HoYoVerse announced what we can expect from the 2.0 update to Zenless Zone Zero and, in addition to the Xbox Series X version, new story, and new region, we each will get to choose a free S-Rank character and S-Rank W-Engine. There will also be activities that essentially give players enough currency and items for three ten-pulls on the gacha, as we can earn 1,600 Polychromes that could be put toward either the Star-Studded Cast Stable Channel banner or limited Signal Searches. Free costumes for Belle and Wise will also be available to earn as rewards in Zenless Zone Zero as well. Everything kicks off on June 6, 2025.

First, we actually get to pick which free S-Rank character and W-Engine we want in Zenless Zone Zero after 2.0 arrives. Here’s the list of all playable units we can choose from, as well as their factions, attributes, and specialties:

• Grace - Belobog Heavy Industries - Electric - Anomaly
• Koleda - Belobog Heavy Industries - Fire - Stun
• Lycaon - Victoria Housekeeping - Ice - Stun
• Nekomata - Cunning Hares - Physical - Attack
• Rina - Victoria Housekeeping - Electric -
• Soldier 11 - Obol Squad - Fire - Attack

As for the free S-Rank W-Engines, it looks like the image showed the ones associated with each of those six characters may be available to choose as your free one. Here’s the list of those possible options:

• The Brimstone - Attack
• Fusion Compiler - Anomaly
• Hellfire Gears - Stun
• The Restrained - Stun 
• Steel Cushion - Attack
• Weeping Cradle -

We also got to see and learn the names of the two Zenless Zone Zero costumes for Belle and Wise. Belle’s is called Delicate Sunlight. Wise’s is Soaring Crane. Both are based on attire seen by people in the new Waifei Peninsula, and they each have a white, yellow, and black color scheme.

Here is how the Zenless Zone Zero Belle and Wise costumes look, and there’s also a screen capture of the free S-Rank characters being given away.

New and returning characters appearing in 2.0 also came up, as the next Zenless Zone Zero Agents were confirmed. The three Yunkui Summit characters, as mentioned before, are Yixuan, Ju Fufu, and Pan Yinhu. Pan Yinhu is the only A-Rank one, as the others are S-Rank. Yixuan, returning character Astra Yao, and Pan Yinhu will be available at launch in 2.0, while Ju Fufu and returning Agent Caesar will appear in the second part of the update.  

The trailer for the new update can be watched below, and it focuses on the new story before showing off playable Agents.

Here’s the full 2.0 Zenless Zone Zero Special Program on YouTube.

Zenless Zone Zero is on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Xbox Series X version and 2.0 update comes on June 6, 2025. 

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The 2.0 Zenless Zone Zero special program stream time and date is set, and we don’t need to wait long to learn about the latest update. It happens at 3:30am ET/6:30am ET/12:30pm CET, the usual time, on May 23, 2025. We can likely expect a lot more news than usual, due to this being a full 2.0 release and marking the launch of the Xbox Series X version of the game. Also, there will be a free Polychrome code again. We can watch on Twitch and YouTube.

As part of the 2.0 reveal, a whole new faction and region will appear in Zenless Zone Zero. The place is called the Waifei Peninsula, and the first characters in the update will all be from the Yunkui Summit Faction. When we’re visiting in Waifei Peninsula, we don’t run and stay in a Random Play video store branch. Instead, we work at Subian Temple. Yixuan is an S-rank unit who seems like she may act as head of the group. The other two are Ju Fufu and Pan Yinhu. There will also be a new system for our daily quests and rewards. 

Another big change will involve Belle and Wise in Zenless Zone Zero. In the 1.0 series of patches and story, as well as area, we only see them enter the Hollows via the Hollow Deep Dive System and their unique Bangboo. In 2.0, they’ll be able to enter the Hollows themselves. We'll have to wait for the showcase to see how that works.

