ZZZ 3.0 July 2026 Events Guide: Gleaming Shadow, Mock Exam, Tales of the Hobbling Crow, and Full Rewards Calendar

Introduction

Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.0 "A Sleepwalker's Confession" launched on June 17, 2026, and July is shaping up to be the busiest month yet. With Phase 1 banners winding down, Phase 2 arriving July 8, five concurrent limited-time events, and the Steam launch bringing in a wave of new Proxies, there's more to track than ever.

This guide covers every active and upcoming ZZZ 3.0 event for July 2026 — including a full Gleaming Shadow Team Battle strategy breakdown, the Phase 1→Phase 2 banner transition, F2P polychrome income tracking, and a priority checklist so you don't miss anything before events expire.

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ZZZ 3.0: The Current Landscape

Before diving into individual events, here's the high-level picture of where ZZZ 3.0 stands as of July 1:

Milestone	Date	Status
Version 3.0 launch	June 17	✅ Live
Steam version launch	June 17	✅ Live
Phase 1 banners (Velina / Ye Shunguang)	June 17 - July 8	🟡 Ending soon
Gleaming Shadow Team Battle	June 19 - July 13	🟢 Active
The Final Callback	June 17 - July 8	🟡 Ending soon
Assemble! Mock Exam Comeback Plan	June 26 - July 27	🟢 Active
Advanced Bounty: Area Patrol	July 2 - July 7	🔵 Starting tomorrow
Tales of the Hobbling Crow	July 3 - July 20	🔵 Starting soon
Phase 2 banners (Norma / Sunna)	July 8 - ~July 29	🔵 Upcoming
Art is Bangboo!	July 8 - July 27	🔵 Upcoming
En-Nah Into Your Lap	July 8 - July 28	🔵 Upcoming
Commemorative Gift (login event)	July 8 - July 27	🔵 Upcoming
Data Bounty: Combat Simulation	July 22 - July 27	⏳ Late July

Let's break down each event with everything you need to know.

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1. Gleaming Shadow Team Battle (June 19 - July 13)

This is the combat event you should focus on right now. With just under two weeks remaining, Gleaming Shadow Team Battle is ZZZ 3.0's flagship combat event, and it introduces a unique multi-squad relay mechanic that rewards team-building depth.

How It Works

Dr. Bang has developed the "Combat Partner Synergy Test System" at CCD Square. You build two separate two-character squads and swap between them mid-battle:

1. Form two duos — Pick your best pairing for each squad
2. Enter the arena — Battles last up to 2 minutes with continuous enemy spawns
3. Build the Charge Bar — Deals damage and fills a Charge Bar over time
4. Swap squads — When the bar is full, swap to your second squad
5. Upgrade buffs — Each swap upgrades the stage buff, adding powerful new mechanics
6. Score big — Your final score determines your stage rating and rewards

Key strategy: Don't just park on your best squad. The buff upgrades from swapping are powerful enough that cycling between both squads is almost always optimal.

Stage Schedule (6 Total)

Stage Name	Unlock Date	Enemy Weaknesses
Glacial Gale	June 19	Ice-weak enemies
Shattered Thunder	June 19	Electric-weak enemies
Shadows Overlaid Light	June 20	Mixed Ether/Physical
Ironclad Sky Splitter	June 21	Physical break enemies
Falling Fire, Sinking Star	June 22	Fire-weak
"Insufficient DPS"	June 23	Boss rush

Best Team Compositions

Stage 1 - Glacial Gale: Use Ice units. Soukaku + Ellen is the premium pick. For F2P, Soukaku + any DPS with ice accessories works.

Stage 2 - Shattered Thunder: Electric shines here. Grace + Rina or Anton + Anby are strong budget options. If you have Yanagi, she solo-carries this stage.

Stage 3 - Shadows Overlaid Light: Mixed damage needed. Nicole + Zhu Yuan (Ether) or Billy + Lucy (Physical). The stage buff rewards rapid assists.

Stage 4 - Ironclad Sky Splitter: Bring a Stunner. The boss has a tough Daze bar. Koleda + Ben or Lycaon + Ellen. Don't skip the stun window.

Stage 5 - Falling Fire, Sinking Star: Fire week. Burnice + Lucy or Soldier 11 + Koleda. If you pulled Velina (Wind), she also works well here despite not being fire — her Anomaly damage bypasses resistances.

Stage 6 - "Insufficient DPS": The boss rush. Bring your absolute best all-around team. The fight tests rotation efficiency — swap early and often to keep the buff chain going.

