If you are already saving Polychrome for Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.3, the risky part right now is not choosing between Phoenix and Severian. It is treating every banner leak as equally solid. HoYoverse has already introduced Phoenix Reffaella and Severian Lowell through their Agent Records, and both are now being tested in the Version 3.3 beta, but the actual limited-time Signal Search schedule has not been announced yet.
As of September 17, 2026, the current beta lists Phoenix as an S-Rank Fire Anomaly Agent and Severian as an S-Rank Wind Attack Agent. Their phase order, rerun partners, A-Rank rate-ups, and final W-Engine names are still subject to change. Version 3.2 officially ends on October 21, 2026 at 06:00 (UTC+8), so October 21 is the sensible working date for the 3.3 release unless HoYoverse announces a schedule change.
What Is the Zenless Zone Zero 3.3 Banner Schedule?
The current banner picture is useful enough for saving, but not firm enough for pre-pulling decisions. Beta and leak information currently points to Phoenix in Phase 1 and Severian in Phase 2. If the usual three-week split continues, the first half should run for roughly 21 days before the second banner takes over.
| Banner Phase | Expected Dates | New S-Rank Agent | Attribute / Specialty | W-Engine | Possible Rerun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | October 21 – November 11, 2026 Estimated |
Phoenix Reffaella Expected Phase 1 |
Fire / Anomaly 3.3.2 Beta |
Phoenix Test Engine Beta placeholder name |
Norma or Velina Rumored, order unknown |
| Phase 2 | November 11 – December 2, 2026 Estimated |
Severian Lowell Expected Phase 2 |
Wind / Attack 3.3.2 Beta |
Severian Test Engine Beta placeholder name |
Norma or Velina Rumored, order unknown |
There are two things I would not lock in from this table yet. First, Phoenix and Severian's exact phase order still needs the Version 3.3 Special Program or official channel notice. Second, the rerun column is much shakier than the new-Agent data, so do not assume Norma or Velina will share a specific half until HoYoverse says so.
If you are still deciding whether to spend before 3.3, it is worth checking the Zenless Zone Zero 3.2 banner schedule first. Pity carrying forward does not make random pulls free. An early S-Rank can still eat the guarantee or pity you were trying to save for October.
Which New Agents Are Debuting in Version 3.3?
Phase 1 is currently expected to feature Phoenix
Phoenix Reffaella belongs to the Krampus Compliance Authority, and the current Version 3.3.2 beta lists her as an S-Rank Fire Anomaly Agent. Her kit is more interesting than a simple Fire Anomaly damage dealer because a large part of it revolves around letting Attribute Anomaly DMG score CRITs. That gives her a very different pull question from a normal on-field carry: the rest of your Anomaly roster matters almost as much as Phoenix herself.
Her current Core Passive gives her 40 Anomaly Proficiency. When the squad deals Attribute Anomaly DMG, the target enters a 20-second Weakened state, and further Attribute Anomaly DMG against that enemy can CRIT with a base 30% CRIT Rate and 15% CRIT DMG. If Phoenix starts with more than 145 Anomaly Mastery, each point above that threshold adds another 0.7% CRIT Rate to this effect, so Anomaly Mastery is doing more than simply speeding up buildup in the current test kit.
Her Additional Ability also pushes her toward dedicated Anomaly teams. It activates when another squad member is an Anomaly Agent or shares her faction, while running two or three Anomaly Agents raises the CRIT DMG of Attribute Anomaly DMG against Weakened enemies to 25% or 40%. Early beta test-room runs have already paired her with agents such as Velina and Remielle, which lines up with the way the kit is written, although those test teams should not be treated as a final best-team list.
Phoenix also builds Embers through Burning Attacks. Her current Hold Basic consumes 90 Embers and can trigger an Abloom instance based on the Attribute Anomaly already on the enemy, while her Ultimate has an even larger Abloom trigger and then puts her into Annihilation. There is also a Rebirth mechanic that can bring her back with 50% HP after she is defeated, with a 300-second cooldown in the current beta.
For pull planning, the catch is roster depth. If you already enjoy Anomaly teams and have partners ready to feed her mechanic, Phoenix looks like a meaningful new piece rather than another copy of an existing damage dealer. If your account is mostly built around Attack carries and your Anomaly bench is thin, I would wait for final team testing before assuming she is an automatic pull.
Phase 2 is currently expected to feature Severian
Severian Lowell is the Public Security Commissioner from the Metropolitan Order Division. The current beta lists him as an S-Rank Wind Attack Agent, and his kit is built around Basic Attacks, reactive dodging, and turning successful defensive timing into more damage. If Phoenix asks how deep your Anomaly roster is, Severian asks whether you actually want another field-focused carry.
His Core Passive currently gives 60% CRIT DMG and lets parts of his Basic Attack sequence interact directly with incoming enemy attacks. Timed evasions, regular Perfect Dodges, and his automatic dodge effect all feed into his resources. Perfect Dodges build Wind Rider stacks, while his attacks and dodges generate Flowing Breath, which can then be spent on an enhanced Basic Attack once it reaches 100 points.
