Version 3.3, "Journey to the Sky," goes live on October 20, bringing two new S-rank Agents at once: Phoenix (Fire · Anomaly) and Severian (Wind · Attack). Velina and Norma return for reruns, and two new W-Engines arrive alongside them. On ZZZ tier lists, accounts missing a Fire Anomaly unit should prioritize Phoenix, while those short on an on-field main DPS should prioritize Severian. With banners stacking up, the questions come fast: how exactly should Phoenix's Drive Discs be built? Is her signature W-Engine worth pulling? And if you want both, how do you split the 90-pull guarantee without losing out?
This ZZZ guide skips the fluff and gets straight to what you can copy: how to build the Drive Discs, which W-Engine to pick, how to claim the free login rewards, and whether the two rerun characters are worth pulling. After reading, you'll basically have your answer.
Version at a Glance: Two New S-Ranks, Two New W-Engines
This time, the ZZZ 3.3 banner lineup is refreshingly simple: two new S-ranks plus two reruns. Phoenix is Fire Anomaly, Severian is Wind Attack; the reruns are Velina (Wind Anomaly) and Norma (Fire Stun). The new W-Engines map one-to-one: Plume of Rebirth covers the Anomaly side, Incarcerating Grip the Attack side.
The tier-list rule of thumb still holds: if your account is missing a Fire Anomaly unit, prioritize Phoenix; if you lack an on-field main DPS, prioritize Severian. But broad strokes only go so far — when it's time to actually pull, how you allocate the 90-pull guarantee is what really matters, so we'll save that discussion for the end.
These two run on opposite logic. Phoenix lives off Anomaly buildup, dealing damage through Fire Anomaly, while Severian is pure direct damage built on hit count and CRITs. So their builds mirror that split: Phoenix stacks Anomaly Mastery and Anomaly Proficiency, while Severian stacks CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG. W-Engines follow the same rule — give Phoenix one with Anomaly Mastery or Attribute DMG as its main stat, and Severian one with CRIT Rate or ATK; don't mix them up. Exact substats and effects always defer to the in-game details page.
Building Phoenix: Damage Logic, Drive Discs & W-Engines
Let's get Phoenix's core mechanic straight first: her damage comes from Fire Anomaly buildup, not direct hits. That makes her build completely different from a traditional main DPS — stack Anomaly Mastery until Fire Anomaly applies reliably, and only then chase damage bonuses. Reverse that order, and no amount of substats will save the build.
For Drive Discs, run 4-piece Chaos Jazz: the 2-piece bonus grants +10% Fire DMG, and the 4-piece further amplifies your output while the target is Burning — a natural fit for a Fire Anomaly kit. Fill the remaining 2 pieces based on your substat gaps: Swing Jazz (2-piece: Energy Regen +20%) if you're short on energy, or Woodpecker Electro (2-piece: CRIT Rate +8%) if you need CRIT.
For main stats: Slot 4 Anomaly Mastery, Slot 5 Fire DMG%, Slot 6 ATK%. Substats, in priority order: Anomaly Proficiency > ATK% > CRIT Rate > CRIT DMG. Someone will ask — isn't more CRIT always better? Not here. When your Anomaly buildup can't keep up, CRIT substats are wasted rolls: if Fire Anomaly never lands, that trickle of direct damage is negligible.
For the W-Engine, her signature Plume of Rebirth comes first. Without it, fall back to an Anomaly W-Engine with an Anomaly Mastery or Fire DMG main stat — don't force an Attack W-Engine into the slot. Attack W-Engine effects are mostly tied to CRIT and basic-attack hit counts, which Phoenix can't fully capitalize on, so equipping one is wasted.
Building Severian: Sets, Stats & Rotation
With Phoenix covered, let's turn to her banner-mate Severian. He's a textbook on-field Attack unit: basic attacks and special skills stack hit counts, and CRITs do the damage. His build is the exact inverse of Phoenix's, revolving entirely around CRIT Rate and CRIT DMG.
Run 4-piece Woodpecker Electro: the 2-piece gives +8% CRIT Rate, and the 4-piece keeps stacking CRIT after basic attacks, dodge counters, and special skills — a perfect match for an Attack rotation. Round out the remaining 2 pieces with Hormone Punk (ATK +10%) to pad the base panel. Main stats: Slot 4 CRIT Rate or CRIT DMG, Slot 5 Wind DMG%, Slot 6 ATK%.
How much CRIT Rate is enough? Get above 60% first, then pour everything into CRIT DMG. The reason is simple: CRIT DMG's value is discounted by your CRIT Rate — below 50%, stacking CRIT DMG is a gamble. To put numbers on it: at 45% CRIT Rate, a single 6% CRIT Rate substat outvalues a 12% CRIT DMG one.
