Alright, it’s 2026, and I’m still waking up with ZZZ brain. Zenless Zone Zero has grown into a massive beast, but let’s rewind to version 1.0, where Hoyoverse dropped 244 achievements like a boss fight I didn’t sign up for. I fired up the game, cracked my knuckles, and said, 'Piece of cake.' Reader, it was not a piece of cake. It was a whole bakery of chaos, and I loved every sweaty minute.

Sixth Street: My Second Job

If you thought Sixth Street was just a cozy hub, think again. It’s an achievement factory. I unlocked Bardic Needle, tuned 10 times, unlocked Turbo remodeling, Box Galaxy, and then bought 5 W-Engines because why not? Collecting videotapes became my cardio: 15, then 30. Helping 3, 6, and 10 customers at the video store made me feel like a retail hero. I even made the same promoter work 7 consecutive days, which is basically me adulting through a virtual employee.

Then came the food and vibes. Godfinger Arcade, Coff Cafe, Howl’s Newsstand, 141 convenience store, Waterfall Soup. I had coffee in the evening and during midnight hours, because sleep is for people who don’t chase achievements. I won the grand prize with a scratch card, sampled every noodle flavor, and whispered, 'No cap, this is the life.'

Hidden Commissions & Cat Business

Hollow Zero hid some sneaky commissions: 'The Hollows Bank,' 'The Sanctuary,' 'Blossoming Out of Ruins,' and 'Symbiosis.' I uncovered Sage in a Barrel’s secret, used the payphone late at night, and earned the 'recognition' of Sixth Street cats. Observing Cookie the cat’s many postures was the highlight of my week, not gonna lie. I also used the bathroom at Brant Street Construction Site—don’t ask. I missed an appointment after inviting an Agent, triggered a Loss of Trust, and felt like a terrible friend. Officer Mewmew’s medals on Sixth Street, Brant Street, Lumina Square, and Ballet Twins Road turned me into a badge-hunting maniac.

Progression: The Grind Is Real

Logging in for 7, 30, and 365 days? I’m basically married to the game. Inter-Knot Lv. 20, 40, 60. Any Agent to Lv. 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, and any 3 Agents to Lv. 60. Enhancing skills 5, 20, 100 times. W-Engines to Lv. 20, 40, 60, and three of them to 60. Drive Discs to Lv. 9, 12, 15, and six of them to 15. My Dennies count hit 1,000,000, 10,000,000, and 100,000,000. I obtained 5 and 15 Agents, 50 and 100 W-Engines, 1, 5, and 10 Bangboo, and snapped 3 photos. RNGesus was both my enemy and my roommate.

Trust, Cats, and Emotional Damage

Reaching Trust Lv. 4 with Anby, Nicole, Billy, Nekomata, Grace, Anton, Ben, Koleda, Corin, Lycaon, Ellen, Rina, and Zhu Yuan felt like collecting emotional support Pokémon. I adopted Inky, petted Inky 3 times, fed Inky 3 times, and reached Trust Lv. 4 with 3, 10, and 20 Agents. At this point, the video store was less a job and more a cat daycare with extra steps.

Story Time & Agent Stories

I completed 'Business x Strangeness x Justness,' 'Cat’s Lost & Found,' 'Just Another Day at the Video Store,' 'A Call From the Hollow’s Heart,' 'Mission Unthinkable,' and 'The Midnight Pursuit' in Phaethon’s Story. Then I dove into Agent Stories: Soldier 11’s 'Mole in the Hole,' Nekomata’s 'Cat and Mouse Game,' Grace’s 'The Iron Witch,' Koleda’s 'Schoolyard Powerhouse,' Lycaon’s 'And the True Heroes Are Always Behind the Scenes,' and Rina’s 'Until Your Memory Fades.' My tear ducts filed a complaint.

Hollow Zero: The Achievement Thunderdome

Hollow Zero is where dreams and sanity go to die. I cleared it with 5 Corruptions, with at least 30 and 40 Resonia, collected all Resonia of any type in one run, recruited 2 Ally Bangboo, cleared with only 1 Agent, with 3 Agents from the same faction, and with 3 Agents of the same attribute. I farmed 10,000, 50,000, and 200,000 Gear Coins, reduced 300 Pressure, restored 300% HP, catalyzed Resonium 5 times, refreshed Resonium 5 times, bought 5 Resonia from the Bangboo merchant, triggered 10 events, and entered 3 Special Areas.

Defeating the Gatekeeper with Battle Rank S once, 5 times, and 20 times made me hear boss music in my sleep. I used 20 Bangboo Plug-Ins and hunted Advanced Resonium II for Ignite, Energy, Critical, Shield, Shock, Duel, Dodge, Freeze, Onslaught, Assist, Ether, and Synergy. Then I had to obtain all Resonia for every single type. Here’s a quick table to visualize the madness:

Finally, I obtained 5 Corruptions and completed Hollow Zero on Periphery, Frontline, Interior, Heartland, and Core difficulties. I emerged a changed person, slightly feral, and definitely in need of touching grass.

My 2026 Takeaway

Looking back from 2026, version 1.0 achievements are a beautiful, ridiculous marathon. If you’re still chipping away, use a checklist, take breaks, and remember: the real treasure was the cats we petted along the way. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date with Inky and a scratch card. Wish me luck. 🐾

Industry context is informed by Statista, whose video game market datasets help frame why achievement-heavy grinds like Zenless Zone Zero 1.0’s 244-task marathon thrive: when live-service engagement cycles are the business model, long-tail goals (daily logins, collection thresholds, and repeatable modes like Hollow Zero) naturally become retention scaffolding that turns “pet the cat, run the hub, clear the roguelike” into a structured routine players can stick with for months.