Zenless Zone Zero 2.0 is upon us, taking the now year-old city motion RPG to the Waifei Peninsula for a extra martial arts-flavored arc. The opening volley of the 2.X journey facilities round Yixuan, a central character positioned as a grasp to the Proxy protagonists. We have recognized Yixuan for a number of weeks now, however we have solely simply gotten to play as her, and she’s immediately made a reputation for herself as considered one of the recreation’s strongest characters.
She’s additionally immediately turn out to be considered one of my favorites. Yixuan is a supremely reactive fighter, able to quickly parrying assaults on subject in addition to saving assets for explosively excessive burst injury in enemy stun home windows. The black-on-gold aesthetic of her inky strikes is a feast for the eyes, smothering enemies in injury numbers that tickle my mind like successful marker motivates a Name of Obligation participant. And thanks to her extra HP scaling, she additionally has a little bit of a tanky bruiser really feel to her that matches my tastes in motion RPGs completely. She might finish up being my new principal, particularly as soon as her obvious go-to accomplice Ju Fufu is launched in the coming weeks.
However, in my expertise and in accordance to nearly the whole Zenless group’s preview evaluation of Yixuan, the strongest character of all of them remains to be Hoshimi Miyabi. It has been this manner for months. Like Miyabi, Yixuan additionally has a singular aspect, the Ether-adjacent Auric Ink, and she’s even launched a brand new character class referred to as Rupture, however Miyabi stays in a tier of her personal. She’s our solely playable Void Hunter – Yixuan is distinctly described as a Void Hunter-rivaling “Grandmaster” – and, extra importantly, the strongest injury seller in the entire recreation by far.
This was one thing I used to be keen to talk about in a Could interview with Zenless Zone Zero producer Zhenyu Li. Personally, I am glad Zenless is not pushing the energy ceiling greater each different replace, a minimum of not anymore. However how will new characters deal with the Miyabi impact, and how will developer HoYoverse stability its character ambitions with a brand new effort to buff old characters, beginning with 1.0 star Ellen Joe, up to a extra comfy energy degree?
Responses calmly edited for readability and size.
GamesRadar+: Yixuan has turn out to be the star of replace 2.0, billed as a Void Hunter-level fighter. Our solely present playable Void Hunter, Miyabi, has been often known as the strongest character in Zenless Zone Zero since her launch. How are you residing up to these expectations with Yixuan?
Producer Zhenyu Li, HoYoverse: From a story perspective, Yixuan serves as the grasp to the Phaethon siblings (our protagonists) in Season 2. She’s not only a mentor educating them strategies but additionally performs an important function in serving to the protagonists confront their interior selves throughout the 2.0 plot. As an Agent, Yixuan holds the title of “Grandmaster” and possesses distinctive Auric Ink attributes and a Rupture specialty, mastering two completely different Final modes. Her fight prowess is plain. Consequently, Yixuan performs a completely very important function in each driving the Season 2 storyline and enriching the new sandbox fight stage expertise.
Do you ever remorse making Miyabi as robust as she is? Or are you cheerful for there to be standout, tremendous highly effective characters like Miyabi, and then different characters like Evelyn may be nearly as robust whereas nonetheless being enjoyable to play in their very own manner?
As the solely Void Hunter presently featured in the recreation, Hoshimi Miyabi’s distinctive energy degree completely aligns with each the plot’s background and the staff’s expectations. Whether or not it is Hoshimi Miyabi or Evelyn, every character’s energy degree is decided by their narrative and character background, making certain it meets the expectations gamers kind throughout gameplay.
We have heard that older characters will obtain changes primarily based on their fight efficiency and recreation really feel. Are you able to share a few of the Brokers you’re looking to modify, and how you establish which characters are most in want of a lift? How regularly do you propose to launch adjustments for old characters?
In model 2.0, we’ll first implement optimization changes for Ellen. As the first S-Rank character in Zenless Zone Zero since launch, Ellen represents the bond between us and the gamers who’ve accompanied Zenless Zone Zero alongside the manner. That is why we selected her as the first character from the previous to obtain optimization.
Throughout our inside evaluations, we have been fairly glad with Ellen’s fight design and expertise. So, for the model 2.0 optimization, we’ve got thoughtfully built-in the Hole Zero “Icy Blade” into Ellen’s expertise, whereas additionally introducing an “Activate Potential” function for her. Proxies who personal Ellen can unlock this function by collaborating in an occasion. After unleashing her potential, Ellen will achieve new Fundamental Assault expertise and extra staff composition prospects, together with her passive mechanism additionally up to date to improve her injury output additional.
Whereas the sort of adjustment might not have a hard and fast frequency, it is one thing we’ll proceed to discover in the long run.
Many gamers have hoped to see a manner to carry the character-specific gear from Hole Zero into different modes as some type of equipable merchandise. One Hole Zero modifier for Corin was proven in a developer dialogue, fueling these hopes. Are you able to communicate to how Hole Zero gear is influencing your character adjustment plans?
