Zenless Zone Zero reaches version 3.0, “Sleepwalker’s Confession” releasing June 17th

Hoyoverse dropped a hot new announcement today that Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) is officially launching into its third season next week. After only two years, ZZZ has released quite a lot of content for you to get your hands on, and they’re clearly not slowing down any time soon. With Version 3.0, as always, we will see the introduction of two new agents, new story content, limited time events, freebies galore, and more. If you’re itching to know what’s coming, we’ve got it all here for you.

In ZZZ version 3.0,the proxies are contacted by the mayor of New Eridu with a request for help: he needs the twins to assist in a risky trip to the restricted zone, Roscelifer. Don’t ask me how to pronounce that one. In Roscaelifer (yes, I have that word permanently in my clipboard for this article to avoid typos), lengthy-titled Administrative Director of the External Strategy Department, Velina guides that proxies through the main island as they are given the cover of pretending to be transfer students to solve the mystery behind the power known as Pyrois hidden within them. Pyrois finally allows for the twins to become a fighting force of their own, controlling the new Agent from within and taking on the battlefield first-hand. Pyrois is being given to all players as a free Agent as a special launch reward for season 3, so make sure you don’t miss signing on.

Reports are arising of explosive Bangboo incidents, in which the little guys are blowing themselves up inexplicably, causing panic and sowing increased doubt among the general public toward the self-aware robotic companions. At the same time, anomalous fluctuations are emerging from within the hollows of the Energy Hub. The silhouette of first-generation void hunter Remielle Dan shows once more in this sky city while the surrounding areas deal with an all new crisis. As the Admin of the ESD, S-Rank Wind Anomaly agent Velina is taking point in this new chapter of ZZZ. Unlockable through standard pulls, Velina is the first of her kind. Never before having a wind-type anomaly agent, players will experience a whole new world on the battlefield as you get to blow your opponents away. Accumulating wind anomaly on an opponent will cause them to enter the windswept state, a special state in which enemies will burst and deal AoE damage of the corresponding type when hit by an agent with a different anomaly attribute. With the addition of this mechanic, Hoyoverse is intending to introduce more agents in the future that will pair well with this ability, showing that even in its powerful state at launch, it can only get better. 

Also joining the ranks alongside Velina is S-Rank Fire attribute Stun agent Norma. Norma is the ESD’s Chief Tehcnician and a core member of the Marcel Group’s tech center. In combat, Norma utilizes her hat, a special weapon that generates heat in her “Preheated Chamber” regardless of whether or not she is currently the active agent on the field. Once accumulated, Norma can convert quick assists from her fellow agents into chain attacks, creating additional chain attack opportunities for everyone involved. Agents Ye Shunguang and Sunna will also be returning for a second opportunity to collect them as additional pulls you’re able to reach for. If you missed them, Ye Shunguang is considered by much of the community to be one of the best Agents period, so make sure you take full advantage of the rare opportunity to get her on your team.

Version 3.0 also introduces new territory to explore. Roscaelifer is a whole new open world segment, home to many landmarks for players to find. Maybe you’ll find yourself at Roarin’ Brekkies to get a random daily cookie (that’s a great name for a breakfast spot, by the way), or jump into the Spotlight Theater to catch alleyway stage performances featuring full-bangboo casts. In the sky, a bus flies overhead with a hidden route that can be unlocked when summoned at a specific time (please don’t be a battlebus). Universal Terminal allows proxies to gain citywide access, taking control of the city’s camera for recon and scanning as well as joyriding a drone beside trusty ol’ Eous for up-close operations. Scamall Hollow also offers Aerial Transit for the proxies to travel at high speeds using their new-found Pyrois abilities. The proxies should be mindful to take care here though, as, being that it is inside a hollow, unexpected and unpredictable situations may occur that will find them needing to utliize all the power the Pyrois has to offer to resolve the anomaly and get back on track. 

Using Interboo, the proxies can utilize the fully-fleshed collection system to record these anomalies as well as any other discovery made across the island to earn polychrome and other rewards, so it’s not all bad. Maybe you should just fall into these spots on purpose for the rewards. What’s the worst that can happen?

In other activities available, ZZZ’s version 3.0 introduces a new permanent gameplay mode called “Bangbang! The Genius and the Miracle Chip”, in which the Proxiescan nurture and command squads to repair the central computing hub and complete chip research missions. Annihilation Simulacrum is the new permanent battle mode, focused on high-difficulty boss challenges with no elemental weaknesses or resistances, meaning you will have full emphasis placed on understanding the game’s mechanics and general team building. A series of limited-time events will also be available, upon completion rewarding tuning calibrators, w-engines, polychromes, new titles, and many other rewards.

Also in version 3.0 comes some nice quality of life additions. Not least of which is the new smart Drive Disc discard that allows for batch processing of unwanted Drive Discs quickly. If you’ve played ZZZ a lot, you, like me, are probably drowning in these things, so anything to help cut down on the sheer volume is a welcome change. The Drive Disc Tuning interface will now prioritize compatible sets from active training plans. Starting with version 3.0, protagonist outfit accessories will be separated into universal items, freely mixable across any outfit you choose. Meaning less rigidity and more freedom, can’t argue with that. On PC, a comprehensive visual upgrade is also coming. Players with compatible hardware will soon gain access to ray tracing, DLSS, and Frame gen options. 

The Phaethon faction agent Pyrois, alongside a season 3-themed proxy outfit will be gifted to all Proxies as season 3 launch rewards, but it does require you to actually play the new story content. If you’re not caught up, you are still able to jump in and get the items by navigating to the “advance screening” options through the event calendar as always. This allows you to jump straight to the new content and not have to worry about missing out. In coming versions, all of Pyrois’ Mindscapes and their exclusive w-engine will also be gifted for free, so don’t miss claiming this. Proxies will also have the opportunity to claim 1,600 polychromes, 600 upon logging in on the launch day, and the remainder on July 4: the second anniversary of ZZZ’s launch. Be there or be square!