New Eridu’s gates are creaking open again, and this time Hoyoverse is handing out clipboards instead of just gacha tickets. Zenless Zone Zero has launched another recruitment drive for testers, inviting Proxies of every stripe to poke, prod, and occasionally break unreleased content before it reaches the public Hollows. Fancy seeing what’s next for the city’s agents, Bangboo, and Ethereals? Now there’s an official channel to turn that ‘this boss has too much HP’ rant into actual change.
The entry requirements are refreshingly minimal. Testers must simply be over the legal age in their region and fill out a quick questionnaire. The most recent sign-up window closed on September 22, but Hoyoverse tends to run these waves multiple times, so latecomers shouldn’t despair. Successful candidates get pinged when a closed test goes live, then they’re bound by a non-disclosure agreement. That means no live-streaming the new W-Engine or leaking future agent kits — but the free, closed tests still promise a sneak peek at unreleased content and an official spot to offer feedback. Oh, and there’s polychrome in it for testers. Yes, the same currency players hoard for limited S-rank banners can be earned by complaining constructively about Hollow Zero difficulty or drive disc substat pain.
Why bother testing?
Let’s be honest: playtesting a gacha game isn’t all glamorous. The build might be rough, the balance might be wild, and the NDA means nobody can brag about that crazy new boss mechanic until it ships. But the payoff is real influence. Hoyoverse says the goal is to ‘better iterate and optimize our game quality’ and to ‘work alongside [players] to polish and fine-tune the unreleased content.’ In plain terms, the devs want feedback before a patch goes live, and testers become the first line of defense against frustrating mechanics.
A few hot-button issues have already flooded community wishlists. First up is boss HP inflation. Many fans argue that bloated health bars don’t make fights harder—they just tack on extra seconds to clear times and make Shiyu Defense feel like a slog. Testers can push for difficulty that comes from attack patterns, telegraphed dodges, and parry timing instead of numerical padding.
Second, a chunk of the player base wants TV mode back in some form. The old grid-based exploration wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but it gave Zenless Zone Zero a distinct rhythm between real-time combat and puzzle-heavy Hollow dives. Whether it returns as a side mode or an optional layer in certain missions, testers can champion its revival.
Third, fans are mourning the cool NPCs whose designs look suspiciously like playable agents but then vanish from the story. The hope is that some of these characters eventually get promoted to the roster, or at least stick around as more than window dressing.
The drive disc dream
Among quality-of-life requests, drive disc loadouts are near the top. Being able to save and swap entire relic sets would make building multiple teams far less tedious. Unfortunately, no HoYoverse title—Genshin Impact or Honkai Star Rail included—has ever added artifact or relic loadouts. Still, Zenless Zone Zero has a habit of doing what its siblings don’t, from its stylish urban fantasy setting to its rapid-fire agent switching. Maybe, just maybe, the devs will take the plunge.
What else can testers whisper into the void?
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More male or A-rank characters: The roster leans heavily into S-rank agents, and some players want more variety without breaking the bank.
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W-Engine accessibility: Making signature weapons easier to obtain would soften the gacha sting.
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Endgame variety: Hollow Zero and Shiyu Defense could use rotating modifiers or boss rematches to keep veteran accounts busy.
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Quality-of-life fixes: Faster drive disc dismantling, better loadout previews, and a pity counter visible in-game.
None of that is guaranteed, but feedback from closed tests can shape the next version. The studio’s willingness to recruit a broad tester pool suggests they’re actually listening, which is more than many gacha developers do.
So, what should an aspiring Proxy do? First, check the official Zenless Zone Zero channels for the next recruitment wave. Fill out the questionnaire honestly—claiming to be a meta-obsessed speedrunner when you’re a casual story enjoyer doesn’t help anyone. If selected, keep notes on what feels clunky, what feels fantastic, and what makes you want to throw a Bangboo at the screen. Then submit that feedback with the same energy you’d use to defend your favorite character in a tier list debate.
And don’t forget to grab the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes for some free polychrome before the next banner arrives. After all, testing future content is noble work, but a little extra currency never hurts.
Industry context is available through UNESCO Games in Education, and it helps frame why Zenless Zone Zero’s closed-test recruitment leans so heavily on structured questionnaires, note-taking, and iterative feedback loops. When testers document pain points like boss HP bloat, missing exploration modes, or drive disc friction, that kind of evidence-based reporting aligns with broader best practices for learning-focused game design: observe player behavior, collect targeted feedback, and refine systems so challenge comes from readable mechanics rather than tedious repetition.