If Zenless Zone Zero lives on your phone, mark Wednesday, 21 October 2026. That’s when HoYoverse plans to launch Version 3.3, “Journey to the Sky”, a free update that lets you pilot a combat mech. It brings two new top-tier characters and gives everyone who checks in 10 Encrypted Master Tapes and 10 Boopons. The game runs on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PC, iOS, Android and Steam, so a Singapore player can join on a console at home or a phone on the MRT.
For newcomers, Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ to its fans) is an urban fantasy action role-playing game (ARPG) from HoYoverse, the studio behind Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. In it, disasters called Hollows have wrecked modern society, New Eridu is the last city standing, and you play a Proxy who guides fighters, called Agents, through the danger.
Roscaelifer Goes Into Lockdown
The story picks up with Roscaelifer, a sky island, sealed off. All traffic to the island of Booastrum is shut down, and the only way back in is through Quietude Isle, a skyport that enemies have occupied. That forces Judge Phoenix and Commissioner Severian, two old rivals, to travel together while the Proxy goes undercover inside High Ambitions Corp. alongside Lindverne, a character from the ongoing story.
The bigger mystery follows the three Sunbringers and the Karma Cores inside them. This season of ZZZ has been building toward that thread, so 3.3 looks like the chapter where the plot starts paying off. The official “Journey to the Sky” teaser from Zenless Zone Zero sets the mood better than any summary can:
Finally, a Mech to Pilot
This is the big change. In the main story, Lindverne uses her Karma Core power to build several High Ambitions combat mechs, and the Proxy climbs into one to sneak through enemy bases in disguise. HoYoverse calls it all-new mech combat gameplay, and it breaks from the usual routine of swapping between a team of Agents.
Each mech switches freely between melee and ranged attack modes. After an EX Special Attack or a successful dodge, it can fire a stronger laser. You can shoot explosives in the environment or punch heavy objects across the room, and those tricks help with combat and with puzzles.
HoYoverse says mech combat will carry on in future versions, so this is not a one-off story gimmick. Expect the system to grow, and learn the controls now.
Phoenix Refuses to Stay Down
The first-half headliner is Phoenix, an S-Rank (the game’s top rarity) Fire Anomaly Agent. She is the Krampus Compliance Authority’s second-in-command in combat, and her whole personality is that she fights harder the more she gets knocked about. That shows up in her kit.
Her Core Skill, Nirvana, sears enemies hit by an Anomaly so that later Anomaly damage on them can land as a critical hit. Better still, when she takes a fatal blow, she can trigger Rebirth and revive on the spot with full health. She arrives with her signature W-Engine (the game’s version of a weapon), Plume of Rebirth.
If you already run an Anomaly team, Phoenix is the pull to save for. The crit bonus helps a damage style that usually struggles to land crits, and a built-in revive covers a lot of mistakes in tough fights.
Severian Dodges for You
The second half belongs to Severian, an S-Rank Wind Attack Agent and senior commissioner at New Eridu Public Security. He is the rule-follower who will still use force when he thinks order demands it, which makes his partnership with Phoenix a promising source of friction.
His Core Skill, Endless Breeze, makes him dodge incoming attacks automatically and counter off the momentum. Successful dodges and certain moves build energy that he spends on stronger continuous slashes. He comes with the S-Rank W-Engine Incarcerating Grip.
Auto-dodging is a gift for anyone playing on a phone during the MRT ride home, where precise timing on a touchscreen is never easy. If you pick between the two new S-Ranks on comfort rather than team synergy, Severian is the friendlier choice.
Reruns, Outfits, and Freebies
Two older favourites return too. Velina and her W-Engine Joyau Dore come back in the first half, followed by Norma with Chief Sidekick in the second half. If you missed either one the first time, this is your second chance.
On the cosmetics side, Phoenix’s two new outfits can be bought as a bundle at 30% off for a limited time. Severian’s everyday uniform goes on sale in the shop once his banner opens. A new haunted-house VR event has Proxies driving prank cars to scare off visitors, with rewards that include an Angels of Delusion faction outfit and a new A-Rank W-Engine.
The quality-of-life changes deserve a mention as well. Fairy, the in-game assistant, is testing a squad recommendation feature that suggests team line-ups based on the Agents you actually own and applies them in one tap. Some Agents are getting their own tutorial videos. From 21 October, you can link your account to Discord and show your game activity on your Discord profile. A Zenless Zone Zero × Honkai: Star Rail collaboration trailer is out already, which gives fans of both games something to speculate about.
Planning Your Pulls
Gacha games like ZZZ run on 50/50 odds, where a pull can miss the featured character, so it pays to plan before you spend. Nobody has played the mechs yet, so it’s too early to judge the new combat.
Phoenix and Severian sit in different halves of the update, so you have time to decide which one fits your team. Be honest about whether you need either before spending, and remember that the 10 Encrypted Master Tapes and 10 Boopons come from the version’s check-in events. For a look back at how far the game has come, our coverage of ZZZ’s first-anniversary Version 2.0 update is a good place to start.
🗓️ Date: Wednesday, 21 October 2026 (HoYoverse’s planned launch date)
🎮 Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 5 Pro, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox Cloud Gaming, PC, iOS, Android, and Steam
⭐ First half: Phoenix (new) and Velina (rerun)
⚔️ Second half: Severian (new) and Norma (rerun)
🎁 Check-in rewards: 10 Encrypted Master Tapes and 10 Boopons
🔞 Rating: ESRB Teen, PEGI 12
Version 3.3 gives returning players a lot to look forward to: a new way to fight, two characters built around never giving up, and freebies for showing up. Clear some storage space, top up your phone battery, and watch the official “Journey to the Sky” teaser from Zenless Zone Zero before Roscaelifer opens on 21 October!
Photos and Visuals courtesy of HoYoverse.
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