Zenless Zone Zero’s pull system is friendlier to F2P players than most gacha games — but only if you understand how it works and where to spend. This guide explains the currency system, pity mechanics, and how to build a pull bank without spending real money.

The Currency System

ZZZ uses three types of pull currency, and mixing them up is a common mistake:

Currency	Used for	How to get
Polychrome	Converts to either Signal or W-Engine Boopons	Main currency — events, dailies, exploration
Signal Boopons	Character banners (Exclusive Signal Search)	Convert from Polychrome, some event rewards
W-Engine Boopons	W-Engine banners (Stable Signal Search)	Convert from Polychrome, shop

160 Polychrome = 1 pull (Boppon). There is no discount for buying in bulk.

Do not pull on the Stable Channel (Standard banner) with Polychrome. The Stable Channel gives access to permanent 5-stars, not limited ones. Pull there only with Inter-Knot Credit drops (the free currency exclusive to that banner).

How Pity Works

Character banners (Exclusive Signal Search):

• Soft pity begins at approximately 75 pulls — from here, your chance of getting a 5-star increases sharply each pull
• Hard pity at 90 pulls — guaranteed 5-star
• 50/50 system: Your first 5-star on a limited banner is either the featured character (50%) or a standard 5-star (50%). If you lose the 50/50, your next 5-star on any limited banner is guaranteed to be the featured character
• This guarantee carries across banners — if you lose a 50/50, you start the next limited banner with a guaranteed win

W-Engine banners:

• Hard pity at 80 pulls
• 75/25 system — better odds than character banners
• Pity also carries across W-Engine banners

Monthly Free Pulls

A consistent F2P player earns approximately 30-40 pulls per month through:

• Daily Tasks (~10 Polychrome/day): 300/month = ~1.9 pulls
• Weekly missions and SoC tasks: ~400 Polychrome/month = ~2.5 pulls
• Hollow Zero (Roguelike mode): 500-800 Polychrome/month depending on difficulty
• New events: 800-1,600 Polychrome per major patch (every ~6 weeks)
• Exploration and story content: One-time Polychrome from completing new content each patch

Realistic monthly total: 5,000-8,000 Polychrome per patch = 31-50 pulls per 6-week patch cycle.

Over three patches (roughly one banner cycle for a specific character), an F2P player can save ~90-150 pulls — enough to guarantee a character if you enter with pity banked.

Which Banners to Target

The most important decision in ZZZ’s pull economy is what not to pull.

Pull on:

• The character you will play consistently
• Characters who enable your existing units (supports and drivers who work with multiple DPS, like Rina or Lighter)
• Limited W-Engines only if you are stuck at a performance ceiling

Skip:

• Characters in Factions you do not play
• W-Engines for characters you already have serviceable options for
• Standard characters on the limited banner (they will return)

F2P character priority as of mid-2026:

• Any S-rank with broad team utility (buffers, healers, drivers) over highly specialised DPS
• Do not chase constellations (“Mindscapes”) — an M0 limited S-rank is always better than an M2 standard S-rank

Free S-Ranks

ZZZ gives away several S-rank characters permanently:

• Starter gift: One guaranteed S-rank Zhu Yuan or Nicole from the early-game celebration pulls
• Hollow Zero: Unlocks a permanent free pull selector for standard S-ranks as you progress through the mode
• Recruitment events: Periodic events grant free standard S-rank selectors

Play through the story and game modes. Free units are real units — Nicole and Zhu Yuan form a competitive duo, and standard S-ranks like Koleda or Soldier 11 are functional in lower-intensity content.

The Saving Rule

Do not pull impulsively. The biggest F2P mistake is spending Polychrome on a banner just because you have some saved. ZZZ releases new limited S-ranks every 3 weeks. If you pull on every banner, you will never have enough for the character you actually want.

Recommended saving targets:

• 75 pulls before committing to a banner (enough to guarantee a 5-star if you have a 50/50 guarantee)
• 150 pulls if you do not have a 50/50 guarantee banked
• Never dip below 20 pulls in reserve — events can expire and emergency situations arise

The Short Answer

ZZZ is relatively F2P friendly by gacha standards. Save Polychrome, understand that you will miss some banners intentionally, and spend when you have enough for a guarantee. One targeted S-rank per patch is achievable for most active players.

Data sourced from: ZZZ wiki (fandom), Prydwen.gg ZZZ section, HoYoLAB, community farming guides. Verified May 2026.