Stepping through the Hollows for the first time felt oddly familiar, even though the neon‑drenched streets of New Eridu looked nothing like Mondstadt. As a long‑time Genshin Impact player, I had spent countless hours farming Ley Lines, saving Primogems for my next Constellation, and building teams around elemental reactions. But back in July 2024, with over 40 million pre‑registrations fueling the hype, I decided to take a leap of faith into HoYoverse’s newest gacha game, Zenless Zone Zero. Now, nearly two years later, I’ve settled into the rhythm of urban fantasy combat, channel‑hopping challenges, and the constant thrill of pulling on Signal Searches. My journey has been full of comparisons, surprises, and a lot of Polychrome — let me walk you through what I’ve learned along the way.
At the heart of any HoYoverse game is its premium currency, and Zenless Zone Zero is no exception. I quickly discovered that Primogems — the lifeblood of my Genshin adventures — have a slicker, more futuristic cousin called Polychrome. Just like I once hoarded Primogems to replenish Resin, I now use Polychrome to refill my Battery Charge. Battery Charge is the energy resource that lets me claim rewards after completing battle challenges scattered across the map. If you’re used to spending Primogems on Original Resin so you can collect trounce blossom loot or clear another domain, converting Polychrome into Battery Charge will feel like muscle memory. The grind hasn’t changed much; only the names have.
When the gacha itch kicked in, I had to rewire my brain around tapes instead of fates. In Genshin Impact, I’d carefully split my stash between Intertwined Fate for limited banners and Acquaint Fate for the standard banner. Zenless Zone Zero gave me Encrypted Tape and Master Tape to serve the same needs. Master Tape became my tool for pulling on the permanent Stable Channel Signal Search, where I could recruit Agents (the playable characters of ZZZ) or snag W‑Engines (weapons that boost Agent stats). Encrypted Tape, on the other hand, is what I reserve for the juicy limited‑time banners: Exclusive Channel Signal Searches for rare Agents and Exclusive W‑Engine Channel Signal Searches for powerful gear. The excitement is identical — do a ten‑pull, watch the shimmer, hold your breath — yet the glossy sci‑fi interface makes every pull feel a little more like breaking into a secure data vault than a fantasy shrine ritual. 😄
Even the way I tackle daily challenges got a fresh coat of paint. In Genshin, I’d teleport from statue to statue hunting down Ley Line Blossoms, Petrified Trees, and Trounce Blossoms to convert resin into materials. Zenless Zone Zero swapped those with its own hostile zones, which we simply call challenge areas. I won’t pretend I know the exact lore names yet, because the game throws so many stylish terms at you: Hollows, Bangboo, Proxy, Inter‑Knot. But the loop stays the same — spend Battery Charge, clear the rift, grab your rewards. It’s comfort food for a gacha veteran, dressed in urban streetwear.
One of the most pleasant shocks when I first loaded up Zenless Zone Zero in July 2024 was the sheer generosity of the launch events. I wrote down all the milestones back then — and yes, those free items actually stacked up fast. New players could claim pre‑registration milestone rewards, plus at least eight other events that handed out resources without demanding a credit‑card workout. Polychrome, Master Tapes, upgrade materials, and even exclusive cosmetics were all within reach if you just played the game. Even now, in 2026, the limited events keep rolling out with similar kindness, making it easy to build a strong team of Agents without feeling pressured to spend. If you’re coming over from Genshin and dread the thought of starting from zero, take it from me: you’ll have a solid foundation within your first week.
Then came the biggest identity shift — saying goodbye to my Traveler and hello to my Proxy. In Genshin Impact, we control either Aether or Lumine, a twin whose sibling vanishes into darkness and reappears across the Archon Quests. That story made the unselected sibling an integral, emotional part of the journey. Zenless Zone Zero echoes this setup with a sibling duo of its own: Belle and Wise. As a Proxy, you must choose one to navigate the inter‑dimensional city of New Eridu, while the other works alongside you as a trusted sibling partner. I picked Belle on launch day, drawn to her sharp expressions and nimble design. Wise stays behind our shop counter, managing the day‑to‑day of our video‑store‑slash‑HQ while I dive into Hollows. The callback to Genshin’s twin dynamic felt deliberate, like a developer wink, but Wise and Belle have a much more playful, slice‑of‑life banter that gives Zenless Zone Zero its own modern charm.
After two years in New Eridu, I can honestly say the transition from Teyvat wasn’t jarring — it was invigorating. Every familiar system has been reimagined with a synth‑wave gleam, from the way I collect Polychrome by clearing weekly commissions, to the sight of my Encrypted Tape being spent on a limited Agent banner while cop‑themed music pounds in the background. Genshin Impact taught me how to strategize pulls and hoard resources; Zenless Zone Zero rewards that discipline with a faster, more urban combat experience that still scratches the same gacha itch. 🎉
If you’re still on the fence about becoming a Proxy, now is the perfect time. With thousands of hours of content, a growing roster of Agents, and that unmistakable HoYoverse polish, Zenless Zone Zero welcomes Genshin refugees with open arms — and a stack of free Master Tapes to get you started.
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