Zenless Zone Zero Marks Milestone with Version 2.0 Update and Xbox Series Launch

I’m gonna be honest, I wasn’t planning on getting sucked into Zenless Zone Zero’s first anniversary hullabaloo, but here we are. They’re tossing around free stuff like it’s going out of style. Who doesn’t love that? Anyway, big news in New Eridu – Version 2.0 drops, and we’ve got an Xbox port too. Players are getting spoiled with a free S-Rank Agent and W-Engine, plus a bunch of in-game currency. I mean, if you’re not showing off that exclusive profile title at the after-party, are you even playing?

Now, about the anniversary timing – it’s a bit like celebrating your birthday a month early because, why not? ZZZ’s real birthday isn’t till next month. But hey, six-week schedule and all that, so HoYo wants you to have a party now. Forty days to log in and snag the goodies? Not a bad deal.

Oh, side note: if you see stuff about enabling cookies, it’s not what you think. Unless you’re into digital cookies. Anyway, where was I? Right, the game!

Zenless Zone Zero – think urban science-fantasy RPG that’s part mystery, part chaos. Siblings Belle and Wise are the main characters, kind of. You see them mostly in the hub world while the real action happens through the Agents you collect and control.

Version 2.0 isn’t just a number – it kicks off Season 2 with fresh mysteries and characters. Yixuan and Pan Yinhu are new on the scene, bringing their own flair and joining what’s now the 11th faction – Yunkui Summit, if names mean anything to you. Yixuan, by the way, is a new damage type called Rupture Agent, which sounds dramatic, doesn’t it?

Oh, and speaking of dramatic, this update also sees ZZZ finally play nice with Xbox Series consoles and cloud gaming. If you’re like me and have been waiting, it’s about time.

Here’s the kicker – while all the gaming fun unfolds, there’s a broader backdrop. HoYoverse is caught up in a labor dispute with their English voice actors. A handful have been let go, allegedly connected to strikes over fair protection against AI messing with their livelihoods. It’s a bit of a mess, and HoYoverse isn’t saying much beyond “recording schedules.” Make of that what you will.

And Yixuan? She’s making a splash with a rerun pal, Astra Yao. Pan Yinhu joins the default banner post-anniversary. Intrigued? Overwhelmed? I’m right there with you.