Zenless Zone Zero: S-Rank Disc Drive Farming Guide (2026)
In Zenless Zone Zero, character power isn’t decided solely by your Agents, W-Engines, or team composition. After spending hundreds of hours pushing difficult content, experimenting with builds, and discussing optimization strategies with other players, I’ve come to one simple conclusion: Disc Drives are where real account progression happens.
A properly built Agent with average mechanics can outperform a poorly geared character with perfect rotations. That’s especially noticeable once you start tackling tougher Shiyu Defense stages and higher Hollow Zero challenges.
The problem is that many players begin farming too early, burn through valuable Battery Charge, and end up with inventories full of mediocre gear. I’ve watched countless players repeat the same mistake. The good news is that building elite S-Rank Disc Drives isn’t about luck alone. It’s about knowing when to farm, where to farm, and when to stop investing resources into bad pieces.
This guide breaks down the most efficient farming strategy I’ve found throughout 2026.
Why Disc Drives Matter More Than Most Players Think
Every Agent can equip six Disc Drives, and together they provide an enormous portion of your total combat stats.
The first three slots always have fixed primary stats:
| Partition | Main Stat |
|---|---|
| 1 | Flat HP |
| 2 | Flat ATK |
| 3 | Flat DEF |
The remaining three slots are where builds become interesting. These can roll powerful offensive and utility stats including Crit Rate, Crit Damage, Energy Regeneration, Anomaly Mastery, and Attribute Damage bonuses.
A perfect set can completely transform how an Agent performs.
I’ve seen characters jump from feeling weak to absolutely melting bosses after replacing only two poorly rolled Disc Drives.
The Biggest Farming Mistake in Zenless Zone Zero
One of the most common traps is farming Disc Drives too early.
Many newer players start grinding Routine Cleanup the moment it becomes available because they want better gear immediately. That feels logical at first glance, but it’s actually one of the least efficient uses of Battery Charge in the game.
My recommendation is simple:
Do not seriously farm Disc Drives before Inter-Knot Level 45.
Before that point, the return on investment is simply too low. Most of the gear you’ll obtain eventually becomes dismantle material.
The real farming phase begins once your account reaches the higher Inter-Knot brackets where S-Rank rewards become consistent.
Recommended Progression
| Inter-Knot Level | Farming Priority |
|---|---|
| 1-44 | Character Growth |
| 45-49 | Light Disc Drive Farming |
| 50+ | Full Endgame Farming |
| 55+ | Sub-Stat Optimization |
If you’re holding Ether Fuel consumables, save them until you’re comfortably in the endgame bracket. Future-you will be grateful.
Choosing the Right Routine Cleanup Stages
Not all farming stages are created equal.
Some stages drop one useful set and one useless set. Others provide value regardless of which reward appears.
Whenever possible, target stages that support multiple characters across your account.
High-Value Farming Philosophy
Instead of asking:
“What does my main DPS need?”
Ask:
“Which stage benefits the largest number of characters?”
This approach dramatically improves efficiency over time.
For many accounts, stages containing versatile offensive sets and Impact-focused sets offer the best overall value because they can be shared among Attackers, Stun units, and future characters.
A good farming stage should rarely produce a completely wasted drop.
Bardic Needle Is Secretly One of the Best Systems in the Game
Most players think Routine Cleanup is the entire gear progression loop.
It isn’t.
The real veterans spend a surprising amount of time managing resources at Bardic Needle.
After enough farming, you’ll accumulate mountains of unwanted Disc Drives. Instead of letting them collect dust, convert them into future upgrades.
What I Always Dismantle
- Every B-Rank Disc Drive
- Most A-Rank pieces
- S-Rank pieces with terrible stat combinations
- Duplicate pieces with poor rolls
This steady flow of materials allows you to generate additional gear opportunities without spending more Battery Charge.
Over time, Bardic Needle starts functioning like a passive second source of S-Rank equipment.
That’s a huge advantage when RNG decides to be cruel.
