In October 2024, HoYoverse launched Electronic Ether, a limited-time Zenless Zone Zero event that turned the Hollow Deep Dive System into a virus-capturing arcade challenge. By 2026, the event is no longer live on standard servers, yet its mixture of data-corruption lore, reflex testing, and temporary progression still stands as a notable piece of the game's early post-launch content. The event invited Proxies to accept a gift from the Cunning Hares: precious data from Hollow Zero and, unexpectedly, a virus.
Event Window and Access
Electronic Ether ran from 2024/10/16 10:00:00 to 2024/10/28 03:59:59 server time. To participate, players needed Inter-Knot Lv. ≥ 15 and had to complete the Agent Story 'Mole in the Hole (I)'. The event was structured around daily unlocks: one new zone became available each day, and every zone offered two difficulties—surface repairs and deep repairs. Completing a zone's surface repairs unlocked its deep repairs.
Core Loop: Capture, Repair, Repeat
The main task was straightforward in concept but demanding in execution. Proxies captured viruses and repaired corrupted data records through the Hollow Deep Dive System. Each zone contained specific viruses. After collecting a required number of a virus type, its records could be repaired and browsed.
Collection progress fed into a Capture Program. As the program gained EXP, it leveled up, improved Program Performance, and eventually unlocked Code Modules with special abilities. This created a meta-progression layer inside the event, separate from player account progression.
Rules of the Challenge
The challenge screen presented three critical elements. A progress bar moved from right to left; reaching 100% completed the challenge. An HP counter sat on the same row. Missing a virus or hitting a wall reduced HP by 1. If HP reached zero, the challenge ended early and counted as a failure. A rating bar in the top right corner increased as Proxies captured viruses. The goal was to maximize captures before the challenge ended.
Completing a stage or challenge awarded EXP equal to the number of viruses killed. This EXP increased the event-only program level. The program granted buffs such as increased HP, healing items on the stage, and a revival chance.
Viruses appeared in different shapes. Some filled up to 3 TVs, while others filled only 1 TV. Players tapped or held the W or S button to move up and down and catch the virus data. If the virus data overlapped with the character before it left, the collection was successful. Longer virus shapes could be acquired by touching any part of them. Each successful collection added points and increased the rating.
Surface and Depth Difficulties
Every stage had an easy Surface mode and a hard Depth mode. In Depth mode, overload batteries occasionally appeared. Picking up one activated Overload mode, which granted invincibility and resistance to any form of HP reduction—including bashing into a wall. A timer below the rating bar showed how long Overload mode would last. Players who ignored the timer could suddenly lose control when the mode ended.
Stage-by-Stage Escalation
Electronic Ether introduced new hazards gradually, teaching players one mechanic at a time before combining them.
| Stage | New Hazard | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Stage 2 | Wall obstacles | Hitting a wall reduced HP; Overload mode allowed bashing through |
| Stage 3 | Speed zones | Crossing a speed zone increased the speed of later viruses; arrows indicated the level of speed increase |
| Stage 4 | Impulses / laser beams | A short warning appeared before firing; failing to dodge reduced HP |
| Stage 5 | Combination | All previous viruses and obstacles appeared together |
In Stage 3, the speed boost could feel overwhelming. The game's advice was to stay calm, avoid wall obstacles, and remember that healing items appeared from time to time, making minor HP loss manageable. In Stage 4, the impulses often warned on the same lane where a virus was approaching. After a laser beam finished firing, players still had a window to move and collect nearby viruses.
Rewards and Claiming
Players had to manually claim rewards from the event page. Completing all event challenges granted a fixed set of items.
| Reward | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Polychromes | 450 |
| Specialized Burn Chip | 20 |
| Bangboo Algorithm Module | 10 |
| Denny | 150,000 |
| Tuning Calibrator | 1 |
Why Electronic Ether Still Matters in 2026
By 2026, Electronic Ether has long since ended, and its original window cannot be replayed without an official rerun. Even so, the event remains a useful case study in Zenless Zone Zero's design history. It combined a simple input scheme—W and S movement—with layered hazards, event-only leveling, and temporary invincibility. The result was a compact risk-reward loop that rewarded pattern recognition and calm movement rather than raw damage.
For modern players exploring the game's archive, Electronic Ether represents an early experiment in turning Hollow Zero's abstract data theme into a playable arcade challenge. Its rewards, including 450 Polychromes and a Tuning Calibrator, were valuable for progression. Its mechanics, from overload batteries to speed zones, offered a glimpse of how the development team could escalate difficulty without changing the core controls. In 2026, the event is no longer a live opportunity, but it remains a memorable footnote in Zenless Zone Zero's limited-time content.