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and it will come to the Xbox Series X alongside the 2.0 update on it seems like June 6, 2025. This is due to Hugo’s banner ending on June 5, 2025, which tends to be the hint for when the next one and update starts. The Zenless Zone Zero Special Program stream for 2.0 airs at 3:30am ET/6:30am ET/12:30pm CET on May 23, 2025.

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Hugo Vlad is the next S-rank Agent to debut in Zenless Zone Zero, and HoYoVerse decided to welcome the character to the game by once again releasing an anime style EP trailer and music video called “My Curse, My Fate.” It features performances by multiple singers while also showing key moments that shaped his life. This comes ahead of his banner’s debut on May 14, 2025. 

Things start with Hugo’s past, highlighting his family situation and the abuse he endured because he has one grey eye and one red one. From there, we see how he repeatedly experienced hardships, with appearances from his sister and Lycaon also coming up. We also get a sense of resolution at the end, showing his current mindset.

Here’s the full Zenless Zone Zero “My Curse, My Fate” EP trailer that highlights Hugo, though note this anime video does feature spoilers about his past if you haven’t gone through recent story quests.

This is the second recent trailer highlighting Hugo. A character demo for him called “Leading Man of the Apocalypse” appeared earlier in May 2025. It featured segments going into his life as a thief and leader for the Mockingbird faction.

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Xbox Series X version launches alongside the 2.0 update on June 7, 2025. Hugo’s banner runs until June 6, 2025. 

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Another 2.0 Zenless Zone Zero character appeared, and this time it is a girl named Ju Fufu who happens to be a tiger Thiren. Like past Thiren characters such as Jane Doe, Nekomata, and Ellen Joe, she largely looks human, but has a few animal characteristics.

Ju Fufu is a member of the Yunkui Summit Faction. This is the new one found in the Waifei Peninsula region. In one Zenless Zone Zero announcement about her, HoYoVerse made clear that this girl will correct anyone who thinks she is an orange tabby cat and is not a tiger. She’ll be a type of character who can Stun enemies with fire-based attacks. Also, it seems her weapon is also shown in her teaser image and video and involves a sort of tiger-shaped spiked ball with a tail. 

Ju Fufu the tiger Thiren is one of three new characters confirmed for Zenless Zone Zero 2.0. Two others also appeared after the 1.7 update arrived. One we already knew would be a five-star debuting in 2.0. The other is new. Both are Yunkui Summit Faction too.

In case you missed them, here’s the teaser for Yixuan. She’s the S-rank character we knew about and who featured prominently in 2.0 marketing.

Pan Yinhu is the new panda Thiren. He might end up being the new A-rank Agent.

Zenless Zone Zero 2.0 will appear in June 2025, and it will be available for the PS5, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices when it does. 

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Good Smile Company is adding the Zenless Zone Zero Phaethon player avatar characters Belle and Wise to the Pop Up Parade line of figures. Both will the collection in October 2025 in Japan. A worldwide debut will follow. Each one costs ￥7,500.

Since these are Pop Up Parade figures, there are no additional accessories or face plates. They are also non-standard scale items. This means Belle will stand at about 177mm (~7in) tall, while Wise is 201mm (~8in). Both are wearing their standard outfits from the game. Each one is also posed in a relaxed manner, with Wise putting his hand behind his neck and another in his pocket and Belle stretching both arms out in front of her.

Here’s how the siblings’ figures look:

This isn’t the first time Good Smile Company announced figures of the Zenless Zone Zero Phaethon avatar characters Belle and Wise. The company previously announced Nendoroids too. Those aren’t available yet, as orders only just opened at the start of 2025. They are expected to appear in Japan at the end of 2025 and worldwide by Q1 2026. They’re the first two Nendoroids of characters from the series.

The Zenless Zone Zero Pop Up Parade figures of Phaethon player characters Belle and Wise will debut in Japan in October 2025, followed by a worldwide release. Pre-orders are open until June 11, 2025. The game is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the Xbox Series X version debuts alongside the 2.0 update in June 2025.