On rotation, note that Severian's damage window opens after the enemy is Dazed. Fill the Daze gauge with a Stun character first, then swap him in and land the full basic-attack-into-special-skill combo — it deals far more than opening with him on the field. And don't spend him on trash mobs; an Attack unit's burst window is only a few seconds, and wasting it hurts.
Rerun Banners: Are Velina and Norma Worth Pulling?
With the two new S-ranks done, the reruns — Velina and Norma — deserve a verdict too. Both are system enablers rather than units that brute-force content with raw numbers, so whether they're worth pulling comes down to one question: does your team have that missing puzzle piece?
Velina is a Wind Anomaly unit with crowd control, sharing Severian's attribute. If your Wind team lacks a reliable Anomaly applier, she fills that hole; but if you've already built a Wind Anomaly character, her upgrade is marginal — and if resources are tight, you can skip her.
Norma is a Fire Stun unit whose job is filling the enemy's Daze gauge. She's hugely valuable in a Fire team without a Stun slot — especially alongside Phoenix, who needs long on-field time to build Anomaly: break the enemy's guard first, then output, and the whole team's rhythm smooths out. Put simply: Phoenix applies the Anomaly and Norma breaks the guard — a clear division of labor.
Event Rewards: 7-Day Login, 20 Free Pulls
Characters done — now the free stuff. Version 3.3 has two check-in events: "All-New Program" grants Encrypted Master Tape ×10 for 7 cumulative logins, and "'En-Nah' Into Your Lap" grants Boopon ×10 for 7 cumulative logins. Together that's 10 pulls plus 10 Bangboo pulls, claimable with a few clicks after logging in — there's no reason not to.
Five gameplay events also run during the version: "Spooky Funhouse Tales," "Cyber Miracle Healer, on Duty!," "Trails of the Hobbling Crow," "Repair! Drifting Art," and "Enigma of the Labyrinth: Spooky Trial." The official notice so far only lists names and general directions — check the in-game event pages for exact rewards once they go live.
Claim both login events first — pure check-in rewards, zero cost, but time-limited. The gameplay events usually stick around for the whole version, so clearing them later costs you nothing. Do the expiring ones first; don't get that order backwards.
Pull Planning: Splitting the 90-Pull Guarantee
Finally, the most important part — pulling. The character banner guarantees an S-rank every 90 pulls, and on a limited banner the first S-rank has a 50% chance of being the featured one. With two new S-ranks live at once, the worst move is padding both banners with a few dozen pulls each and ending up with neither.
The allocation rule is simple: missing a Fire Anomaly unit? Put everything into Phoenix's banner. Missing an on-field main DPS? Put everything into Severian's. If you already have two solid teams and just want the new characters, lock onto one banner and pull to 90 — don't spread yourself thin.
One more easy trap: the W-Engine banner has its own independent pity. Plenty of players get halfway through the character banner before remembering the W-Engine, and end up short on both fronts. The test is a single question: can the character function without their signature W-Engine? Phoenix's budget alternatives are fairly limited, so if resources are tight, secure her signature first.
To wrap up: Phoenix goes the Chaos Jazz route with Anomaly Mastery prioritized, and only chase her signature W-Engine if budget substitutes fall short; spend your 90-pull guarantee on the slot your account actually needs; and claim all 20 free login pulls on day one. When it comes to builds, figure out how a character deals damage first and decide substats after — that mindset beats chasing any "meta answer."
Zenless Zone Zero 3.3 FAQ
When does Version 3.3 launch?
A: It launches on October 20, 2026, under the version name "Journey to the Sky," with the new S-rank Agents Phoenix and Severian.
Which Drive Discs should Phoenix use?
A: 4-piece Chaos Jazz (2-piece: Fire DMG +10%). For the remaining 2 pieces, fill your substat gap with either Swing Jazz (Energy Regen +20%) or Woodpecker Electro (CRIT Rate +8%).
How much CRIT Rate should Severian have?
A: Push past 60% before switching to CRIT DMG; below 50% CRIT Rate, CRIT DMG substats are heavily discounted.
How many free pulls does the 3.3 check-in give?
A: Each check-in event gives 10 pulls — Encrypted Master Tape ×10 plus Boopon ×10 — and both require 7 cumulative logins.
Is the Norma rerun worth pulling?
A: Worth it if your Fire team has no Stun slot — paired with Phoenix, she breaks the enemy's guard before you build Anomaly. If you already run a Stun unit, the gain is limited.
Action Checklist
1. On launch day, claim both 7-day check-in events — 10 Encrypted Master Tapes and 10 Boopons.
2. For Phoenix, aim for 4-piece Chaos Jazz first; put Anomaly Mastery in Slot 4, not CRIT.
3. Get Severian's CRIT Rate to 60% before moving to a CRIT DMG Slot 4.
4. Commit to a single banner until the 90-pull guarantee — don't split your pulls.
5. If your Fire team lacks a Stun unit, prioritize Norma over a second DPS. More Agent builds and Shiyu Defense lineups live in the gghubs.com guide section.