Zenless Zone Zero Custom Search Guide | August 2026

Soft tip: Custom Search only helps when you already plan to pull. If you sit one pity short of Remielle, Sigrid, or a Mindscape you already locked in, Zenless Zone Zero Monochrome top-up on XPTopup delivers to UID and server only.

Best Custom Search Picks (August 2026)

Updated on 2026-08-06: Version 3.1 Custom Search live; Yanagi, Caesar, and Zhu Yuan join the selectable S-Rank pool with the six launch Stable Channel Agents.

*Swap Caesar back in if you want shields and ATK buffs on a second team. Swap Lycaon out only after you already own him and a modern Ice Stun partner.

Full S-Rank Custom Search pool

How Custom Search Works

Custom Search sits on Exclusive Channel and Exclusive Rescreening, not as a separate banner you farm with Master Tapes alone. You pre-select six S-Rank Agents from a nine-Agent list. When an S-Rank Signal is not the featured limited Agent, the game rolls one of your six picks at equal weight.

The same logic applies to W-Engine Channel: pick six S-Rank Engines. Agent picks and Engine picks are independent. You can lock Yanagi without locking Timeweaver.

A-Rank rate-up also moves under your control. Choose two A-Rank Agents and two A-Rank W-Engines from the available lists. Defaults stay on the current Exclusive Channel if you skip the menus. Settings persist across banners; open Signal Search → Details / Customization and edit anytime.

Pool snapshot for Version 3.1:

• Limited S now in the Custom Search list: Yanagi, Caesar, Zhu Yuan

• Stable Channel S: Soldier 11, Nekomata, Koleda, Lycaon, Grace, Rina

• Rule of thumb: pick 6 / leave 3 out. Those three never appear on a lost 50/50 while your settings stay locked.

Agent Value Breakdown

Yanagi

Electric Anomaly who can trigger Disorder without a second Anomaly partner. Dual-stance play keeps self-buffs up when bosses stay aggressive. M1 and M2 move her kit; vertical investment toward M6 can approach an ~80% damage climb. Pair her when Anomaly / Disorder lanes matter, including newer partners such as Remielle-style teams.

Zhu Yuan

Ether Attack hypercarry built around enhanced shotshells. Astra and Nicole still feed her reload and field time. M1 reloads full enhanced shells after Chain or Ultimate. M2 raises Suppress-mode damage. First copy fills Ether Attack holes; later Mindscapes pay if she stays your main clear Agent.

Caesar King

Physical Defense who shields the squad, raises ATK, and helps Daze. Modern Shiyu and Deadly Assault powercreep cut her relative value, but M1 and M2 add about 14% to 30% team DPS depending on the fight, and the early-fight shield plus energy comfort stays real. Lock her when you want a flexible second-team tank-buffer. Skip her when you need raw score.

Nekomata

Physical Attack after her kit buff. Dodge counters, Purr Energy, and back-attack loops print sustained damage without the old “run behind the boss” chore. Potential upgrades and Mindscapes stack Crit DMG in her enhanced state; M1 sits near an ~11% personal DPS bump, with M6 near ~60% cumulative. Strong long-term pick for Physical hypercarry fans.

Soldier 11

Fire Attack with a cleaner Fire Suppression loop after her quality-of-life pass. Partners such as Norma, Orphie, and Dialyn keep her relevant in current endgame. Early Mindscapes add energy and Suppression damage; M2 to M6 can land about 13% to 55% personal DPS. Keep her in the six if you want a Fire Crit carry that clears modern content.

Lycaon

Ice Stun who builds Daze, raises stun DMG multiplier, and shreds Ice RES. He still pairs with Ice DPS who need a dedicated stunner. Early Mindscapes are fine, not flashy. Priority is the first copy: once you own him, you can free a limited Ice DPS from a second Stun tax. Vertical investment trails Yanagi or Zhu Yuan.

Rina

Electric Support. She still pushes PEN Ratio through her dolls, and her updated kit adds team ATK and DEF. DEF scaling hints at future Defense-scaling DPS, so she keeps long-term bench value. M1 extends doll uptime and personal damage; M2 tightens support consistency. Default lock for most accounts.

