The most common mistake in Zenless Zone Zero character guides is treating stat priorities as a fixed answer. This guide breaks it down into six sections: version overview, Drive Disc rules, set combinations, stat priority, Shiyu Defense team comps, and resource planning.
Zenless Zone Zero 3.2 Patch Window and Banners
Patch dates and story threads
The 3.2 special program aired on 2026-08-28 at 19:30, and the patch is titled "Their Secret Histories". The story follows the Flint Workshop, with workshop owner Claret and her assistant Roxy as the key figures of the rotation.
First half versus second half
Claret headlines the first half and Roxy the second half. Returning accounts do not need to pull here. The disc frame is unchanged from the previous patches, so balancing the crit ratio on your existing DPS shows up in clear times faster than building a new agent from zero.
Zenless Zone Zero Drive Disc Slots Explained
Why slots 1 to 3 are non-negotiable
A build uses six disc slots. Slot 1 always rolls HP, slot 2 always rolls ATK, and slot 3 always rolls DEF. That leaves slots 4, 5, and 6 as the only real decisions.
What slots 4, 5, and 6 actually do
Slot 4 chooses between crit rate, crit damage, and ATK%. Slot 5 provides elemental damage bonus or PEN ratio. Slot 6 chooses between impact, energy regen, or anomaly proficiency. The reason these three deserve separate discussion is that they serve different jobs: slot 4 sets the panel balance, slot 5 multiplies elemental damage, and slot 6 controls rotation speed.
Zenless Zone Zero 4+2 Set Pairings
DPS and stun slots
The standard DPS approach is a 4-piece set whose main effect fires under a condition, paired with a 2-piece bonus for crit or ATK. Stun agents should take an elemental damage 4-piece that matches their damage type and a 2-piece energy set . The reason to prioritise the 4-piece effect is that conditional main effects collapse when your team cannot meet the condition, while 2-piece bonuses never stop working.
Support and anomaly slots
Support builds care about energy regen and team buffs; anomaly builds care about anomaly proficiency and elemental damage. The current meta structure is still DPS plus stun plus support, with anomaly teams swapping the stun slot for a second anomaly unit and trading impact for anomaly proficiency.
| Slot | Disc 4 | Disc 5 | Disc 6 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DPS | Crit rate or crit damage | Elemental damage bonus | ATK% or energy regen |
| Stun | Crit rate | Elemental damage bonus | Impact |
| Support | HP or DEF | Energy regen | Energy auto-recharge |
| Anomaly | Anomaly proficiency | Elemental damage bonus | Anomaly mastery |
Zenless Zone Zero Substats: Crit Ratio and the Rupture Exception
Reading the 1 to 2 crit rule
Crit rate and crit damage balance at roughly 1 to 2 because both feed the same expected-damage formula. Once crit rate lands near 70%, moving remaining substats into crit damage usually beats pushing crit rate higher . Chasing a literal 100% crit rate on the panel is a waste because most DPS agents carry in-combat crit rate buffs.
Why Rupture agents skip crit damage
The Rupture archetype introduced in 3.2 settles damage from DEF, so conventional crit damage substats return very little. Shift those rolls into DEF and crit rate instead . This is the most common mistake of the patch: the usual "stack crit damage" advice simply does not transfer.
Zenless Zone Zero Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault Teams
What the two modes pay
Shiyu Defense pays roughly 720 Polychromes per phase, about 1440 across both phases of a patch. Deadly Assault pays 300 Polychromes for a 6-star clear, with an outfit reward at the 30,000-point Adversity tier . Both modes score clear quality, which is why having three usable teams beats over-investing in one.
How to split three teams
Put your current DPS in team one with the best substat rolls. Team two carries a second damage element plus a generic stun unit to answer resistances. Team three is the safety net built from low-investment agents whose kits still function. On a tight account, farm slot 4 and slot 5 for team one first, then circle back.
Zenless Zone Zero Stamina and Farming Order
Farming by day and by stat
Farm drive disc stages by element on their daily rotation instead of spreading stamina across every stage. Stop as soon as the main stat is correct; substat chasing costs far more stamina than it returns, and events plus dailies will top up the rest.
| Priority | Task | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Disc 4 and 5 main stats for your DPS | Direct panel and elemental damage gains |
| 2 | Current Shiyu Defense and Deadly Assault rewards | Rotates out and cannot be reclaimed |
| 3 | Disc 6 for stun and support | Rotation speed, with substitutes available |
| 4 | Substats polish | Lowest marginal return |
When to abandon a 4-piece set
If a 4-piece condition never fires in your actual team, two 2-piece bonuses are the safer build. Conditional effects create damage swings when they drop out, while flat 2-piece stats keep working in every team you field.
Zenless Zone Zero 3.2 FAQ
Q: Should disc 4 be crit rate or crit damage?
A: Balance at 1 to 2. Past roughly 70% crit rate, move rolls into crit damage and keep the gap within 5 percentage points .
Q: Do Rupture agents want crit damage discs?
A: Not as a priority. Rupture settles damage from DEF, so roll DEF and crit rate instead .
Q: How many Polychromes does Shiyu Defense pay?
A: About 720 per phase and roughly 1440 across a full patch, with the official rotation taking precedence.
Q: Should I pull a new agent or fix my build?
A: Fix the build first. Slots 4 and 5 on your existing DPS return more than a fresh agent until the 3.2 disc frame changes.
Action Checklist
- Check your DPS crit ratio against the 1 to 2 rule before farming anything.
- Stop at a correct main stat on slots 4 and 5 and save stamina for the defense modes.
- Build a separate DEF-focused disc set for Rupture agents.
- Split three teams into DPS, counter, and safety net before entering Shiyu Defense.
- Revisit this guide after each patch on GameHub for rotation updates.