Save Your Calibrators for the Painful Slots
If there’s one lesson I’ve learned the hard way, it’s this:
Never waste premium crafting resources on easy slots.
Partitions 1, 2, and 3 already have fixed primary stats. There is no reason to spend rare crafting resources there.
The true nightmares are:
- Partition 4
- Partition 5
- Partition 6
These slots contain the widest pool of possible main stats.
Trying to naturally roll the exact combination you need can take weeks.
Whenever you obtain a valuable calibration item, use it on one of these slots where the potential time savings are enormous.
Understanding What Makes a Disc Drive Worth Keeping
Obtaining an S-Rank piece is only the beginning.
The real challenge starts once upgrades begin rolling.
Every experienced player eventually develops a system for evaluating gear early.
Mine is extremely simple.
Upgrade Test Strategy
- Level the Disc Drive.
- Watch the first upgrade rolls.
- Evaluate immediately.
- Stop investing if the piece looks doomed.
Many players continue upgrading bad gear because they’ve already invested materials into it.
That’s a trap.
Good resource management often means accepting losses early.
A Disc Drive with offensive main stats but terrible sub-stat upgrades frequently becomes more expensive than simply farming another piece.
Best Sub-Stats for Damage Dealers
For most offensive Agents, these stats remain king:
| Priority | Sub-Stat |
|---|---|
| 1 | Crit Rate |
| 2 | Crit Damage |
| 3 | ATK% |
| 4 | PEN |
| 5 | Energy Regen |
| 6 | Anomaly Proficiency |
A piece that repeatedly upgrades Crit stats is usually worth chasing all the way to max level.
Meanwhile, multiple rolls into flat defensive values can instantly turn an exciting drop into dismantle material.
It feels brutal.
But that’s endgame gear farming in every RPG ever made.
Hollow Zero Is Free Progression
One thing I absolutely love about Zenless Zone Zero is that not every progression system consumes Battery Charge.
Hollow Zero remains one of the most rewarding weekly activities in the game.
Besides being genuinely fun, it provides resources that directly support Disc Drive progression.
Weekly Benefits
- Additional upgrade materials
- Valuable exchange currency
- Crafting resources
- Supplemental progression items
Skipping Hollow Zero is essentially leaving free account power on the table.
Even players who dislike roguelike modes should make time for weekly clears.
The rewards are simply too good.
Shiyu Defense Completes the Farming Cycle
Shiyu Defense serves as the ultimate measuring stick for your account.
Every improvement to your Disc Drives becomes immediately noticeable here.
Clear times shrink.
Bosses die faster.
Rotations feel smoother.
Most importantly, Shiyu rewards feed directly back into character progression systems.
This creates a satisfying loop:
Farm gear → Improve characters → Push Shiyu → Earn rewards → Improve gear further.
The stronger your account becomes, the faster the cycle accelerates.
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My Weekly Endgame Farming Routine
After countless hours experimenting with efficiency, this is the routine I follow every week.
Daily
- Complete commissions
- Spend all Battery Charge
- Farm account-wide useful Disc Drive stages
- Upgrade promising gear
Weekly
- Cap Hollow Zero rewards
- Push Shiyu Defense resets
- Clean inventory
- Dismantle bad gear
- Craft targeted replacement pieces
Keeping this structure prevents wasted resources and ensures every session contributes toward long-term progression.
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Final Verdict
Disc Drive farming is the true endgame grind of Zenless Zone Zero.
The players who progress fastest aren’t necessarily the ones spending the most Battery Charge. They’re the players making smart decisions with every resource they earn.
Farm too early and you’ll waste weeks of progress.
Upgrade every shiny S-Rank piece and you’ll run out of materials.
Ignore Bardic Needle and you’ll miss one of the strongest gear acquisition systems in the game.
Play patiently, target high-value farming stages, and be ruthless when evaluating sub-stat rolls. Once your roster starts filling with properly optimized S-Rank Disc Drives, you’ll notice the difference immediately.
And trust me—few things in Zenless Zone Zero feel better than watching a boss disappear because your perfectly rolled gear finally came together.
