |
|---|---|
| Startup Guide progress | Ascension Level and its unclaimed rewards |
| Advantage Layout progress | Standard Gambit rank (A0 to A8) and rank rewards |
| Expected Profit, Phase Reward and collection challenges | |
| The "Zero-Sum Game" period itself |
The Advantage Layout is worth finishing now, because it carries over. Its Permanent Advantages cost 360 Equivalent Banknotes in total. Battle Prep (20 Banknotes) triggers every on-field character's Technique when combat starts, and Sustained Combat (100) adds a basic equipment piece at the start and restores 2 Squad HP after each Node. Seasonal Advantages unlock only after all Permanent ones are active, and the layout can be reset at any time for a full refund.
What is Currency Wars Season 2?
Yes, there is a second season, and it has a name. The final page of HoYoverse's official Annual Awards recap, posted on October 25, says goodbye to Zero-Sum Game and looks ahead:
"I'd also like to look ahead to the future with everyone for the second season of Currency Wars, 'Voyage Into the Canvas.'"
That is all HoYoverse has confirmed so far: the name Voyage Into the Canvas. The recap does not give a start date, new characters, Bonds or rewards. The same recap says Zero-Sum Game "has seen 4 expansions" (3.7, 4.0, 4.2 and 4.4), and the wiki describes Currency Wars as a mode that is "periodically updated with new content".
The next official information point is the Version 4.7 Special Program, which past patterns put around October 30 to November 4 (see our 4.7 release date page). We will update this page when HoYoverse publishes the start date and details. Anything about Season 2's roster or mechanics on leak forums is unconfirmed.
Which characters dominated Currency Wars this season?
HoYoverse published its own end-of-season data in the "Currency Wars Annual Awards Ceremony" Fun Data Review. It is the most reliable usage data available, because it comes from every match played rather than one creator's runs.
Top 3 most deployed characters at the end of a match, by expansion:
| Expansion | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Version 3.7 (launch) | Tribbie | Hyacine | Cyrene |
| Version 4.0 | Sparkle | Yao Guang | Sparxie |
| Version 4.2 | Silver Wolf LV.999 | Yao Guang | Fu Xuan |
| Version 4.4 (current) | Welt | Mortenax Blade | Himeko • Nova |
Most deployed 3-star 5-cost units across the season: 1. Cyrene, 2. Firefly, 3. Welt. Most equipped privileged equipment: 1. Firestorm Surge, 2. High-frequency Chainsaw, 3. Anti-Grav Boots. Most selected Investment Environments: 1. The Rainbow Age, 2. Jackpot, 3. Long-Term Gains.
The equipment data also shows how carries changed hands. Firestorm Surge was used most by Feixiao in 3.7, Sparxie in 4.0, Silver Wolf LV.999 in 4.2 and Himeko • Nova in 4.4. Himeko • Nova also took Chassis of Retribution in 4.4, after Phainon (3.7, 4.0) and Aventurine (4.2).
Some fun numbers from the same review: the most dedicated Trailblazer played 76,143 rounds, one player finished a match holding 996,313 Gold Coins, and only 5 in every 1,000 Trailblazers saw all three of Owlbert's identities.
What is the best team to finish Currency Wars fast?
For the final push, use the setups top players used to reach the highest difficulty, Wealth Creator 50, in the 4.6 period.
1. Himeko • Nova carry (easiest route to the top). HoYoLAB creator Bad_Santa_ published an SSS clear of Wealth Creator 50 with all 100 Squad HP left, built around Himeko • Nova. Their one rule: keep restarting until the "Express Cohort Index Funds" Investment Environment is offered. "Once you secure this, the rest of the run is smooth sailing," they wrote, adding that Investment Strategy choices "barely matter" after that and the stage clears with a total economy under 300. This lines up with HoYoverse's data: Himeko • Nova was a top-3 deployed unit in 4.4 and the top Firestorm Surge and Chassis of Retribution user.
2. Galaxy Ranger + Break with Boothill. Another Wealth Creator 50 player, Taimat~, called the Galaxy Ranger/Break combo their favourite strategy after "a bazillion Currency Wars runs", with the caveat that it depends on the shop offering Boothill at a reasonable time.
3. Welt / Mortenax Blade frontline. Welt and Mortenax Blade were the two most deployed units of the 4.4 expansion, and Welt was the third most deployed 3-star 5-cost unit of the whole season. If your shop rolls them early, they are the safest build to commit to.
General rules that apply to every lineup:
- Level for the shop odds you need. 5-cost units only appear from level 7 (1%), reach 10% at level 9 and 25% at level 10. 4-cost odds peak at 40% on level 10.
- Three copies make a star. Three identical units at the same Star Level merge automatically, and a 3-star unit is usually at full strength.
- Bank Gold for interest. You earn interest on your Gold Coin balance after every battle, plus bonus Gold for win streaks. Don't refresh the shop every Node.
- Use the in-game Strategy panel. It suggests a guide from the units you already hold and highlights the recommended characters and equipment in the shop.
For the characters that matter outside this mode, see our HSR tier list.
What should you do before November 11?
Work through this in order and stop once you run out of time:
- Push Standard Gambit rank. Ranks A2 Jade Steel to A6 Investment Master pay 100 Jade each, and A7 and A8 pay 50 each. Losing a match never lowers your rank.
- Grind Ascension Levels while points are doubled. The track holds 22 separate 120-Jade rewards, spread across all 170 levels.
- Clear the 10 Regular Challenge conditions for 200 Jade. Several stack in one run, for example "Win while reaching level 10" plus "Win with a 3-star, 2-cost character in your lineup".
- Open every collection reward for Investment Strategies and Environments. These are often already unlocked and just waiting to be claimed.
- Finish your Advantage Layout, because it carries into the next Period.
Then put the Jade toward the current Warps on our HSR banner schedule, and pick up the free Jade on the Honkai Star Rail codes page.
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FAQ
When does Currency Wars end in HSR? Currency Wars: Zero-Sum Game ends on November 11, 2026 at 06:00 (UTC+8), which is 22:00 UTC, 17:00 EST and 14:00 PST on November 10.
What happens to my Currency Wars progress when it ends? Ascension Level, Standard Gambit rank and all unclaimed rewards are lost. Only Startup Guide and Advantage Layout progress carry over into the next Period.
How much Stellar Jade does Currency Wars give? Up to 3,680 Stellar Jade in one-time rewards (2,640 from 170 Ascension Levels, 600 from ranks, 200 from Regular Challenges and 240 from the two collection tracks). The weekly point track is shared with Simulated Universe and continues after the season ends.
What is Double Ascension Points in Currency Wars? A Version 4.6 change that doubles the Ascension Points from every win, so the 136,000 points needed for Ascension Level 170 take half as many runs.
Who is the best character in Currency Wars? In HoYoverse's own season data, Cyrene was the most deployed 3-star 5-cost unit, and Welt, Mortenax Blade and Himeko • Nova were the most deployed units in the latest expansion. Himeko • Nova with "Express Cohort Index Funds" is a proven Wealth Creator 50 clear.
Is there a Currency Wars Season 2? Yes. HoYoverse's October 25 Annual Awards recap names the second season "Voyage Into the Canvas". Its start date and details have not been announced. Expect them at the Version 4.7 Special Program, projected for October 30 to November 4, 2026.
This page is updated in place for each Currency Wars Period. Last checked October 25, 2026, 05:40 UTC (Version 4.6).