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HoYoVerse shared the Zenless Zone Zero Xbox Series X release window, and it will coincide with the 2.0 version of the game. Both will appear in June 2025. The video also confirmed that other platforms’ s can be linked to one on the Xbox if they are carrying over progress. 

At the end of the Xbox Spotlight, after introducing Zenless Zone Zero and explaining it will launch in June 2025 alongside 2.0, HoYoVerse went over some of the unique features. It can run at 60fps in 4K on the console. It also s the console’s controllers with new vibration settings. Xbox Cloud Gaming will also be ed for playing on other devices, however only 1080p resolution will be ed if streaming. 60fps will still be possible, however. 

Here’s the full Zenless Zone Zero Xbox Spotlight showcase:

There’s still an update to come before this new console and Season 2 debut. 1.7 will show up on April 23, 2025. That adds Hugo and Vivian as Agents. However, some of the 2.0 characters and locations were teased already.

Zenless Zone Zero will come to the Xbox Series X in June 2025 alongside the 2.0 update. The game is currently on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices. 

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As expected, the 1.7 Zenless Zone Zero Special Program confirmed the release date, highlighted new characters Hugo and Vivian, discussed updated quests and events, and confirmed we can earn a free A-rank Bangboo named Overtimeboo. Everything starts to arrive on April 23, 2025. 

The big deal is the closing out of the Mockingbird storyline involving Hugo and Vivian, who both as playable S-Rank Agents over the course of this update. That chapter is called “Bury Your Tears With the Past [B].” Vivian will appear in the first half of the update alongside her W-Engine Flight of Fancy, while Hugo will appear in the second with his W-Engine Myriad Eclipse. Both will also get Partner Archives File segments. The new S-rank Bangboo is Robin. Events include Say It With Flowers for things like Polychromes, and a Bangboo Bash event and with tokens for that er gacha. The two returning A-Rank characters who will be back via banners are Jane Doe and Lighter.

Here’s the general trailer for Zenless Zone Zero 1.7.

And here’s the full Special Program that went over the 1.7 Zenless Zone Zero characters, event, and release date.

As a reminder, even more news about the game will come up soon. HoYoVerse is holding an Xbox Spotlight for the game at 10am PT/1pm ET on April 11, 2025. So there’s additional news about the new version soon.

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the release date for the 1.7 update is April 23, 2025. An Xbox Series X version is also on the way.

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HoYoVerse announced that the 1.7 Zenless Zone Zero Special Program will be a distinct and separate presentation from the Xbox Spotlight showcase. Both will appear on April 11, 2025. However, the Special Program will air at 3:30am PT/6:30am ET, while the Xbox Spotlight is at 10am PT/1pm ET. Both streams will appear on Twitch and YouTube.

As usual, this will be a presentation going over the more immediate update. It also seems like the last one we’ll get before the Season 2 2.0 launch. New story and event quests will come up. A Polychrome code will be shared. We’ll also learn about new and returning characters in the update.

Both of the new 1.7 characters already ended up being revealed. These are Vivian and Hugo. Both are part of the new Mockingbird faction revealed in 1.6. Vivian is especially notable, as she’s one of the rare Ether-type characters. HoYoVerse didn't confirm their ranks, but it is likely that they are both S-rank units, with one appearing on the banner in the first half and the other on the second.

This means that the Zenless Zone Zero Xbox Spotlight will likely focus entirely on the Xbox Series X version of the game. HoYoVerse did note “new updates” will be covered as well. This could mean some additional details summarized from the earlier showcase for those tuning in to the platform-specific broadcast. There's no estimate going over length and there aren't as many details about content, so we'll have to wait and see.

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, an Xbox Series X version is on the way, and the Special Program for 1.7 airs at 3:30am PT/6:30am ET on April 11, 2025. Since the Trigger banner ends on April 22, 2025, we’ll likely see the 1.7 update launch on April 23, 2025. 

