Zenless Zone Zero: W-Engines Complete Guide | Everything To Know

W-Engines are required to complete every Agent’s build in Zenless Zone Zero, and you’ll want to know everything there is to know about them.

They’re the main type of equipment Agents can use and mainly define each Agent’s attack power. Aside from that, some of them provide special buffs. They can make a huge difference while fighting Ethereals and any other weirdos you encounter in the Hollows!

In this guide, we’ll tell you everything there is to know about the W-Engine system in ZZZ.

W-Engines Complete Guide | Everything You Need To Know in Zenless Zone Zero

W-Engine Basics & How to Get Them

If we explain them in Genshin Impact terms, W-Engines are your characters’ Weapons. They primarily serve to boost your Agents’ Base ATK stat but some of them also provide extra stat buffs and effects. This varies for every W-Engine, as they are all unique! Make sure to read the described W-Engine effects in-game.

W-Engines also come in 5 different categories, matching the same Specialty types system that Agents belong to: Attack, Anomaly, Defense, Stun, and Support. Agents can only equip W-Engines that match their Specialty. There aren’t any W-Engines without a Specialty or with multiple Specialties, at least currently.

Just like Agents themselves, W-Engines come in three rarities from rarer to most common: S-Rank, A-Rank, and B-Rank. Rarer W-Engines don’t just have better stats, though, they also provide special effects. You primarily obtain them from the game’s gacha system, but you can also get them as rewards for certain game modes and events. Some S-Rank W-Engines can even be bought by using Residual Signal, although they’re very costly.

If you have W-Engines you don’t want, you can recycle them to get special materials. You can trade in these materials to purchase W-Engines at the Box Galaxy Gadget Store on Sixth Street. You’re introduced to this shop during the game’s tutorial section.

You’ll need to recycle a lot to get the rarer W-Engines from the gadget store but it does make it easier to get the W-Engines you want!

Signature W-Engines

Some S-Rank and A-Rank W-Engines are also designed for specific characters and provide buffs best suited for them. You can check the W-Engine’s description in-game to know if it belongs to any specific Agent.

For example, Billy’s signature W-Engine is the Starlight Engine Replica. It provides a strong Physical DMG buff when hitting enemies that are at least 6 meters away, which is a perfect fit for Billy’s ranged attacks.

Signature W-Engines also provide minor cosmetic effects. You can enable or disable them at will by using the switch in the Equipment menu, shown above. They’ll make their Agent’s hair glow in combat and also add extra visual effects when they use their Ultimate Skill. It’s extremely minor for most characters, however.

The ability to toggle the special cosmetics on and off will remain available even after you switch to another W-Engine, too!

Upgrading W-Engines

Just like Agents, you can upgrade your W-Engines in Zenless Zone Zero. To do so, select the W-Engine you wish to upgrade while in the Storage menu and click on View.

Alternatively, select the W-Engine while in the Equipment menu and click on Enhance instead.

Either method will lead to the same page, which will allow you to either Level Up or Rank Up the weapon.

The most common upgrade method, Leveling Up, works similarly to how you level up Agents. You simply have to “feed” W-Engine Power Sources to the W-Engine until it gains enough Experience. You get Power Sources from a lot of sources, such as rewards from Commissions, combat simulations, and other game modes.

Every 10 levels, you will need to use W-Engine Components matching the W-Engine’s Specialty. They will allow you to increase the W-Engine’s level cap so that you can continue using Power Sources for leveling. If you don’t have enough W-Engine Components, you can just click on their icon to see all potential sources for them. They’re mostly obtained from the combat simulations at the HIA Club, however.

As for Ranking Up, it’s a much simpler system. You can use duplicates of the W-Engine to increase its rank up to 5 Stars, which boosts the strength of their secondary effects. It doesn’t affect the Base ATK or Advanced Stats, however.

Upgrading your W-Engines is a very simple process overall in Zenless Zone Zero, so that’s everything you need to know about them. Be sure that you also understand the Drive Discs system, however, which is another important way to improve Agents via equipment!