The nice part is that his team condition is less narrow than Phoenix's current one. Severian's Additional Ability can activate with an Assist Agent, Stun Agent, or a member of the same faction, and it gives him an ATK increase when he enters combat or switches on field. Early beta testing has included teams such as Severian with Norma and Sunna, but there is still enough room in his activation condition that I would not call any one support pair mandatory yet.
His pull value therefore depends more on your DPS slots than on owning one exact teammate. If your account needs a Wind main damage dealer, or you like characters that reward reading attacks and weaving Perfect Dodges into their offense, he has a clear niche. If you already have several heavily invested on-field carries fighting for the same endgame slots, the upgrade is harder to justify without final live numbers.
What New W-Engines Are Releasing in Version 3.3?
Both S-Rank weapons are still using literal Test Engine names in the beta database. That is a big clue not to treat either name as final marketing copy yet. The current stats and effects are still useful for judging what HoYoverse is trying to make each signature do, but I would expect the final names and potentially some numbers to change before release.
Phoenix Test Engine is built around Anomaly CRIT
At Level 60, the current Phoenix Test Engine has 713 Base ATK and 30% Anomaly Mastery. Its effect adds 75 Anomaly Proficiency, and whenever any squad member's Attribute Anomaly DMG scores a CRIT, Phoenix gains 40% Fire DMG for 20 seconds. Triggering it again refreshes the duration.
That package is extremely tailored to what her beta kit is trying to do. Anomaly Mastery helps the stat threshold in her Core Passive, Anomaly Proficiency directly raises Anomaly damage, and the Fire bonus is activated by the Anomaly CRIT mechanic her teams are already chasing. The signature therefore looks highly synergistic on paper, but we still need final alternative-engine testing before calling it required.
Severian Test Engine directly rewards Basic Attack pressure
The current Severian Test Engine also has 713 Base ATK, with 24% CRIT Rate as its secondary stat. Its effect adds 24% CRIT DMG; when a Basic Attack hits an enemy, the wielder gains 15% ATK and their damage ignores 20% of the target's Wind DMG RES for 20 seconds. That activation condition fits Severian naturally because Basic Attacks already sit at the center of his resource loop.
Compared with Phoenix's engine, this one reads like a more direct carry weapon: CRIT, ATK, then Wind resistance ignore. That is powerful, but it also makes the replacement question especially important for F2P players because Attack W-Engines already have a broader pool of generic damage options. Unless the final gap turns out to be unusually large, I would still secure the Agent before committing another round of pulls to his signature.
Which Characters Are Rerunning in Version 3.3?
This is the part of the 3.3 banner where older articles can send you in the wrong direction. Some earlier reports circulated Banyue and Cissia as the possible reruns. More recent leak information instead points to Norma Hollowell and Velina Airgid, with their order still unknown and explicitly marked as subject to change.
For now, I would list the Version 3.3 reruns as Currently unknown and keep Norma and Velina underneath as the latest rumor rather than the banner schedule itself. The pairing would make some sense beside current beta test teams, but a convenient team pairing is not proof of a Signal Search. Wait for the Special Program or official channel announcement before spending around either rerun.
There is another easy trap here: the Version 3.3 Annihilation Simulacrum trial roster contains older characters such as Banyue, Yuzuha, Evelyn, Roxy, Harumasa, Sunna, Aria, Nangong Yu, Promeia, and Burnice. A trial slot is not a rerun announcement. In fact, the leak itself warns that two entries may simply be placeholders for Phoenix and Severian.
What Do Threshold Simulation and Annihilation Simulacrum Add in 3.3?
Version 3.3 beta information points to another Threshold Simulation cycle and new Annihilation Simulacrum content. Threshold Simulation itself is not a brand-new 3.3 mode—it originally arrived back in Version 2.3—so I would describe this as a new rotation or update rather than a new system. That distinction matters if you are writing the patch overview for players who already cleared earlier Threshold content.
The current Hard Mode Annihilation Simulacrum trial list contains Yidhari, Banyue, Yuzuha, Lucia, Evelyn, Roxy, Harumasa, Sunna, Aria, Nangong Yu, Promeia, and Burnice. Several have special trial buffs attached, while others currently appear without a listed extra modifier:
- Yidhari: Sheer DMG is increased.
- Banyue: Basic Attack and EX Special Attack Sheer DMG are increased.
- Harumasa: Ultimate and Dash Attack DMG are increased.
- Aria: Abloom DMG is increased.
- Promeia: Anomaly DMG CRIT DMG is increased.
- Yuzuha, Lucia, Evelyn, Roxy, Sunna, Nangong Yu, and Burnice: no specific extra buff is listed in the current leaked roster.