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Ahead of the Zenless Zone Zero showcase that will also discuss the Xbox Series X version on April 11, 2025, HoYoVerse shared a Dev Talk video teasing the Season 2 story and characters. While only one new Agent’s identity came up, we did learn about other factions that will get new additions and insight into the new location we’ll head to as we learn more about the world and its mysteries.

A number of factions will be prominently featured in Season 2 of Zenless Zone Zero, with new characters stemming from them. Yunkui Summit’s Yixuan will come up during this part of the game for the first time. New Obol Squad characters are confirmed, which means we’ll likely see Soldier 11 and Trigger get some new friends. The Angels of Delusion idol singers will appear too. While said singers weren’t revealed, new key art showed up that looked at the three heroines who are a part of that group. 

In addition to the new Zenless Zone Zero characters, the developer Y also talked about the story and new location in the April 2025 Dev Talk. Phaethon will head to Waifei Peninsula’s Throne Quarter and its Failume Heights city to investigate the Lemnian Hollow. New details and lore about the Exaltists, Old Captial, and Sacrifice and Bringer incidents will all come up as well.

Here is the full April 2025 Dev Talk on YouTube. In addition to the Season 2 Zenless Zone Zero story and characters teases, Y went over events, combat changes, and other adjustments based on .

As a reminder, that next livestream is coming up at 10am PT/1pm ET on April 11, 2025. In addition to the Xbox Series X version, we’ll learn more about Season 2 during it. That will air on Twitch and YouTube as usual.

Zenless Zone Zero is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and an Xbox Series X version and Season 2 are on the way.

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April Fools’ Day is here once again. April 1, 2025 marks the day in which game companies make some intriguing, funny, and sometimes questionable jokes that shouldn’t be taken seriously at all. Here are all of the best game April Fools’ Day jokes regarding English games in 2025 you should know about.

Zenless Zone Zero Xbox Tease 5552x

Zenless Zone Zero went for the tongue in cheek “joke” this year that appears to also be seemingly true in a way. The announcement of a new Bangboo arrives in the fake in-game event “An Outstanding Partner.” This Bangboo’s name is XBOO and it certainly carries the classic Xbox logo and green aesthetic.

While XBOO is fake, this joke might actually be hinting at an official Xbox release someday down the line. This is one to certainly keep an eyes on at least.

Fantasy Life i and Life Crossing: Fantasy Horizons 2i6r4v

Level-5 is hard at work on the release of Fantasy Life i, but the developer took the time to both market the game and jest at another game in the process. A really well done trailer showcases the supposed announcement to Animal Crossing: New Horizons known as Life Crossing: Fantasy Horizons. While fake, it honestly looks great with the different animal creatures and the like, but, thankfully, we’ll get Fantasy Life i in the near future.

FFVII Ever Crisis Academy 48472p

This announcement appears to be a joke, though it arguably shouldn’t be. The mobile game FFVII Ever Crisis teased a supposed Academy event. This reimagines the cast of the beloved JRPG as high schoolers at academies. You get Cloud looking like a baseball star, Barret as a teacher, and Aerith and Tifa looking great. Plus, there is a rival Shinra school with Sephiroth and others.

Unfortunately, this is most likely just a joke given its announcement window. It is a shame, though, since it has a lot of stunning art associated with it for the characters.

Palworld: More Than Just Pals 3z2l25

Palworld is celebrating April Fools’ Day with a game joke you might be familiar with. Once again, PocketPair is showing off More Than Just Pals. This is the same visual novel from 2024’s joke where you get to romance humanoid versions of the Pals. It is even more elaborate this time with a Steam page for the spin-off game. I don’t want to get your hopes up, but this once joke may actually turn out to be real down the line, which would be spectacular.

