Zenless Zone Zero 2.0 is upon us, taking the now year-old urban action RPG to the Waifei Peninsula for a more martial arts-flavored arc. The opening volley of the 2.X journey centers around Yixuan, a central character positioned as a master to the Proxy protagonists. We’ve known Yixuan for a few weeks now, but we’ve only just gotten to play as her, and she’s instantly made a name for herself as one of the game’s strongest characters.
She’s also instantly become one of my favorites. Yixuan is a supremely reactive fighter, capable of rapidly parrying attacks on field as well as saving resources for explosively high burst damage in enemy stun windows. The black-on-gold aesthetic of her inky strikes is a feast for the eyes, smothering enemies in damage numbers that tickle my brain like a hit marker motivates a Call of Duty player. And thanks to her additional HP scaling, she also has a bit of a tanky bruiser feel to her that matches my tastes in action RPGs perfectly. She may end up being my new main, especially once her apparent go-to partner Ju Fufu is released in the coming weeks.
But, in my experience and according to virtually the entire Zenless community’s preview analysis of Yixuan, the strongest character of them all is still Hoshimi Miyabi. It’s been this way for months. Like Miyabi, Yixuan also has a unique element, the Ether-adjacent Auric Ink, and she’s even introduced a new character class called Rupture, but Miyabi remains in a tier of her own. She’s our only playable Void Hunter – Yixuan is distinctly described as a Void Hunter-rivaling “Grandmaster” – and, more importantly, the strongest damage dealer in the whole game by some distance.
This was something I was eager to discuss in a May interview with Zenless Zone Zero producer Zhenyu Li. Personally, I’m glad Zenless isn’t pushing the power ceiling higher every other update, at least not anymore. But how will new characters handle the Miyabi effect, and how will developer HoYoverse balance its character ambitions with a new effort to buff old characters, starting with 1.0 star Ellen Joe, up to a more comfortable power level?
Responses lightly edited for clarity and length.
GamesRadar+: Yixuan has become the star of update 2.0, billed as a Void Hunter-level fighter. Our only current playable Void Hunter, Miyabi, has been known as the strongest character in Zenless Zone Zero since her release. How are you living up to those expectations with Yixuan?
Producer Zhenyu Li, HoYoverse: From a narrative perspective, Yixuan serves as the master to the Phaethon siblings (our protagonists) in Season 2. She’s not just a mentor teaching them techniques but also plays a crucial role in helping the protagonists confront their inner selves during the 2.0 plot. As an Agent, Yixuan holds the title of “Grandmaster” and possesses unique Auric Ink attributes and a Rupture specialty, mastering two different Ultimate modes. Her combat prowess is undeniable. As a result, Yixuan plays an absolutely vital role in both driving the Season 2 storyline and enriching the new sandbox combat stage experience.
Do you ever regret making Miyabi as strong as she is? Or are you happy for there to be standout, super powerful characters like Miyabi, and then other characters like Evelyn can be almost as strong while still being fun to play in their own way?
As the only Void Hunter currently featured in the game, Hoshimi Miyabi’s exceptional power level perfectly aligns with both the plot’s background and the team’s expectations. Whether it’s Hoshimi Miyabi or Evelyn, each character’s power level is determined by their narrative and character background, ensuring it meets the expectations players form during gameplay.
We’ve heard that older characters will receive adjustments based on their combat performance and game feel. Can you share some of the Agents you are looking to adjust, and how you determine which characters are most in need of a boost? How frequently do you plan to release changes for old characters?
In version 2.0, we will first implement optimization adjustments for Ellen. As the first S-Rank character in Zenless Zone Zero since launch, Ellen represents the bond between us and the players who have accompanied Zenless Zone Zero along the way. That’s why we chose her as the first character from the past to receive optimization.
During our internal evaluations, we were quite satisfied with Ellen’s combat design and experience. So, for the version 2.0 optimization, we have thoughtfully integrated the Hollow Zero “Icy Blade” into Ellen’s skills, while also introducing an “Activate Potential” feature for her. Proxies who own Ellen can unlock this feature by participating in an event. After unleashing her potential, Ellen will gain new Basic Attack skills and more team composition possibilities, with her passive mechanism also updated to enhance her damage output further.
While this type of adjustment may not have a fixed frequency, it’s something we will continue to explore in the long term.
Many players have hoped to see a way to bring the character-specific gear from Hollow Zero into other modes as some sort of equipable item. One Hollow Zero modifier for Corin was shown in a developer discussion, fueling these hopes. Can you speak to how Hollow Zero gear is influencing your character adjustment plans?