All Rewards

Completing all 6 stages nets you:

Reward	Per Stage	Total (6)
Polychrome	×60	×360
Original Chip	×10	×60
Senior Investigator Log	×3	×18
Bangboo System Widget	×3	×18
Denny	×20,000	×120,000
Title: Gleaming Shadow Hunter	—	×1

Plus 1,400 City Fund EXP for the battle pass.

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2. Assemble! Mock Exam Comeback Plan (June 26 - July 27)

Already covered in our dedicated guide, but here's what you need to know: this is the largest event of 3.0 in terms of total polychrome payout. The flagship event rewards the free Boisterous Echoes A-Rank Anomaly W-Engine (currently BiS for several off-field Anomaly agents) plus substantial polychromes, Investigator Logs, and Dennies.

Quick tips:

• Complete the daily exam stages as they unlock — they cannot be rushed at the end
• The "Comeback Plan" bonuses reward consistent logins
• Boisterous Echoes is worth leveling even if you have better W-Engines — it's excellent for Piper and Grace

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3. The Final Callback (June 17 - July 8) — ENDING SOON

This event expires in 7 days. Don't sleep on it.

The Final Callback lets you try out the rate-up agents in audition stages. Currently available:

• Velina Airgid (Wind - Anomaly) — The new S-Rank on Phase 1 banner
• Ye Shunguang (Honed Edge - Attack) — Rerun S-Rank
• Piper (Physical - Anomaly) — A-Rank
• Nicole (Ether - Support) — A-Rank

Clearing each stage gives first-time rewards (Polychromes, Dennies). Even if you're not pulling the banners, running these stages is free resources. Each stage takes under 2 minutes.

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4. Other Active Events (Ongoing Through July)

Bangbang! The Genius and the Miracle Chip (June 17 - July 29)

A permanent-style event focused on the Bangboo system. Rewards include Boopons, Bangboo upgrade materials, and a title. Low stress — complete at your own pace.

Celestial Nexus Intelligence Dossier (June 17 - July 29)

A lore/research event tied to the Roscaelifer region. Features story segments and exploration objectives. Good for world-building fans and those who want extra polychromes without combat pressure.

All-New Program (June 17 - July 29)

The 3.0 launch celebration event with login bonuses. Make sure to claim daily — it's easy to forget and the cumulative rewards are significant.

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5. Phase 1→Phase 2 Banner Transition (July 8)

The biggest date on your calendar: July 8. Here's what changes:

Leaving Phase 1 (pull now or wait for rerun):

• Velina Airgid (S-Rank Wind-Anomaly) — First limited Wind agent, excellent in Disorder teams
• Ye Shunguang (S-Rank Attack) — Strong physical DPS, rerun banner
• Joyau Dore (S-Rank Anomaly W-Engine) — Velina's signature
• Cloudcleave Radiance (S-Rank Attack W-Engine) — Ye Shunguang's signature

Arriving Phase 2:

• Norma Hollowell (S-Rank Fire-Stun) — First limited Fire Stun agent. Her kit focuses on rapid Daze application and team-wide Fire DMG buffs. She's shaping up to be a meta-defining support-stun hybrid for Fire teams.
• Sunna (S-Rank — rerun) — Returning from her original banner
• Chief Sidekick (S-Rank Stun W-Engine) — Norma's signature
• Thoughtbop (S-Rank — rerun W-Engine)

Pull Strategy Advice

If you have Velina: Save for Norma. Velina + Burnice creates one of the strongest Disorder cores in the game. Norma completes a top-tier Fire team with Burnice and Lucy.

If you skipped Velina: Consider Norma if you need a Stunner. Fire-Stun is a unique combination that no other agent fills. She'll enable mono-Fire teams in a way that wasn't possible before.

F2P priority: Norma > Velina (if you lack a strong Stunner). Velina > Norma (if you already have Lycaon or Koleda).

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6. Upcoming Events (July 2+)

Advanced Bounty: Area Patrol (July 2 - July 7)

Starts TOMORROW. A double-drop event for Area Patrol stages. All cleared stages drop twice the usual materials. Two random challenges receive daily buffs that improve drops further.

Strategy: Funnel all your Battery Charge into Area Patrol for these 6 days. Skip Routine Cleanup and Notorious Hunt. Focus on the two buffed challenges first each day, then clear remaining stages.

Tales of the Hobbling Crow (July 3 - July 20)

A story-driven event launching July 3. Early details suggest a narrative-heavy experience set in Roscaelifer, with combat challenges tied to the story. Expect polychromes, Dennies, and a title or namecard reward. If past story events are any indication, budget about 2-3 hours to clear the full event.

