🌀 Hollow Zero Complete Walkthrough — All Modes & Max Rewards Guide
What Is Hollow Zero?
Hollow Zero is ZZZ's roguelike endgame mode, where you explore procedurally-generated Hollow environments, collect Resonia (boons), and fight escalating battles. It's the primary source for Bangboo upgrade materials, Encryption Chips, and a significant portion of your weekly Polychrome income.
- Weekly reset: Tuesday (Asia server) / Monday (NA server)
- Three modes: Routine Cleanup (easy), Withering Garden (hard), Blitz (speed)
- Key resource: Hollow Investigator Logs for the Investigation Skill Tree
- Max weekly payout: 480 Polychrome + 12 Bangboo Tuners + upgrade materials
📚 Investigation Skill Tree Priority
The Investigation Skill Tree permanently upgrades your Hollow Zero runs. Prioritize these nodes first for maximum efficiency:
| Priority | Node Name | Effect | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Resonia Capacity +1 | Carry one extra Resonia into battle | 2 Logs |
| 2 | Starting Resonia: ATK | Begin each run with a free ATK-boosting Resonia | 3 Logs |
| 3 | Starting Resonia: HP | Begin each run with HP regeneration Resonia | 3 Logs |
| 4 | Bonus Decibel per Turn | Start each combat with 20% Decibel gauge | 4 Logs |
| 5 | Additional Shop Slot | Resonia shop carries one extra item | 4 Logs |
| 6 | Corruption Resistance +1 | Start with 1 free Corruption cleanse | 5 Logs |
| 7 | Bonus Reward Floor | One extra reward tile per run | 6 Logs |
After maxing these, fill the remaining nodes from left to right — the stat bonuses provide incremental improvements but don't change gameplay.
🧹 Mode 1: Routine Cleanup
Difficulty: Easy · Recommended Level: 30+ · Time: 8-12 minutes per run
Routine Cleanup is the introductory Hollow Zero mode. It features straightforward tile layouts, weak enemies, and generous checkpoints. This is where you farm your weekly Bangboo Tuners and basic materials.
Optimal Route
- Favor Combat tiles — they give the most Investigator XP and gear drops
- Skip Resonia tiles early — you want to build your Resonia set through combat rewards which are higher quality
- Always take Resonia shops — spend all your Gear Coins before the final boss
- Rescue Investigators when you see them — they give bonus Polychrome and logs
Recommended Teams
- Any well-built team works — difficulty is low enough that elemental matching is optional
- Speed clear: Jane Doe + Burnice + Caesar (Disorder melts everything)
- Budget: Piper + Lucy + Nicole (M6 A-rank team handles all content)
🌿 Mode 2: Withering Garden
Difficulty: Hard · Recommended Level: 55+ · Time: 20-35 minutes per run
Withering Garden is the challenging Hollow Zero mode with Corruption mechanics. As you explore, Corruption builds up and applies debuffs. At max Corruption, you take ticking damage that can wipe your party. This mode requires careful route planning and Resonia management.
Corruption Management
- Green tiles (Investigator Rescue, Rest) — reduce Corruption
- Red tiles (Elite Combat, Boss) — increase Corruption significantly
- Keep Corruption below 80% before boss encounters — entering a boss with high Corruption is risky
- Best strategy: Cycle between 2-3 combat tiles, then 1 rest/rescue tile to keep Corruption in check
Resonia Tier List
| Tier | Resonia | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S | Critical Bomb, Shielded Bubble, Overflowing Shield | Multiply your entire team's damage output 2-3x |
| A | Rolling Thunder, Frost Nova, Mark of Stun | Strong damage or utility boosts for specific comps |
| B | Resonance Engine, EMP Bomb, Healing Pulse | Solid all-rounders that work in any comp |
| C | HP Boost, DEF Boost, Shield Boost (base) | Better than nothing but doesn't change your run |
Best Team Comps for Withering Garden
- Miyabi + Promeia + Soukaku: Frostburn clears all content. Resonia synergy: Frost Nova + Critical Bomb
- Jane Doe + Burnice + Caesar: Classic Disorder. Resonia synergy: Rolling Thunder + Shielded Bubble
- Zhu Yuan + Qingyi + Nicole: Burst DPS. Resonia synergy: Critical Bomb + Mark of Stun
⚡ Mode 3: Hollow Zero — Blitz
Difficulty: Medium · Recommended Level: 50+ · Time: 5-8 minutes per run
Blitz mode is a streamlined version of Withering Garden with reduced exploration and fixed enemy encounters. It's the best mode for weekly time-efficiency once you've unlocked your skill tree nodes.
Blitz Tips
- Always take the direct path — Blitz rewards are fixed regardless of route
- Bring your strongest team — there are fewer opportunities to build Resonia synergy
- Animality + Anomaly teams excel because they don't rely on Resonia synergy as much
- Skip cutscenes — every second counts in Blitz speed runs
📅 Weekly Reward Optimization
Here's the most efficient weekly route to max your Hollow Zero rewards:
- Tuesday (reset day): Run Withering Garden x3 at high difficulty to cap your Investigator Logs and Bangboo Tuners. Use your best teams — you want these runs to succeed.
- Wednesday-Friday: Run Routine Cleanup x2-3 for leftover materials and investigator rescue missions. These are quick filler runs.
- Saturday-Sunday: Run Blitz x2-3 if you need extra materials. Blitz is the fastest mode and good for topping off.
- Total weekly investment: ~90 minutes for all rewards
- Polychrome total: 480 per week from combat evaluations + exploration milestones
Important: The first 3 Withering Garden clears of the week give bonus rewards. Prioritize these over other modes.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
At 100% Corruption, your party takes 5% max HP damage every 3 seconds during combat. This damage bypasses shields and can kill your characters. Use Corruption-clearing items (Resonia that cleanses Corruption, or Rest tiles) to keep it under 80% before boss fights.
Yes — Blitz offers separate weekly rewards including Bangboo Tuners and Dennies. It also counts toward your weekly combat evaluation score. Once you've unlocked your skill tree, Blitz is the fastest way to round out your weekly materials.
Critical Bomb is the single strongest Resonia in the game — it increases your entire team's CRIT Rate by 25% for 15 seconds after triggering a critical hit. Always take it. After that, prioritize Shielded Bubble (massive damage reduction at low HP) and any Resonia that provides team-wide ATK or Anomaly Proficiency scaling.
Yes! Hollow Zero has a co-op mode where you can bring one friend (or match with random players) for up to 3-player teams. Co-op reduces difficulty since each player controls one agent. However, Resonia choices are individual, so coordinate with your team.
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