Zenless Zone Zero 2.5 throws everything at us, from a free S-rank and co-op to a new way to dodge the gacha's worst curse

Zenless Zone Zero 2.5 was already on my radar, but it's looking like the best time to come back to Hoyoverse's stylish hack-and-slash gacha game if you've fallen off the train. Hoyoverse is clearly pulling out the stops in an attempt to get ZZZ the level of attention that its older siblings Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail have. There's a free S-rank agent, a sweep of character buffs for some favorites that have dropped off, and even a way to circumnavigate the biggest single frustration with banner pulls.

The ZZZ 2.5 release date is Tuesday December 30, and it's setting us up for a big start to 2026. The new story chapter continues the ongoing tale around Waifei Peninsula, the Lemnian Hollow, and the Lumite mining operations that have been taking place. It'll see new agents Ye Shunguang and Zhao step onto the battlefield, with the former being a particularly notable addition as the latest Void Hunter (ZZZ's equivalent to Genshin's Archons, meaning you can rank her alongside the mighty Miyabi power-wise).

This means the version 2.5 banners will feature Ye Shunguang and Zhao, along with their respective W-Engines. To cut back on FOMO, these will last for the entire patch - and we're even being given a free copy of Zhao simply for logging in (along with enough upgrade materials to get her to level 40). On top of this, new Jane Doe skin 'Nocturne of Light' will give everyone's favorite rat a fresh look, and it's completely free if you grab it during 2.5.

That's all great news, but the new 'exclusive rescreening' banner that's taking place in the second half of the patch is perhaps more exciting. It's a combined rerun for Alice, Soldier 0 Anby, and Astra Yao, and you're able to choose which one you want as the focus agent. The first time you hit the S-rank roll, it's guaranteed to be the character you picked, with no 50/50 chance. There's also a matching W-Engine banner that works much the same way.

Spending all your pulls in search of the character you've been eyeing up only to lose that coin flip is perhaps the single most annoying part of Hoyoverse's gacha system. Having a way to circumnavigate it is an absolute godsend, and a fantastic way to encourage people to consider banner reruns, which can often feel a little bit underwhelming. Hoyoverse confirms that it's also going to be rolling out 'power up' buffs through an upgrade mechanic for Burnice, Grace, Soldier 11, Ellen, and Soldier-0 Anby.

On top of this, expect login bonuses that include 10 Encrypted Master Tape, 1,000 Polychrome, and 10 Boopons, plus an additional 800 Polys that can be earned through pre-registration bonuses and events, even before you count all the additional sources such as story completion and weeklies.

Next is the 'Filmgoer thank-you gift,' which does require you to spend money but will let you choose an S-rank agent (from the original list plus Burnice, Jane Doe, and Qingyi) along with a W-Engine as a bonus reward on top of your purchase. There's even some fresh ZZZ codes from the announcement stream that are still live this weekend, so be sure to grab them if you haven't already done so.

There's a whole lot more in the patch on top of this, too. Most notable is the first real co-op combat feature, Joint Investigation. Each player takes charge of one agent, allowing you to employ new tactics in battle. You can also revive your allies if they fall, and Hoyoverse teases emotes to help you communicate and show off. Elsewhere, we'll be getting our first proper glimpse at the upcoming idol group, the Angels of Delusion.

Even that's not all. Shiyu Defense is being reworked into a five-stage format down from its current iteration, by essentially cutting out the three that were usually skipped due to previous progression and adding a new one on the end. Deadly Assault now includes a squad-building guide that will let you take recommendations based on what's available to you.

New Drive Disc tuning can be used to target specific sub-stats, making finding that last piece to complete your build less of a pure gamble. The presentation of damage numbers during combat has been made cleaner, along with a new display you can toggle on to easily see the total output of your attack skills. There's even a third-person free camera to make taking photos easier than ever.

The Zenless Zone Zero 2.5 update launches on Tuesday December 30. I'd have been there anyway; for all the concerns around late-game health bloat and challenges that demand overly specific team compositions, it's still one of the most enjoyable pure action experiences in years, and I'm eager to see where the lead-in to 3.0 takes us narratively. But if you've been off the boat, now's the best time to hop back on board.