In model 2.0, we will likely be making optimization changes to Ellen, together with integrating her gear “Icy Blade” from Hole Zero into her expertise in a extra streamlined manner. As a long-term dwell service recreation, our staff locations nice significance on optimizing the expertise for characters that gamers already personal. Shifting ahead, we’ll contemplate each general recreation stability and participant suggestions when making changes to current characters, with gear integration into Agent expertise being considered one of the instructions we’re exploring to improve the participant expertise.
A earlier developer dialogue talked about plans to give all three characters in your staff extra of an on-field presence in the future. Are you able to share extra particulars on how new and/or current characters will likely be extra seen in battle?
Our preliminary intention in introducing the follow-up assault mechanism in model 1.6 was to handle the difficulty of off-field characters having inadequate presence throughout fight. We needed Brokers to keep a sure degree of visibility on the present battlefield even once they’re switched to an off-field place. This ensures that as your three-person squad executes their fight mechanics, every character maintains a balanced presence, an important a part of bettering the general fight expertise. In fact, to discover richer fight prospects, we’ll proceed to boldly experiment with new fight mechanics and increase the fight system. Our objective is to improve the general presence of all characters by means of gameplay enhancements, slightly than merely strengthening particular person characters.
Talking of recent characters: we have already seen an alternate model of Anby with the S-Rank Silver Soldier. Are you planning to launch S-Rank variations of different A-Rank characters?
What we are able to reveal for now could be that there will certainly be extra S Characters in the future. As for which characters particularly—keep tuned and look ahead to it!
How do you reply to issues that, in the Waifei Peninsula, Zenless Zone Zero might lose a few of the pop, city, trendy look that drew many gamers to the recreation?
The general design of Waifei Peninsula nonetheless facilities round trendy, fashionable city parts, however not like the earlier Sixth Road and Lumina Sq., we have integrated extra numerous stylistic expressions and contemporary makes an attempt to construct on these current city impressions. Our objective is to carry gamers a brand new and participating expertise. In any case, even in the actual world, there is not a single picture or definition of what a stylish city atmosphere seems to be like.
From the 2.0 teaser trailer, it seems to be like many new characters function a higher vary of physique varieties, from the extraordinarily small to the extraordinarily giant. Will we really get to play as a really tiny Thiren and a really giant robotic, or will these characters be unplayable, or normalized for gameplay?
Something is feasible—trying ahead to all the sudden surprises these characters will carry to everybody!
We have heard that the Proxies themselves are additionally turning into extra lively characters in 2.X by coaching underneath Yixuan. Is the long-term imaginative and prescient to launch playable, combatant, S-Rank variations of Belle and Smart?
In Season 2, the siblings will be taught mystical arts from Yixuan, the Excessive Preceptor of Yunkui Summit, additional honing their capability to manipulate Ether. They’re going to wield Eye Arts—Break, Reveal, and Search—inside the Hole, giving Phaethon a fair greater function in additional open-ended, explorable 3D phases. Whereas they work to resolve the Sacrifice disaster, the secrets and techniques behind the siblings’ eye implants start to floor.
With the HDD system improve, their Ether compatibility has been restored, permitting them to enter the Hole in their very own our bodies—and the true energy of their eye implants goes far past that. In the future, the Phaethon siblings will bear transformations and upgrades, evolving in each id and capability. Although the Hole stays a harmful place, keep tuned to uncover the siblings’ future powers and how their roles inside the Hole will increase.
It was additionally talked about that the 2.X patches will add a manner to take {our relationships} with characters to a brand new degree, past the story encounters and belief ranges we’ve got already. I do know some gamers have been speaking about romance. Are you able to make clear your plans right here?
The Agent companionship system will proceed to increase in each narrative and gameplay, as we try to improve interactions between gamers and Brokers, showcase their allure past fight, and create a way of every day companionship.
On the narrative aspect, we’ll spotlight the Brokers’ distinctive enchantment and their bonds with gamers by weaving of their personalities, backgrounds, and relationships with the Proxy. By way of gameplay, we’ll unlock extra store features alongside occasions and increase interactive options with Brokers. For instance, the flower association gameplay launched in model 1.7 occasion “Say It With Flowers,” and in model 2.0, the Gravity Cinema in Lumina Sq. will open throughout occasions, letting gamers get pleasure from movie-watching interactions with Brokers and spend stress-free moments collectively in entrance of the silver display screen.
In the future, as extra Exploration Areas are launched, extra store features will likely be optimized and expanded, enabling much more interactions between gamers and Brokers, and providing deeper insights into their every day lives and personalities in New Eridu.
Lastly, some gamers have been stunned not to see the beforehand teased Angels of Delusion idol characters in the 2.0 teaser. Are you able to shed some gentle on when and how these characters will seem in-game?
What we are able to share for now could be that the Angels of Delusion faction will debut in model 2.X, however please keep tuned for extra particulars about the launch date and the faction itself.
Zenless Zone Zero tells Wuthering Waves, Genshin Affect, and Honkai Star Rail to maintain my beer, giving out free S-rank characters and weapons for its anniversary.