In version 2.0, we will be making optimization adjustments to Ellen, including integrating her gear “Icy Blade” from Hollow Zero into her skills in a more streamlined way. As a long-term live service game, our team places great importance on optimizing the experience for characters that players already own. Moving forward, we will consider both overall game balance and player feedback when making adjustments to existing characters, with gear integration into Agent skills being one of the directions we’re exploring to enhance the player experience.
A previous developer discussion mentioned plans to give all three characters in your team more of an on-field presence in the future. Can you share more details on how new and/or existing characters will be more visible in battle?
Our initial intention in introducing the follow-up attack mechanism in version 1.6 was to address the issue of off-field characters having insufficient presence during combat. We wanted Agents to maintain a certain level of visibility on the current battlefield even when they’re switched to an off-field position. This ensures that as your three-person squad executes their combat mechanics, each character maintains a balanced presence, a crucial part of improving the overall combat experience. Of course, to explore richer combat possibilities, we will continue to boldly experiment with new combat mechanics and expand the combat system. Our goal is to enhance the overall presence of all characters through gameplay improvements, rather than simply strengthening individual characters.
Speaking of new characters: we’ve already seen an alternate version of Anby with the S-Rank Silver Soldier. Are you planning to release S-Rank versions of other A-Rank characters?
What we can reveal for now is that there will definitely be more S Characters in the future. As for which characters specifically—stay tuned and look forward to it!
How do you respond to concerns that, in the Waifei Peninsula, Zenless Zone Zero may lose some of the pop, urban, modern look that drew many players to the game?
The overall design of Waifei Peninsula still centers around modern, trendy urban elements, but unlike the previous Sixth Street and Lumina Square, we’ve incorporated more diverse stylistic expressions and fresh attempts to build on these existing urban impressions. Our goal is to bring players a new and engaging experience. After all, even in the real world, there isn’t a single image or definition of what a trendy urban environment looks like.
From the 2.0 teaser trailer, it looks like many new characters feature a greater range of body types, from the extremely small to the extremely large. Will we actually get to play as a very tiny Thiren and a very large robot, or will those characters be unplayable, or normalized for gameplay?
Anything is possible—looking forward to all the unexpected surprises these characters will bring to everyone!
We’ve heard that the Proxies themselves are also becoming more active characters in 2.X by training under Yixuan. Is the long-term vision to release playable, combatant, S-Rank versions of Belle and Wise?
In Season 2, the siblings will learn mystical arts from Yixuan, the High Preceptor of Yunkui Summit, further honing their ability to manipulate Ether. They’ll wield Eye Arts—Break, Reveal, and Seek—within the Hollow, giving Phaethon an even bigger role in more open-ended, explorable 3D stages. While they work to resolve the Sacrifice crisis, the secrets behind the siblings’ eye implants begin to surface.
With the HDD system upgrade, their Ether compatibility has been restored, allowing them to enter the Hollow in their own bodies—and the true power of their eye implants goes far beyond that. In the future, the Phaethon siblings will undergo transformations and upgrades, evolving in both identity and ability. Though the Hollow remains a dangerous place, stay tuned to discover the siblings’ future powers and how their roles within the Hollow will expand.
It was also mentioned that the 2.X patches will add a way to take our relationships with characters to a new level, beyond the story encounters and trust levels we have already. I know some players have been talking about romance. Can you clarify your plans here?
The Agent companionship system will continue to expand in both narrative and gameplay, as we strive to enhance interactions between players and Agents, showcase their charm beyond combat, and create a sense of daily companionship.
On the narrative side, we’ll highlight the Agents’ unique appeal and their bonds with players by weaving in their personalities, backgrounds, and relationships with the Proxy. In terms of gameplay, we’ll unlock more shop functions alongside events and expand interactive features with Agents. For example, the flower arrangement gameplay introduced in version 1.7 event “Say It With Flowers,” and in version 2.0, the Gravity Cinema in Lumina Square will open during events, letting players enjoy movie-watching interactions with Agents and spend relaxing moments together in front of the silver screen.
In the future, as more Exploration Areas are released, additional shop functions will be optimized and expanded, enabling even more interactions between players and Agents, and offering deeper insights into their daily lives and personalities in New Eridu.
Finally, some players were surprised not to see the previously teased Angels of Delusion idol characters in the 2.0 teaser. Can you shed some light on when and how these characters will appear in-game?
What we can share for now is that the Angels of Delusion faction will debut in version 2.X, but please stay tuned for more details about the launch date and the faction itself.
Zenless Zone Zero tells Wuthering Waves, Genshin Impact, and Honkai Star Rail to hold my beer, giving out free S-rank characters and weapons for its anniversary.
