Zenless Zone Zero Beginner Guide: Your First Priorities
Start Zenless Zone Zero with a clear upgrade order, a practical starter team and a plan for Battery Charge, Polychrome and your first combat challenges.
Original AI-assisted fan illustration for Zenless Hub. Artwork & editorial policy.
Start with one team, learn to stun enemies, and spend upgrade resources on the characters you actually use. Zenless Zone Zero opens several systems in quick succession. You do not need to optimize all of them on your first evening.
Check the Version 3.2 Beginner Guide reward
Eligible accounts that did not obtain the corresponding selectable Agent and W-Engine rewards from Version 3.1’s Marcel’s Anniversary Gift can use the Beginner Guide’s replacement selection. The Agent choices are Jane, Hugo or Soldier 0 - Anby. The engine selection follows the required Phase 2 missions and offers Sharpened Stinger, Myriad Eclipse or Severed Innocence. Eligibility is checked per corresponding reward; this is not an unconditional second gift for every account. Publisher’s 3.2 announcement, reviewed September 20, 2026.
Open Beginner Guide from the main interface and inspect your own available mission phase before deciding what to farm. Try the available Agent demonstrations and plan a team first; choosing a reward and fully building the character are separate decisions.
Unlock milestones to recognize
| Milestone | What it opens or makes relevant |
|---|---|
| Chapter 1: Cat’s Lost & Found tutorial | Combat Simulation and Coff Cafe progression |
| Chapter 1’s Ridu Weekly introduction | The weekly task grid |
| Inter-Knot 20 and Chapter 1 – Intermission | Entry requirement for many current events, including Shadow Chase Showdown |
| A promotion cap | Check the next Proxy rank requirement before farming more EXP |
Follow the tutorial objective when a menu is missing. These are separate story and level conditions; reaching a level alone does not finish a required chapter. See coffee unlocks and the current event entry requirements.
Follow the story until your daily systems open
Main story progress introduces the city, combat training and account progression. If a guide mentions a menu you cannot see, check your current story objective before assuming your account is missing a feature. Unlock messages and the in-game Compendium are useful signposts.
After a story section, take a short pause to review your Agents. A level cap, an unequipped W-Engine or an unclaimed progression reward can matter more than a new character.
Build a team with three clear jobs
The original Cunning Hares give you an understandable starting point: Anby builds Daze, Nicole supports the damage window, and Billy attacks. Our starter team guide explains the handoffs.
Practice against an ordinary enemy before making a large investment. You should be able to explain which Agent spends time on the field and why. Constantly switching just because an ability lights up is not a plan.
Upgrade in an order that solves problems
| If this happens | Check this first |
|---|---|
| Your main attacker deals little damage | Agent level, W-Engine level and relevant skills |
| Enemies rarely become stunned | Stunner’s rotation, Impact and missed defensive opportunities |
| Your team takes too much damage | Attack cues, camera position and dodge timing |
| A stage feels much harder than the story | Recommended level, enemy resistance and challenge rules |
Avoid spending everything across the entire roster. Keep your main attacker current, give the supporting pair functional equipment, and improve the team that clears your next objective.
Separate your currencies
Battery Charge funds repeatable material farming. Dennies support upgrades. Polychrome is a premium resource, so read a purchase confirmation before using it. Different Signal Search channels use different tapes; their similar names do not make them interchangeable.
See our currency guide before converting resources. A free pull is not a reason to spend additional currency to reach a round number.
A manageable first-session checklist
- Continue the main story and claim its rewards.
- Equip the three Agents you use, including their W-Engines.
- Try the training room and practice one clean stun rotation.
- Spend available Battery Charge on the next useful upgrade.
- Check event unlock requirements, then stop when you have finished your plan.
You can add a second team when a challenge actually requires it. A small roster with a clear purpose is easier to learn and maintain.
Your first upgrade decision, worked through
Suppose the starter squad survives but takes too long to finish a fight. First replay the opening: if Anby creates Stun and Nicole hands off correctly, inspect Billy’s Agent level, W-Engine and central skills. If Billy arrives after the opening, repair the handoff before farming. If Anby gets interrupted repeatedly, spend a few attempts learning the enemy’s attack instead.
These are different causes of the same visible symptom. Use the table above to choose one cause, make one change and retry. You do not need a new character to discover whether the current team is missing equipment or simply missing its timing.
Returning after a break
Confirm your account and server before reacting to an unfamiliar start screen. Read the current event requirements, then restore a working three-Agent squad. Keep older usable equipment until a replacement is complete. Follow the dated banner directory and update archive, because a launch-era video can describe expired rewards or a changed menu.
Where to check changing details
The official game site carries announcements. Use the requirements displayed in your current client for unlocks and rewards; returning-player and beginner programs can change between versions.
Published September 16, 2026 · Updated September 20, 2026 · See our editorial policy
Source-based editorial guidance. References and the scope of examples are identified in the article. How this content is reviewed.
