I was scrolling through my news feed the other day, minding my own business, when a flash of pink, gold, and crispy chicken stopped me dead. Another Zenless Zone Zero collaboration had just dropped, and this time it wasn’t just any fast-food partnership—it was a full-on idol takeover with KFC. My wallet started trembling before I even read the details.
Right away, I knew this was going to be special. The spotlight was on the Angels of Delusion—Sunna, Aria, and Nangong Yu—the fictional idol trio that had me glued to my screen during their in-game concert storyline. Now they were posing in KFC-themed outfits, and honestly? Angels of Delicious is a name that writes itself. The whole vibe screams “please take my money,” and I mean that in the most affectionate way possible.
So what’s on the menu? The collab offers a themed meal for less than the equivalent of $10. That alone feels like a steal, but it’s the merchandise that has me typing in all caps in my group chats. You get a set of shiny pin badges featuring each member of the trio, a collection of glossy art cards, an adorable pink tote bag that I would absolutely use to carry my lunch every single day, and—wait for it—a cubic wallet designed to look like the event’s special bangboo. This bangboo is clearly inspired by Colonel Sanders, complete with a little white suit and spectacles. How could anyone not want to store their coins and dennies inside that? It’s a coin purse begging to be added to my everyday carry. If someone reading this happens to be near a participating KFC, please, send me one. I’m not above begging.
The in-game rewards only make the deal sweeter. Tucked inside the meal is a redeemable ZZZ code that unlocks a themed stamina item (probably shaped like a drumstick, because why not?), an avatar and namecard themed around the colonel bangboo, the “Extremely Crispy” title—which I would equip even if it breaks all immersion—plus XP items and, of course, a pile of dennies. It’s the kind of bonus that makes you want to order the meal twice just to see if the code works more than once. Why does everything about this collaboration spark so much joy?
And then reality hits me like a late-night promo code that expired five minutes ago. This entire event is region-locked. It’s only available at KFC locations in China. My local KFC won’t have a single AOD poster on the wall, no idol-themed cups, no chance to grab that miniature bangboo wallet. If I happen to be near the Ring Live Galaxy in Shanghai between July 25 and 31, I could even attend a meet-and-greet with the Angels of Delusion. Can you imagine standing in line, chicken in hand, waiting to snap a photo with Sunna, Aria, and Nangong Yu? It’s the kind of experience that would make any ZZZ fan’s entire year. For me, that avenue is about as reachable as a free S-rank pull with zero pity built up.
But wait—isn’t HoYoverse running a global Operation Yum event? Yes, other ZZZ-themed promotions are happening in various eateries around the world. I’ve seen the social media posts. Yet none of them compare to the Angels of Delusion collaboration. Those are cute, sure, but they don’t have a chicken-flavored bangboo or a pink tote that looks like it walked out of a music video. The disparity feels personal. I can’t help but ask myself: why does the coolest collaboration always stay just out of reach?
Looking at the photos that fans in China have already shared, I feel a mix of admiration and envy. The merchandise looks even better in candid shots—the wallet’s stitching is neat, the pin badges catch the light perfectly, and the art cards feature exclusive illustrations that I’d frame in a heartbeat. It’s 2026, and I’m still waiting for the day when gaming collaborations stop being held hostage by geography. Until then, I’ll just stare at the pictures, daydream about owning that crispy title, and hope that someone, somewhere, decides fans outside a single region deserve a bite of the fun too.