Let me paint you a picture. It’s 2 a.m., 2026. I’m hunched over my controller, my Agent’s skill bar stuck at level 11, taunting me with that single glowing, unreachable node. My coffee’s gone cold, my cat’s judging me, and my Hollow exploration career feels like it’s hit a brick wall. The solution? A tiny, rodent-themed ring that costs nothing and everything at the same time. That, my fellow Proxy, is the legendary Hamster Cage Pass. I’ve spent way too many hours chasing these things, so let me spare you the agony and give you the messy, unfiltered guide.
What the Heck is a Hamster Cage Pass?
Alright, so you’ve been slaying Ethereals, hopping between Hollows, and filling your roster with slick Agents. You’ve leveled them up, slapped on W-Engines, and you think you’re hot stuff. Then you glance at the skill tree. Why is half the final upgrade locked? That’s where our furry little friend comes in.
The Hamster Cage Pass is an S-Rank item—meaning it’s rarer than a free coffee in New Eridu. It’s the key to pushing any Agent’s skill (Basic Attack, Dodge, Assist, Special Attack, even the flashy Chain Attack) all the way to level 12. Without it, you’re forever at level 11, one notch below maximum potential. And in the Hollows, that one notch can mean the difference between a clean S-rank clear and a humiliating retreat.
According to the lore—and yes, I read the item descriptions, because I’m a nerd—the Hamster Cage Pass is a delicate ring with a disposable access chip. It grants entry to the Hamster Cage, a hyper-advanced simulation training center run by the Hollow Investigative Association. Think of it as the most hardcore, no-holds-barred boot camp your Agents could dream of. Only the best get in, and you’re holding the ticket.
Now, here’s the brutal math. Each Agent has five core skills. To fully max out everything, you’ll need five Hamster Cage Passes per Agent. Let that sink in. I have twelve Agents I actually use. You do the crying.
The Great Hamster Hunt: How to Actually Get These Things
By 2026, the methods haven’t changed much, and honestly, I’m grateful. HoYoverse knows we’d riot if they made this item paywalled. So, you’ve got two main avenues:
-
Limited-Time Events – Keep your eyes glued to in-game announcements. Special events pop up like mushrooms after rain, and they frequently toss a Hamster Cage Pass into the reward pool. Sometimes it’s a login bonus. Other times you have to complete a gauntlet of mini-games that make you question your life choices (looking at you, rhythm-based challenges). The specifics vary per event, but the consistency is there. I once cleared an entire event across three sleepless nights because the final reward was a single pass. No regrets. My Agent now crits like a truck.
-
The New Eridu City Fund (Battle Pass) – Love it or hate it, the battle pass is your steady source. Even the free Basic Plan gives you one Hamster Cage Pass when you hit the right tier. If you spring for the paid Growth Plan, you still get one—no extra passes, so don’t bother upgrading just for that. The silver lining? Both plans treat the item equally. I’ve stayed on the free plan for months and still built a nice little hamster stash.
Pro-tip: Never let a patch go by without checking the event tabs. I missed one in 2025 and I still wake up in a cold sweat thinking about that lost level 12 Chain Attack.
Don’t Be a Dummy: The Checklist Before You Use It
This isn’t a “click and done” situation. The Hamster Cage Pass has some very specific, very annoying prerequisites:
-
Agent Level: Your Agent must be at the current maximum level, which is 60 as of 2026. If you’re still dragging your feet in the 50s, this pass is just a shiny paperweight.
-
Skill Level: The skill you want to upgrade must already be at level 11. Yep, you can’t bypass the grind. You need the standard materials and Dennies to get to 11 first.
-
Extra Materials: The final jump to level 12 also demands additional upgrade materials plus a hefty Dennies fee. Make sure your inventory isn’t running on fumes before you commit. I accidentally burned 150,000 Dennies on a Dodge skill I never use. Learn from my pain.
The process itself is straightforward: go to the Agent menu, pick the skill, and confirm. But the weight of that confirmation? Immense. You’ll hear the ghostly squeak of approval from the Hamster Cage.
So, Is It All Worth It?
Absolutely. The final skill level grants a noticeable power spike—sometimes a raw damage bump, sometimes a critical utility tweak. In the endgame Hollows with increased difficulty modifiers, that extra oomph can be a lifesaver. You can certainly clear all story content without a single pass, but for those of us chasing perfect Agent builds, the Hamster Cage Pass is the final frontier.
Collecting them becomes its own mini-game. I now hoard passes like a squirrel preparing for winter, only to dump five on a new Agent the minute they hit level 60. The dopamine rush is real. So, embrace the grind, keep an eye on those events, and may your Agents never stop squeaking toward greatness.