Art is Bangboo! (July 8 - July 27)

A creative-themed Bangboo event launching alongside Phase 2. Likely involves minigames and Bangboo customization rewards. Free Boopons and Bangboo System Widgets.

En-Nah Into Your Lap (July 8 - July 28)

A check-in/web event. Free rewards for logging in. Minimal effort — just claim daily.

Commemorative Gift (July 8 - July 27)

A 7-day login event giving ×480 Polychromes total plus other goodies. Requires just logging in for 7 days within the event period. Don't miss this — it's the easiest polychromes you'll earn all patch.

Data Bounty: Combat Simulation (July 22 - July 27)

Another double-drop event. This one covers combat simulation materials (character EXP and skill upgrade materials). Good for topping off resources before 3.1 arrives.

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7. F2P Polychrome Income: July 2026

Here's what a F2P player can expect to earn in July if they complete everything:

Source	Polychromes	Notes
Daily Commissions (x30 days)	1,800	60/day
Gleaming Shadow Team Battle	360	All 6 stages
Mock Exam Comeback Plan	~800	Estimated flagship payout
The Final Callback	~120	Trial stage clears
Hollow Zero weekly (x4)	~800	200/week
Shiyu Defense (2 resets)	~720	360 per reset
Deadly Assault (2 resets)	~600	300 per reset
Commemorative Gift login	480	7-day login July 8
All-New Program login	~300	Ongoing login bonus
Tales of the Hobbling Crow	~400	Estimated event payout
Art is Bangboo!	~200	Minigame event
Pity from shop reset (July)	5 pulls	75 starglitter if available
Total (estimated)	~6,580+	≈41 pulls

With monthly pass (Inter-Knot Membership): Add another 2,700 poly (90/day) + 300 crystals = ~9,580 total (≈60 pulls).

This is below average for a major patch — ZZZ 3.0's total payout is front-loaded in June's launch events. Budget carefully if you're targeting both Norma and her W-Engine.

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8. July Priority Checklist

Use this to make sure you don't miss anything:

This Week (July 1-7)

• Complete The Final Callback stages before July 8
• Farm Gleaming Shadow stages you haven't S-ranked yet
• Start Advanced Bounty: Area Patrol on July 2 — funnel all battery
• Begin Tales of the Hobbling Crow on July 3
• Decide on Velina vs Norma pull priority

Mid-July (July 8-20)

• Claim Commemorative Gift login rewards daily
• Start Art is Bangboo! on July 8
• Check En-Nah Into Your Lap event
• Pull Norma banner if she's your target
• Finish Gleaming Shadow before July 13

Late July (July 20-29)

• Complete Tales of the Hobbling Crow before July 20
• Start Data Bounty: Combat Simulation on July 22
• Finish Mock Exam Comeback Plan before July 27
• Spend remaining battery before 3.1 prep

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FAQ

Q: Can I still start Gleaming Shadow Team Battle now? A: Yes! All 6 stages are available. You can complete them at your own pace before July 13.

Q: When does Phase 1 end exactly? A: Phase 1 banners (Velina / Ye Shunguang) end on July 8 at server reset time. Phase 2 starts immediately after.

Q: Is Velina worth pulling if I already have Jane Doe? A: Velina fills a different niche — she's Wind Anomaly (the first limited Wind agent) while Jane is Physical. In Disorder teams, Velina + Burnice is one of the strongest combos in the game. If you run Disorder, yes. If you run hypercarry teams, save for Norma.

Q: How long does the Mock Exam event take daily? A: About 5-10 minutes per day. The stages are quick and designed for casual completion.

Q: Do I need to rush Tales of the Hobbling Crow? A: It runs July 3-20, so you have about 2.5 weeks. Still, starting early is recommended since story events tend to have the best narrative payoff.

Q: Will there be another double-drop event after Data Bounty? A: ZZZ typically runs double-drop events in the final two weeks of each patch. Expect a Notorious Hunt double-drop in late July or early August.

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Conclusion

July 2026 is packed in Zenless Zone Zero 3.0. The Phase 1→Phase 2 transition on July 8 is a major inflection point — you'll want to have your pulls decided and your event progress caught up before then. Focus on Gleaming Shadow and The Final Callback this week (both ending soon), then settle in for Phase 2 with Norma, Tales of the Hobbling Crow, and the second half of Assemble! Mock Exam.

With ~6,580 polychromes available for F2P players and solid events running through July 29, there's plenty to do — but also plenty to miss if you're not tracking the calendar. Bookmark this guide and check back as events refresh.

Planning your pulls? Use our ZZZ gacha calculator to simulate banner odds and plan your pity budget.