Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) is HoYoverse's urban action gacha — pacing tighter than Genshin, combat closer to a character-action game, run flow closer to a rhythm game. Version 3.1 lands July 29, 2026, following the Pyrois/Velina/Norma release in 3.0. This guide is the shortest path from download to enjoying it.
Reroll for Pyrois (mono-Fire ceiling) or an existing S-rank Attack. Learn the Attack + Stun + Support role frame — that's the entire team-building system. Skip the Battle Tower until you've cleared Shiyu Defense once.
Role frames — the single system to understand
Every Agent has a Specialty: Attack, Stun, Support, Anomaly, Defense, Rupture. Every team wants one Attack (your DPS), one Stun (to open chain windows), and one Support (buff/heal). Anomaly can replace Stun on Anomaly-frame teams.
The combat loop: Stun agent attacks to build the enemy's Daze meter → Daze fills → chain attack window opens → swap to Attack agent → burst → repeat. Missing your Stun means you never get chain attacks, which caps your damage hard.
Reroll priority
- Pyrois (3.0 banner, may still be on rerun window) — Fire Attack ceiling.
- Ellen (waiting on rerun) — Ice Attack, universally strong.
- Miyabi — Ice Anomaly, top of Anomaly frames.
- Jane Doe — Physical Anomaly, best for account variety.
Skip Velina as a reroll target — she's the best Stun anchor but you need a compatible Attack to make her shine.
First 30 hours
- Finish Chapter 1 to unlock the Signal Search (gacha) and your first standard-banner selector.
- Reach Inter-Knot Level 40 — unlocks Shiyu Defense (endgame), Bangboo shop, and Drive Disc farming domains.
- Build one Bangboo. Bangboos are the little robots that chain your combos. Officer Cui, Amillion, and Butler are the meta picks.
- Farm one Drive Disc set for your carry. Two 2-piece bonuses beat one under-optimized 4-piece.
Battery — the daily loop
Battery is your energy meter, 240 per day. Spend on:
- Combat Simulation — daily Drive Disc runs.
- VR Device / Notorious Hunt — weekly boss for character ascension materials.
- Character material stages — talent upgrade materials.
Chain attacks — the mechanic your reroll won't help with
Chain attacks are the big-damage windows. They fire when your Stun agent triggers a break on an enemy, and they cascade through your whole party — Attack agent hits, Support agent hits, back to Attack. Timing matters:
- Save your Ultimates for chain windows. Popping an Ult mid-combo does much less than saving it for a chain.
- Dodge into chain openings. A perfect dodge triggers a Quick Assist, which cascades into the chain.
- Learn each enemy's break threshold. Trash mobs break in one attack; elites take four or five.
The Signal Search (gacha) system
Character banners hit hard pity at 90 with soft pity starting around 75. The 50/50 rule applies to featured characters. W-Engine banners are separate with an 80-pull hard pity and a 75/25 lean.
Polychrome income scales with weekly Shiyu Defense clears — you get more from full-clearing than from grinding side content.
For this guide we consulted the Game8 Zenless Zone Zero wiki (Version 3.0/3.1 role frames, Battery economy, Signal Search mechanics), the HoYoverse official page, and community discussion on Reddit and player Discords.