Zhao is an S‑Rank Ice Defense agent in Zenless Zone Zero, and for a limited time she is being given away for free. The catch is that you have to claim her during a specific version window and meet a few account milestones first.
When Zhao is free and how long the offer lasts
Zhao is tied to the Special Visitor free-agent campaign that runs during the mid‑game patches.
| Version | Free Zhao event name | Start | End | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 → 2.6 | Special Visitor (Free Zhao) | December 30, 2025 (with v2.5) | End of Version 2.6 | Permanent Zhao (S‑Rank) + materials to raise an agent to about Lv. 40 |
You only need to claim Zhao once during this window, and she stays on your account permanently.
Account requirements before you can claim Zhao
New players do not see the event immediately on starting the game. The account has to clear a few early‑game hurdles so that events are unlocked.
| Requirement | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Inter‑Knot Level 8 or higher | Unlocks the main event systems, including Special Visitor. |
| Complete “Prologue: Intermission” (main story) | Moves the story far enough to expose Ridu Carnival and the broader event carousel. |
Some descriptions list slightly lower thresholds, such as Inter‑Knot Lv. 5 plus the earlier main story prologue “The Hare and the Proxy.” In practice, the Special Visitor track for Zhao is set up around the Inter‑Knot 8 breakpoint and completion of the Intermission chapter, which is when the full event interface becomes available.
How to claim Zhao for free through the Special Visitor event
There are two ways the game surfaces Zhao once you meet the account requirements and log in during the event window.
Step 1: Log in to Zenless Zone Zero on any supported platform during Version 2.5 or 2.6. After loading into town, wait for the event pop‑ups. A banner about Zhao’s free recruitment may appear as a large modal window.
Step 2: When the Zhao pop‑up appears, select the button that lets you claim her. The game then plays her recruitment/gacha animation and adds Zhao directly to your agent roster. No pulls or currency are consumed.
If you closed the pop‑up or never saw it, you can still claim her from the event menu:
Step 1: From the “walk around town” view on PC, press O to open the Ridu Carnival event hub. On controller or mobile, open the same event hub from the on‑screen event or banner shortcut.
Step 2: In Ridu Carnival, look at the event list on the left side and select Special Visitor. This is the free‑agent track for Zhao in Version 2.5.
Step 3: On the Special Visitor page, use the claim button for Zhao. Once again, her animation plays, and she is added to your account permanently.
If the Special Visitor tab is present but the Zhao claim button is greyed out, either the account does not meet the Inter‑Knot/story requirements yet, or Zhao is already owned. If the event is missing entirely while you are within the 2.5–2.6 window on a qualifying account, the next escalation is to contact HoYoverse support through the in‑game support center or the official Zenless Zone Zero site at https://zenless.hoyoverse.com.
What else the free Zhao campaign gives you
Alongside Zhao herself, the Special Visitor track is built to let you raise an agent to roughly Level 40 without touching your existing stash. The exact configuration can vary, but the structure of the rewards is straightforward.
| Level range | Denny | Promotion materials |
|---|---|---|
| 10 → 20 | 24,000 Denny | Certification Seal ×4 |
| 20 → 30 | 56,000 Denny | Certification Seal ×12 |
| 30 → 40 | 120,000 Denny | Certification Seal ×20 |
On top of those staples, Special Visitor event tracks typically throw in a spread of growth items used for early promotion.
| Extra growth items | Use |
|---|---|
| Advanced Defense Certification Seal / Basic Defense Certification Seal | Class‑appropriate promotion materials for Defense agents like Zhao. |
| Senior Investigator Log / Official Investigator Log | Standard EXP books to raise agent levels quickly. |
| Prototype Seal and similar upgrade tokens | Used for W‑Engines or other systems, echoing earlier free‑agent campaigns. |
The overall goal is simple: you log in during the window, claim Zhao, and then use the bundled Denny and materials to bring her up to a usable early‑midgame level without draining your existing resources.
How Zhao’s free distribution interacts with her banner
Zhao also has an Exclusive Signal Search banner during Version 2.5, separate from the free route. The free copy does not replace that banner; it just guarantees that everyone who logs in and clears the requirements receives one copy without spending Master Tapes.
If you later decide to pull on her banner, you can still acquire additional Mindscapes and her signature W‑Engine through the normal gacha. The free acquisition simply removes the pressure to pull her for basic roster coverage.
Is Zhao worth building once you claim her?
Zhao is designed as a defensive support who leans heavily on HP scaling and Ether Veil interactions. Her core contributions fall into a few buckets.
- Team buffs: She grants a flat attack increase to all squad members when her Ether Veil Wellspring effect is active, and her additional ability can provide a damage boost that scales with her maximum HP.
- Light healing: Her EX Special restores HP to other agents based on her own HP, on a long cooldown. It is more of a safety net than a primary heal.
- Off‑field chip damage: While under any Ether Veil effect, she can repeatedly charge a basic attack that triggers during quick assists, adding small but time‑efficient damage from the sidelines.
The tradeoff is that Zhao is narrow. To unlock the higher end of her crit and damage buffs, she needs a very high HP total, and her best synergy at launch is with Ye Shunguang, who makes excellent use of Ether Veil uptime. In teams that cannot take advantage of Ether Veil or that already have robust supports, there are often easier 4‑star options to build.
For new or free‑to‑play players planning to invest in Ye Shunguang, Zhao is an obvious project. For everyone else, the free copy is still valuable future‑proofing. Additional Ether Veil‑centric agents are likely to appear over time, which raises Zhao’s long‑term ceiling even if her early meta use is limited.
How to use the ZHAOISFREE redemption code
Alongside the in‑game Special Visitor event, the promotion includes a limited‑time redemption code with extra pulls and currency: ZHAOISFREE.
Step 1: Reach the point in the story where the Settings menu and account functions are fully available. Make sure you are logged in with the correct HoYoverse account and region for your main save.
Step 2: Open the in‑game Settings, then navigate to the code redemption interface. Alternatively, go to the official code redemption page for Zenless Zone Zero at https://zenless.hoyoverse.com/gift, sign in with the same account, and select your server.
Step 3: Enter ZHAOISFREE exactly as written, confirm, and submit. If the code is still valid for your server and time zone, the rewards are sent to your in‑game mailbox.
The promotional bundle tied to this code includes a small set of exclusive channel pulls, Boopons, Polychromes, and a cosmetic title on top of the free Zhao event, further easing early‑game progression.
Once those pieces are in place—account level, Special Visitor claim, and optional code redemption—you walk away with a guaranteed S‑Rank defender, the resources to level her, and a handful of extra pulls, all without touching your premium currency savings.
