Zenless Zone Zero 1.0 Livestream Reveals Story, Login Rewards, Free Pulls, and More

With less than a week left to go until it is officially released, Hoyoverse has just held a livestream celebrating the release of their next upcoming gacha hit, Zenless Zone Zero. The official livestream gave players a good idea of what they can expect to see in Version 1.0, including a look at the story and the several important factions that we’ll meet during it, how combat works, what banners you’ll get to pull on, and, of course, what free pulls and login rewards will be available during the launch window. 

Firstly, we got a new story trailer for the game which focused on explaining the broader terms and concepts players will come across in this first act. You play as the Proxy, one of the few people in the safe haven of New Eridu who can safely navigate through the mysterious, and exceedingly deadly, areas known as Hollows. These labyrinthine black holes are what caused the end of the Old World. Not only are Hollows incredibly complex to navigate, but they’re also home to the Ethereals, monsters who attack any who enter the Hollows from the outside world. 

Hollows of New Eridu

Like with the Traveler in Genshin Impact and the Trailblazer in Honkai: Star Rail, players will get to choose whether they play as the male Proxy (Wise) or the female Proxy (Belle). As the Proxy, you will lead groups of Agents deep into the Hollows in search of riches, rewards, and thrills galore.

In Version 1.0, you’ll be able to play up to Chapter 3 of the main story, which will introduce you to the Cunning Hares, Public Security, Belobog Industries, and Victoria Housekeeping, all of whom are important factions in New Eridu. 

Combat is the main focus in Zenless Zone Zero and it has a lot of layers which make it easy to approach but hard to master. Firstly, all players will have access to up to three different Agents during battles. Unlike Genshin Impact – which relies more on the Elemental Reactions characters can cause with their differing abilities – fights in ZZZ are fast, frantic, and focused on overwhelming the enemy. Satisfaction is at the heart of the battle system in Zenless Zone Zero.

Every enemy in the game has a Daze bar which will fill as you deal damage to them: once an enemy reaches maximum Daze, you’ll stun them and be able to deliver a devastating set of Chain Attacks with your other team members.

There’s also the Perfect Assist option for those who like to play more defensively. If you switch characters when a yellow flash appears during an enemy’s attack, you’ll trigger the incoming Agent’s Perfect Assist, interrupting the enemy and allowing the use of a special follow-up attack. 

Then you have the Bangboos. These cuddly little creatures essentially act as fourth-party members, supporting your Agents on the field with either additional damage or other useful buffs and bonuses. There are a wide variety of Bangboos, each with their own stats and attributes, and you can even tag them in for a powerful attack during a Chain Attack.

Bangboo Helpers

Another big difference between Zenlezz Zone Zero and MiHoyo’s other gacha titles is how exploration works. Combat takes place entirely within Hollows or separate domains, while exploration takes place inside New Eridu and its various districts. Instead of being an open world that you explore with your Agents, the streets and sights of New Eridu can only be explored with your Proxy. While there won’t be any fights to undertake freely, there will be chests to find, secret collectables to hunt, and more.

Your Agents will even have a Trust system which you can raise by doing things around New Eridu. Whether it’s texting them after going to bed or inviting them out for a day out around the city, there are plenty of ways to raise your Agent’s Trust rank, likely unlocking new rewards and other features later on. 

While subtle, the Zenless Zone Zero livestream also revealed the release schedule for the game’s first two S-Rank Signal Searches, the game’s rate-up gacha banners. Ellen Joe (Ice Attribute) of Vicotria Housekeeping, and her shark-themed W-Engine, is the featured S-Rank Agent for the first phase of the release patch, which starts on July 4th. Meanwhile, in phase two, Zhu Yuan (Ether Attribute) of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team will head up the S-Rank Signal Search. 

Players will be able to pull new Bangboos via a special gacha banner but, unlike Agents or W-Engines, Bangboo pulls (known as Boopon) cannot be bought with real money and must instead be earned solely through events and other activities. Additionally, similar to the highly praised weapon selector system in the recently released Wuthering Waves, players can choose which S-Rank Bangboo they will get when they reach maximum pity on the Bangboo banner. Once selected, players are guaranteed to get the Bangboo of their choice when they get an S-Rank on the Bangboo banner.

Speaking of banners, all players will be able to obtain up to 100 Pulls and 80 Bangboo Pulls for free via in-game events or log-in rewards. There’s also an exclusive redemption code all players can redeem – ZZZFREE100 – for Polychromes, Dennies, Senior Investigator Logs, and W-Engine Modules. Be sure to redeem this code in the first week that Zenless Zone Zero is out, though, as it will expire on July 11th. 

Finally, it has also been confirmed that players may select one of the six S-Rank Agents – Grace, Rina, Koleda, Nekomata, Soldier 11, and Lycaon – on the Standard Banner once they reach 300 pulls on the Star-Studded Cast Stable Channel (permanent Standard Banner). This is the exact same system players may be familiar with from Honkai: Star Rail. New Proxies will also be guaranteed a random S-Rank Agent within their first 50 Signal Searches on the Star-Studded Cast. 

S-Rank Agent of Your Choice at 300 Pulls

Zenless Zone Zero releases on July 4th and will be available to pre-download on July 2nd.

SOURCE: Zenless Zone Zero Pre-Release Special Program