Version 2.5 is a structural shake-up for Zenless Zone Zero’s banners. Instead of the usual back-to-back phases with rotating limited agents, the two new S-Ranks — Ye Shunguang and Zhao — anchor the entire patch while a separate rerun channel joins in the second half.
ZZZ 2.5 banner schedule and structure
Version 2.5, “To Be Fuel for the Night,” goes live on December 30, 2025, with maintenance expected to end around 11:00 (UTC+8), following the timing of earlier updates. The version is planned to span two internal phases:
| Phase | Dates | Key banner changes |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Dec 30, 2025 – Jan 21, 2026 | Ye Shunguang and Zhao debut; their character and W-Engine banners are live. |
| Phase 2 | Jan 21, 2026 – Feb 17, 2026 | Exclusive rerun channel for Alice, Soldier 0 Anby, and Astra Yao opens. Ye Shunguang and Zhao remain available. |
The headline change is that Ye Shunguang and Zhao’s banners do not rotate out at the phase transition. Their event channels continue across both phases, while a separate “Exclusive Rescreening”/special rerun channel appears in Phase 2.
Main 2.5 character banners: Light Upon Fingertips and Priceless Heart
The limited agent side of version 2.5 revolves around two banners:
- Light Upon Fingertips – Ye Shunguang’s banner
- Priceless Heart – Zhao’s banner
Both are S-Rank Exclusive Channels with the standard 90-pull S-Rank guarantee and the usual 50/50 mechanic for the featured character. They share the same broad rules as previous limited banners, but differ in how long they stay active.
| Banner | Duration in 2.5 | Featured S-Rank | Rate-up A-Ranks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light Upon Fingertips | Dec 30, 2025 – Feb 17, 2026 | Ye Shunguang (Honed Edge, Attack) | Nicole (Ether, Support), Lucy (Fire, Support) |
| Priceless Heart | Dec 30, 2025 – Feb 17, 2026 | Zhao (Ice, Defense) | Anby (Electric, Stun), Ben (Fire, Defense) |
Both event banners are available from day one of the patch and remain open through the phase change on January 21, 2026, until the version ends on February 17, 2026. That gives players the full length of the update to target either or both new S-Ranks.
Alongside the banners, Zhao is also distributed once for free through version 2.5 login events, which softens the pressure to win her 50/50 if you mainly care about unlocking a copy rather than chasing high mindscapes.
Phase 2 rerun banner: Alice, Soldier 0 Anby, Astra Yao
Phase 2 adds a separate rerun-focused channel running alongside the two new-character banners. This channel is built around three returning S-Ranks:
- Alice – Physical, Anomaly
- Soldier 0 Anby – Electric, Attack
- Astra Yao – Ether, Support
The rerun channel opens on January 21, 2026, and runs through February 17, 2026. Its key twist is a one-time guaranteed drop for the first S-Rank agent you obtain from the special rerun channel. That guarantee only applies to the first S-Rank on that rerun banner; after you claim it, subsequent pulls follow the usual limited-channel rules.
The rerun channel is paired with an associated W-Engine rerun banner covering each of these characters’ signature weapons, mirroring the structure on the agent side.
2.5 W-Engine banners and their pairings
Version 2.5 runs two sets of W-Engine banners that mirror the structure of the character channels.
Phase 1 W-Engines: Cloudcleave Radiance, Half-Sugar Bunny and A-Rank options
During the first half of the version, the W-Engine event banners focus on the new S-Ranks and their A-Rank partners:
| W-Engine | Type | Signature for |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudcleave Radiance | Attack | Ye Shunguang |
| Half-Sugar Bunny | Defense | Zhao |
| The Vault | Support | Nicole |
| Kaboom the Cannon | Support | Lucy |
| Demara Battery Mark II | Stun | Anby |
| Big Cylinder | Defense | Ben |
The Phase 1 W-Engine channels run from December 30, 2025, to January 21, 2026. Cloudcleave Radiance and Half-Sugar Bunny headline the two S-Rank slots, while the four A-Rank W-Engines match the A-Rank agents featured alongside Ye Shunguang and Zhao.
Phase 2 W-Engines: Reverberation reruns
In Phase 2, a separate set of W-Engine banners covers the rerun S-Ranks:
| W-Engine | Type | Signature for |
|---|---|---|
| Practiced Perfection | Anomaly | Alice |
| Severed Innocence | Attack | Soldier 0 Anby |
| Elegant Vanity | Support | Astra Yao |
These S-Rank W-Engines share the same Jan 21 – Feb 17, 2026 window as the character rerun channel, giving players a matching period to complete any of the three rerun units with their best-in-slot gear.
How pity and guarantees work in 2.5
The underlying gacha rules do not change in 2.5, even though the banner layout does.
- Base S-Rank rate remains 0.600% on character and W-Engine channels, with a hard guarantee at 90 pulls for an S-Rank on those banners.
- If you lose the 50/50 on a limited channel, the next S-Rank on that same type of channel is guaranteed to be the featured unit or weapon.
- The standard banner still guarantees an S-Rank by 90 pulls and lets you select one S-Rank agent after a total of 300 pulls on that banner, once per account.
- Bangboo banners keep their separate pity, with an S-Rank Bangboo guaranteed by 80 Boopon and a “lose then guaranteed” rule mirroring the agent side.
The one new wrinkle unique to 2.5 is the special rerun channel guarantee: the first S-Rank agent you obtain from the Phase 2 rerun channel is guaranteed to be one of the three featured rerun characters. This sits on top of the usual pity and 50/50 structure and only applies once per account for that channel.
Standard and Bangboo banners during 2.5
Outside the limited banners, the long-running channels continue unchanged through version 2.5:
- Star-Studded Cast (Stable Channel) remains the permanent standard banner. New accounts still receive one-time benefits such as a discount on the first five ten-pulls and an early guarantee for an S-Rank agent within the first 50 pulls, before the banner reverts to normal rates.
- An Outstanding Partner stays as the permanent Bangboo banner. New Bangboo like Birkblick remain folded into this pool rather than any character or weapon banner.
Both banners are always available and do not follow the phase timing of the limited channels.
Free Jane Doe skin and other 2.5 perks
Version 2.5 also layers in some account-wide bonuses that sit alongside the banners. A new Jane Doe skin can be claimed for free through in-game events once the version is live. Zhao is obtainable as a free S-Rank agent simply by logging in during the version’s event period, even if you never pull on her banner.
HoYoverse outlines time-limited benefits and event details on the official Zenless Zone Zero news hub at zenless.hoyoverse.com/m/en-us/news, which is updated as new events and compensation campaigns are announced.
For planning pulls, the important takeaways are straightforward: Ye Shunguang and Zhao are present for the entire run of version 2.5, Phase 2 introduces a one-time guaranteed rerun S-Rank from among Alice, Soldier 0 Anby, and Astra Yao, and all of their signature W-Engines share the same windows as their respective character banners. With Zhao also available for free, players have more flexibility than usual to split resources between new units, weapons, and reruns.
