Zenless Zone Zero to Have Smaller Launch Roster Than Genshin

Hoyoverse fans are familiar with the gacha grind. From Genshin Impact to Honkai: Star Rail, players are always desperate to snag the next character, with the developer’s art style proving to be irresistible to many. However, the next game from the Chinese dev, Zenless Zone Zero, won’t launch with as many characters as fans are used to seeing.

While Genshin Impact launched with 22 characters and Honkai: Star Rail launched with 23, Zenless Zone Zero will only launch with 15.

Producer Li Zhenyu chatted with PC Gamer, explaining that the team was aiming for “quality over quantity” as the aim is to “make [the combat] as original as possible.” However, while the roster may seem lacking at the start, Li promises that the amount of characters will eventually rival other Hoyoverse games.

Over 36 million people have already pre-registered for Zenless Zone Zero. To put that number into perspective, Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail both launched with around 10 million pre-registrations.

Over the past few years, HoYoverse has cemented itself as one of the most influential game studios on the planet. The Chinese developer is now valued at $23 billion.

“Zenless Zone Zero is a brand-new game IP set in a post-apocalyptic metropolitan city. It features an engaging story with a futuristic art style, distinctive characters, and an exhilarating action-orientated combat system. Players will play the role of a “Proxy” and embark on an adventure with a diverse group of partners to conquer the unknown enemies and unravel the mysteries in New Eridu—the last shelter for urban civilization,” the game’s description reads.

The new gacha hotness will launch on PlayStation 5, PC, iOS, and Android on July 4.