It felt like forever. Honestly, if you were hanging out on Discord or lurking on Reddit back in 2022, you remember the sheer hype when HoYoverse first dropped that "New City Visitor" teaser. Everyone wanted to know when did Zenless Zone Zero come out, mostly because it looked nothing like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail. It had this grimy, street-style, VHS-tape aesthetic that felt more like Jet Set Radio than a high-fantasy RPG.
Well, the wait eventually ended. Zenless Zone Zero officially came out on July 4, 2024. Yeah, Independence Day in the US. While people were out grilling burgers and watching fireworks, a massive chunk of the gaming world was busy downloading 50GB of urban fantasy goodness. It launched simultaneously on PC, iOS, Android, and PlayStation 5. It was a global rollout, meaning New Eridu opened its gates to everyone at the exact same time, regardless of where they were sitting.
The Long Road to New Eridu
HoYoverse doesn't just shadow-drop games. They tease. They test. They tweak. Before we got the final July 2024 date, the game went through three distinct "Tuning Tests," which is just a fancy HoYoverse term for closed betas.
The first one, the original Tuning Test, kicked off in August 2022. It was small. Private. If you weren't an influencer or incredibly lucky, you didn't get in. Then came the "Equalizing Test" in November 2023, which started showing off more of the combat depth. Finally, the "Amplifying Test" in April 2024 was the home stretch. By that point, the core mechanics—the parry system, the chain attacks, and the TV-grid exploration—were basically baked in.
People were getting impatient.
Why the launch date actually mattered
There was a specific window they had to hit. If they launched too close to a major Genshin expansion or a Star Rail anniversary, they’d be cannibalizing their own audience. By picking July, they hit a summer lull in the gaming calendar where people were hungry for something fresh.
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It worked.
The game hit over 50 million downloads almost immediately. Think about that number. That's more than the population of many countries, all trying to pull for Ellen Joe on day one.
What the launch version actually looked like
When the game finally arrived on July 4, it wasn't a skeleton crew of content. We got the prologue and the first three chapters of the main story right out of the gate. You had the Cunning Hares, Belobog Heavy Industries, and Victoria Housekeeping Co. basically ready to go.
A lot of players were surprised by the combat. It’s fast. Like, really fast.
Unlike Genshin, where you're managing elemental reactions and long cooldowns, Zenless Zone Zero is all about the "Daze" meter. You hit things until they're stunned, then you swap characters to trigger a massive chain attack. It feels more like a traditional character action game—think Devil May Cry or Bayonetta—than a typical mobile gacha.
The platforms and the cross-play reality
One thing HoYoverse nailed at launch was the cross-progression. You could start the game on your PS5 in the morning, play a few rounds on your iPhone during your lunch break, and then hop on your PC at night. All your progress stayed synced. This isn't easy to pull off, but for a game that relies on "daily" check-ins and stamina (Battery Charge), it was essential.
The PS5 version was particularly crisp. It ran at a steady 60 FPS with 4K resolution, making those neon lights in Sixth Street really pop. Mobile players had it a bit tougher; you need a decent chip (A13 Bionic or Snapdragon 888 minimum) just to keep the frame rate from chugging during the more chaotic combat encounters.
Common misconceptions about the release
A lot of people think the game was delayed. Technically, it wasn't. HoYoverse never actually gave a firm date until the pre-registration numbers hit their peak. They played it smart. They waited until they had 40 million pre-registrations before they locked in that July 4th slot.
Another weird rumor? That it was a PS5 exclusive. Nope. While Sony definitely marketed the hell out of it, it was always intended to be multi-platform. The only thing "missing" at launch was an Xbox or Switch version, which is pretty standard for HoYoverse titles lately.
What to do if you're starting now
If you missed the 2024 launch and you're just getting into it in 2026, don't sweat it. The game has changed a lot since that initial July release, but the core "Proxy" experience is the same.
- Focus on the Inter-Knot level: This is your account level. Almost everything—story chapters, higher-tier loot, better upgrades—is gated behind this. Do your dailies.
- Don't ignore the Bangboos: These little rabbit robots aren't just mascots. They provide massive buffs in combat. The best part? You can't actually buy the pulls for them with real money; you have to earn the tickets through gameplay. It's surprisingly fair.
- Learn the parry: Seriously. The "Defensive Assist" (the gold flash) is the most important mechanic in the game. It saves your life and builds daze faster than anything else.
The July 4, 2024 launch was just the beginning. Whether you're a veteran who was there for the first hour of the servers being live or a newcomer trying to figure out why everyone is obsessed with a shark-tailed maid, the game has settled into a rhythm of major updates every six weeks.
Check your storage space, make sure your drivers are updated, and head into the Hollows. The rewards are worth the risk.
Actionable Next Steps
- Check Hardware Compatibility: Ensure your device has at least 10GB of RAM (for PC) or a modern mobile processor to handle the high-octane combat without stuttering.
- Claim Pre-Registration Rewards: Even if you started late, check your in-game mail for "Road to 40 Million" rewards that often persist for new accounts.
- Prioritize the Story: Complete Chapter 1 immediately to unlock the "Events" tab, which is where the bulk of your free Polychromes (pulling currency) will come from.