Zenless Zone Zero is a departure from what we are used to from HoYoverse, including Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. While it does have visually stunning, anime characters, it drives away from the repetitive task-oriented gameplay and throws the players into various arenas.
Unlike traditional open-world RPGs, Zenless Zone Zero focuses on fast-paced action gameplay that depends on the characters you choose and their loadouts. You can experiment as much as you want, but characters do come at a cost. So, is Zenless Zone Zero a Gacha game?
Zenless Zone Zero Strives to Be a Better Gacha Game
Zenless Zone Zero does incorporate gacha mechanics, but it strives to address some of the common frustrations players have experienced with similar systems in Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. Notably, the stamina system, which limited the number of story missions that could be tackled in a day, has been removed.
This change eliminates the artificial barriers that often hinder progression in almost every gacha game. Additionally, story missions come with pre-set party members at appropriate levels, reducing the need for excessive grinding.
Zenless Zone Zero Gacha Mechanics Explained
The gacha system in Zenless Zone Zero revolves around four main banner types: Exclusive Channel, W-Engine Channel, Stable Channel, and Bangboo Channel.
Exclusive Channel:
This banner is where players will spend most of their time. Using Encrypted Master Tapes or Polychrome, players can pull for various S-tier agents, A-tier agents, and W-Engines. The drop rates are as follows:
- S-Tier Agent: 0.600%
- A-Tier Agent: 7.050%
- A-Tier W-Engine: 2.350%
- B-Tier W-Engine: 90%
A pity system guarantees an S-tier agent within 90 pulls and an A-tier agent or W-Engine within 10 pulls. The banner features a soft pity mechanic, increasing the chances of obtaining an S-tier agent after 75 pulls. Exclusive Channel banners are time-limited, and a 50:50 system determines whether the obtained agent is the featured one. If a non-featured agent is pulled, the next S-tier pull guarantees the featured agent.
W-Engine Channel:
Similar to the Exclusive Channel, this banner focuses on W-Engines. The pity system guarantees an S-tier W-Engine within 80 pulls, with a 75% chance of obtaining the featured W-Engine. The drop rates are:
- S-tier W-Engine: 1%
- A-tier W-Engine: 13.125%
- A-tier Agent: 1.875%
- B-tier W-Engine: 84%
The W-Engine Channel shares its pity system across all W-Engine banners but not with other banner types.
Stable Channel:
This permanent banner uses Master Tapes and offers a beginner benefit, giving a 20% discount on the first 50 pulls, with a guaranteed S-tier Agent within those pulls. The banner shares similarities with the Exclusive Channel regarding pity, chances, and signals. Players can choose one standard agent after 300 pulls, but the mixed chances of pulling W-Engines make it less appealing to spend Polychrome.
Bangboo Channel:
Unique to Zenless Zone Zero, this banner uses Boopons, obtained through the premium tier of the New Eridu City Fund. Players can select the S-tier Bangboo they want, with guaranteed pulls for the chosen Bangboo. The pity system and chances mirror those of the W-Engine banner. Bangbucks, earned from pulls, can be used in the Signal Shop for various items.
This is all you need to know about the Zenless Zone Zero Gacha system. It has its flaws and perks, but it is far better than what we have seen in previous titles from HoYoverse.