The more interesting detail is the placeholder warning. Two trial Agents may eventually be replaced by Phoenix and Severian, which would make sense for a 3.3 combat mode designed to showcase the patch's new mechanics. Until that happens in a later beta build or live data, I would keep the trial roster separate from any banner prediction.
Are Phoenix and Severian Worth Pulling?
Phoenix makes the most sense for an Anomaly-focused account
Provisional verdict: Pull if your account is already moving toward Anomaly teams; wait if you would need to build the whole archetype around her. Her ability to make Attribute Anomaly DMG CRIT is the more unusual mechanic of the two new kits, and her Additional Ability clearly rewards deeper Anomaly investment. Players who already have useful Anomaly partners are in a much better position to turn that mechanic into real value.
The downside is opportunity cost. If you need Phoenix, another Anomaly teammate, and then her signature W-Engine before the team feels comfortable, the total Polychrome bill becomes very different from simply pulling one S-Rank carry. For F2P and low-spend accounts, I would judge her at M0 with a realistic non-signature W-Engine first rather than letting signature-weapon showcases set the baseline.
Severian is easier to justify when you specifically need a Wind carry
Provisional verdict: Pull if Wind damage is a hole in your roster or his dodge-heavy playstyle is what you want; wait if your account is already crowded with invested main DPS units. His current Additional Ability gives him more freedom to work with common team roles such as Stun and Assist. That makes the entry cost look less restrictive than Phoenix's Anomaly-heavy setup.
Execution may matter more here, though. His beta kit rewards Perfect Dodges, Basic Attack timing, Flowing Breath management, and the right entries back onto the field. If you prefer straightforward burst rotations, do not assume a strong test-room number automatically means the character will feel good for you.
F2P players should treat both signatures as the second decision
If you want both new Agents, I would not plan around two characters plus two signatures before the final banner details even exist. Getting the characters first preserves far more account flexibility, especially while both Test Engines can still change. Once final beta or live calculations show the actual gap between signature and accessible alternatives, you can decide whether one W-Engine is worth sacrificing another Agent for.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.3 expected to release?
Version 3.2 officially ends on October 21, 2026 at 06:00 (UTC+8). If the normal update schedule continues, Version 3.3 should launch later that day after maintenance. HoYoverse has not yet published the final 3.3 maintenance notice, so October 21 should still be treated as the expected release date rather than a separately confirmed 3.3 announcement.
Are Phoenix Phase 1 and Severian Phase 2 confirmed?
No. That is the current expected order based on beta and banner leak information, not an official Signal Search announcement. Phoenix and Severian themselves are much firmer because HoYoverse has already published their Agent Records and both have complete Version 3.3 beta entries.
Who are the Zenless Zone Zero 3.3 rerun characters?
The reruns are not officially confirmed. The latest leak currently points to Norma and Velina, with the order unknown and subject to change. Older reports naming Banyue and Cissia conflict with that newer information, so I would not publish either pair as confirmed.
Does pity carry over to the Version 3.3 banners?
Under the current Signal Search rules, the guaranteed Signal search count is cumulative across Exclusive Channels. W-Engine Channel counts also carry across W-Engine Channels, but the character and W-Engine channel types are tracked separately. In practice, that is another reason not to "build pity" on a banner where you do not actually want the featured S-Rank.
Are Phoenix Test Engine and Severian Test Engine their final W-Engine names?
Not yet. Both are still labeled as Test Engine in the Version 3.3.2 beta database, so the names are clearly placeholders at this stage. Their current stats and effects are useful for early pull planning, but they should be checked again after later beta revisions and the official banner reveal.
Does the Annihilation Simulacrum trial roster reveal the 3.3 reruns?
No. A trial roster tells us which Agents the mode currently lets players use; it does not tell us which Agents will receive a limited banner. The current 3.3 list even carries a warning that two trial entries may be placeholders for Phoenix and Severian, which makes using it as rerun evidence even less reliable.
What Should You Do Before Version 3.3?
If Phoenix is your target, stop thinking about the banner as just one S-Rank and take a look at your Anomaly roster first. Her current kit gets more value from Anomaly teammates, and the signature W-Engine is tightly tied to the same mechanic. Save your guarantee now, then check the final M0 and non-signature performance before deciding how deep to go.
If you are waiting for Severian, you have a little more room to watch the beta develop if the expected Phase 2 order holds. The question is less about finding one mandatory teammate and more about whether you need another on-field Attack Agent enough to justify the pulls. His final live feel will matter here because a dodge-driven carry can look much better or worse depending on how comfortable the rotation feels in actual fights.
If you want both, I would budget for the Agents before their W-Engines and leave Mindscapes out of the first plan. If you are really waiting for Norma, Velina, or another rerun, hold the Polychrome until the official 3.3 announcement instead of betting on today's leak. You can also check the latest Zenless Zone Zero codes while saving—free Polychrome is not going to solve a four-banner wish list, but there is no reason to leave it unclaimed.
