Deadly Assault — Zenless Zone Zero

Deadly Assault is a permanent, high-risk combat mode in Zenless Zone Zero, added in Version 1.4. It is a high-risk enemy simulation training system provided by the HIA, designed specifically for Hollow Zero, using real-time data and simulation technology from high-activity hostile entities within the Hollows.

Deadly Assault can be accessed after reaching Inter-Knot Level 40 and having unlocked Shiyu Defense.

Deadly Assault features rotating boss challenges that refresh every two weeks, alternating with Shiyu Defense: Critical Node.

Trial Mode features three high-risk hostile entities per session, with their weaknesses and resistances revealed in the challenge details; enemies grow stronger as their health decreases. The Agents and Bangboo used in one session cannot repeat, and once a challenge is completed the squad lineup is locked — resetting clears the battle score obtained but keeps the highest total star record and rewards earned. Players can also select buff effects for their squad before each challenge. Ramen (the buff purchased with Dennies) has no effect in Deadly Assault. All Polychromes across the 3 Trial Mode stages are unlocked once you reach a combined total of 6 stars — if 3-starring a single stage is difficult, aim for 2 stars per stage instead.

Adversity Mode unlocks after obtaining 9 stars in the current season's Trial Mode; resetting the Trial Mode lineup does not reset the Adversity Mode unlock status. It features only 1 high-risk entity whose weaknesses/resistances are also revealed, and the enemy grows stronger as its HP decreases. Your best total score is the highest combat score obtained in the current season's Adversity Mode; obtaining 3 stars unlocks the current season leaderboard, and resetting the lineup does not refresh the best score or leaderboard placement. Obtaining 2 or 3 stars immediately grants a time-limited namecard and dynamic avatar, valid for the same duration as the current Deadly Assault season. As of Version 3.1, earning stars in Adversity Mode does NOT grant additional Polychromes — all rewards are purely cosmetic (titles, namecards, animated avatars, etc.).

the community wiki's overview describes the scoring system in terms of stars and a total battle score per season (Trial Mode: 9 stars unlock Adversity Mode and rewards; Adversity Mode: 3 stars unlock the leaderboard), but does not publish the exact formula or weighting behind that score. The community team-ranking page originally planned as a cross-reference source returned a broken 'Guide Not Found' page at the time of this research, so no analytics data was available either. Detailed scoring mechanics (e.g. exact contribution of time, combo count, damage dealt): not yet published. (The point-based B/A/S thresholds and the per-boss Performance Points mechanics are now detailed separately in the two sections below — 'Score thresholds & caps' and 'Per-boss Performance Points'; the exact weighting of Damage Score versus Mechanics Score within the total remains: not yet published.)

Trial Mode grades each stage against 3 battle-score thresholds: B-Rank from 6,000 points, A-Rank from 14,000 points, S-Rank from 20,000 points — only S-Rank grants the full 3 stars. Adversity Mode uses much higher thresholds: B-Rank from 10,000 points, A-Rank from 20,000 points, S-Rank from 30,000 points. The Damage Score within a single battle has a hard cap of 60,000 points — hitting the cap forcibly ends the battle.

The total battle score has 2 parts: Damage Score (based on damage dealt) and Mechanics Score/Performance Points (based on completing objectives such as Perfect Assists, Chain Attacks, and each boss's own mechanics). Each rotating boss has a different set of Performance Point objectives — for example, in the current season: inflicting Impair grants 1,000 points; successfully countering a Control Skill grants 500 points each time; preventing a Corruptive Barrier from completing its charge — rendering the boss Impaired — grants 1,500 points; inflicting Disorder grants 300 points; dealing enough damage to break the boss's legs (triggering Impair) grants 800 points. No matter how many objectives are completed, each battle against a single boss caps at a maximum of 5,000 Performance Points.