Dave the Diver Remastered 75r5w

As you might expect, a remarkable indie title released in 2023 certainly doesn’t need a remaster. Rather than joke about the seemingly endless collaborations it has, Dave the Diver joked for April Fool’s Day about a remastered version. This supposed version is coming out for the YS7 and Ybox Series X/L. You’ll have to wait a while for this fake remaster, though, as it is set to arrive in 2049.

The post Here’s the Best English Game April Fools’ Day Jokes 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

HoYoVerse is releasing more Twitch drops for Zenless Zone Zero. The drops are available now up to April 8, 2025. Earning them works the same as usual, so those of us who've collected these types of rewards will be able to immediately start watching streams for the bonuses. The best one this time around involves free Polychromes.

As usual, the new Twitch drops require you to watch Zenless Zone Zero livestreams on the streaming service after linking your HoYoVerse and Twitch s. The linking process can be completed via the official web page. Simply sign into both s and they’ll be linked, allowing you to gain rewards by watching streams of the game.

Here are the Twitch drops available:

• 15 minutes: 12,000 Dennies
• 20 minutes: 2 Senior Investigator Logs
• 45 minutes: 3 W-Engine Energy Modules
• 60 minutes: 2 Bangboo System Widgets
• 120 minutes: 50 Polychromes

The Twitch drops will be available until April 8, 2025.

The Twitch drops event has started just in time for the release of Zenless Zone Zero 1.6, which brings a new S-Rank variant of Anby to the game. A new story update also sheds light on her past, which has been kept deliberately vague up to this point. However, the new update has also attracted controversy, with the English voice actors for Von Lycaon and Soldier 11 both being replaced.

Zenless Zone Zero is out now for PS5, PC and mobile devices. The Twitch drops event will continue until April 8, 2025

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Zenless Zone Zero voice actor Emeri Chase confirmed on social media that the character Soldier 11 was recast in Zenless Zone Zero 1.6. The performer cited an unwillingness to work due to the project not involving a SAG Interim Agreement during the AI protection strike. However, they also mentioned they found out someone else would play the S-rank Agent in-game alongside everyone else when the patch released.

As a reminder, Soldier 11 is an S-rank Agent in Zenless Zone Zero. She’s been a playable character since July 2024. The unit is one that is constantly available in the general pool. 

When discussing the issue on Bluesky, Chase noted, “I knew that by withholding work it was possible I'd be replaced, though of course I hoped they would choose to leave her silent until I was able to return. I found out the role was recast today alongside all of you.” 

As a reminder, here’s how Soldier 11 sounded in Zenless Zone Zero when Emeri Chase was the voice actor for the character. First, here’s the voice actor reveal trailer for the S-rank Agent.

You can also hear Chase as the character in the "The Defense Force's 'Ruthless' Operation" trailer.

Emeri Chase also played Aurora in League of Legends. One of their other most recent roles was Undine in Visions of Mana.

The social media ZenlessWorld also shared a comparison video that features the original Zenless Zone Zero Soldier 11 voice actress compared to the one present in 1.6.

This is the second such case of a voice actor being changed in the game in 1.6. Von Lycaon’s was replaced. Nicholas Thurkettle also noted he had no idea it would happen until the update launched. 

Zenless Zone Zero is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 1.6 patch is live.

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Following the 1.6 update, Zenless Zone Zero players discovered HoYoVerse recast Nicholas Thurkettle, the English voice actor for the character Von Lycaon. The voice actor turned to social media to note his surprise. He stated the developer and Sound Cadence Studios did not alert him about the change ahead of the patch and decision. 

HoYoVerse featured Thurkettle as the Zenless Zone Zero Lycaon voice actor from the game’s launch in July 2024. He is a a Victoria Housekeeping Ice unit and one of the few male S-rank units. He resembles a wolf, as he is a member of the Thiren race. The actor stated he hadn’t heard from HoYoVerse or Sound Cadence Studios about the game since October 2024. 

Here’s his statement:

You can hear Thurkettle performing as the character below in the official “Wolfishly Charming” trailer from May 2024:

He also appeared in the voice actor reveal video:

The social media Timely Von Lycaon shared a video clip from the Zenless Zone Zero 1.6 storyline update highlighting the new voice actor and difference.

HoYoVerse hasn't issued any statement about the change in direction for the character. There was also no update about other performers in the game. It is unknown if there were any other surprise changes as of yet.

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 1.6 update is live now. Lycaon is available at all times, as he is one of the S-rank Agents available on every banner.

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HoYoVerse confirmed there will be two 1.7 Zenless Zone Zero characters belonging to the Mockingbird faction debuting in the near future, and one of them is Hugo. He’s teased in the latest storyline, where he makes a cameo appearance. However, we won’t get to use the Agent until after that update.

The initial information shared some insights into what we can expect from him. He’ll be an Attack type character, so he’ll be a DPS unit on a team. He’ll also deal Ice element damage. However, we don’t know if his weapon will be a Pierce, Slash, or Strike type. We also don’t know for sure if he’ll be an A-rank or S-rank player. When it came to comments from other individuals, the only recognizable one came from Lycaon. He criticized Hugo’s methods for dealing with issues. 

Here are all three infographics for Hugo that HoYoVerse shared.

An initial YouTube Short teaser for Hugo appeared. This offers a chance to see more of the character art and hear his voice actors. Here’s the English version of that trailer:

And his Japanese voice actor can be heard in this version of the short.

Hugo is one of two Mockingbird faction characters revealed for Zenless Zone Zero so far. The other is Vivian. She’s going to be not only an Anomaly unit, which isn’t always as common as other types, but is tied to the unique Ether element. 

Zenless Zone Zero is available for the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 1.6 update arrives on March 12, 2025. 

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HoYoVerse offered a better idea of exactly how different the S-rank Agent version of Anby will be compared to the A-rank one with a new trailer and social media post highlighting her new attacks. The video also offers a bit of a hint about her background and lore ahead of the 1.6 update. 

In the case of the Zenless Zone Zero trailer, it highlights the fact that Anby is the head of Silver Squad and a potential experimental test subject. The video begins with an announcer noting that individuals known as No. 5 and 7 weren’t considered strong enough and “failed.” There’s also a mention of “replica recovery.” Anby is heading down in an elevator when this happens and seems both upset and mad about the announcement.  

Once Anby gets to the floor, we see her researchers dismissing some replicas’ performance as not being good enough. They mention they only need “one.” Anby then heads into the test to fight and refers to herself as No. 0. She handily beats all of the opponents, and the researchers seem pleased. They suggest disposing of everyone except her. Anby then makes the decision to go a bit rogue and be reckless. She purposely goes into the most dangerous ethereal zone. The researchers dismiss her as “too reckless.” They then decide to treat the other replicas and keep the Silver Squad Anby leads. She then says she accomplished her mission.

As for the updated details about her moveset, it went over perks from teams and her attacks. She has the Voltage Surge ability that means her critical rate goes up if you include a Agent or one designed to Stun with her. She also increases Aftershock critical damage for the whole party if they hit foes she targeted with a Silver Star mark. That mark shows up when she hits someone with an attack. Silver Star enemies also gain up to three White Thunder stacks per attack that then eventually  builds up to Anby performing Azure Flash on them. If White Thunder is used three times in a row, she will do the AOE Thunder Smite attack. Her Voidstrike Ultimate is also an AOE attack. 

While this new version of Anby, Trigger, and Pulchra are next, we also know what’s coming in 1.7. Vivian will be one of the folks debuting in that patch. She’s also going to be another Ether-element unit who is part of the Anomaly type. 

Zenless Zone Zero is available on the PS5, PC, and mobile devices, and the 1.6 update arrives on March 12, 2025. 

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