Koleda and Grace

Koleda builds Fire Daze and feeds Chain windows, but M1 and M2 stay utility-sized and M6 trails other options. Treat her as low pull priority unless Fire Stun is your only missing role. Grace loses head-to-head to Yanagi for Electric Anomaly. Leave both out of the six when you need roster coverage elsewhere.

Three Ways to Set Your Six Agents

1. Farm Invitation Letters. Put Agents you already hold at high Cinema into the six. Lost 50/50s can convert into Invitation Letters; two Letters exchange for Agents outside the current Custom Search list (examples from the current economy include Jane, Burnice, Qingyi) or for low-Cinema standards you still want.

2. Fill holes. Prioritize Agents you missed on debut or rerun. New accounts and returning Proxies use this path to unlock Yanagi, Zhu Yuan, or a first Lycaon over time.

3. Play favorites. Lock the Agents you will field. Meta tables lose to a Mindscape you refuse to build.

Pair this page with the Zenless Zone Zero free agent selector if Marcel Anniversary Gifts still sits on your account through September 8, 2026. Claim the free limited S-Rank first, then tune Custom Search around the hole that remains.

Recommended A-Rank and W-Engine Locks

A-Rank rate-up targets

You only get two Agent and two Engine rate-ups. Match them to the Exclusive Channel you plan to pull.

S-Rank W-Engine Custom Search

*If your account already owns a strong Anomaly Engine line, cut Fusion Compiler before Hellfire Gears. Stunners who live on EX Specials get less from The Restrained. Zhu Yuan’s Riot Suppressor underperforms most of the other signatures in the nine-Engine list.

How to Set Up Custom Search

1. Step 1: Open Signal Search on a Version 3.1 client and enter the live Exclusive Channel or W-Engine Channel.

2. Step 2: Open Details / Signal Customization. Select 6 S-Rank Agents from the nine-Agent pool. Save.

3. Step 3: Open W-Engine customization. Select 6 S-Rank W-Engines. Keep Agent and Engine lists independent on purpose.

4. Step 4: Set 2 A-Rank Agents and 2 A-Rank W-Engines for rate-up, or leave the banner defaults if they already match your team.

5. Step 5: Pull only with Encrypted Master Tapes / Polychrome on Exclusive Channel. Keep Master Tapes for Stable Channel Star-Studded Cast; do not spend Monochrome there.

6. Step 6: After each lost 50/50, check Cinema and Invitation Letter counts. Retune the six when an Agent hits Cinema 6 or when a new hole opens on your roster.

Need Monochrome for a banner you already decided to finish? Use XPTopup Zenless Zone Zero top-up with UID + America / Asia / Europe / TW-HK-MO. No password.

How to Get More Value From 3.1 Pulls

• Claim the free agent selector before September 8, 2026, then rebuild Custom Search around that Agent.

• Clear Deadly Assault for Trial rewards; roster depth from Custom Search losses feeds the three-node rule.

• Spend Encrypted Master Tapes on Exclusive Channel only. Stable Channel Master Tapes stay on Star-Studded Cast for the 300-pull selector and passive Cinema.

• Use Invitation Letters when two sit in the bag. Do not sit on them through a patch where Jane, Burnice, or Qingyi would close a clear.

• Top up Monochrome or Inter-Knot Membership on XPTopup when you are inside soft pity on a banner you already planned.

FAQ

What is Zenless Zone Zero Custom Search?

Custom Search is the Version 3.1 Signal Customization system. You pick six S-Rank Agents (and separately six S-Rank W-Engines). Non-featured S-Rank Signals on Exclusive Channel or W-Engine Channel come from that shortlist. A-Rank rate-ups also become selectable.

Which Agents should you pick for Custom Search in August 2026?

New accounts: Yanagi, Rina, Lycaon, Nekomata, Soldier 11, plus Zhu Yuan or Caesar. Long-term Mindscape accounts: Zhu Yuan, Yanagi, Caesar, Rina, and either Nekomata or Soldier 11. Leave Koleda and Grace out unless Fire Stun or Grace Cinema is a personal goal.

Does Custom Search replace the Stable Channel 300-pull selector?

No. Star-Studded Cast still uses Master Tapes, still grants the one-time 300-pull Agent choice, and still runs on its own pity. Custom Search only shapes losses on Exclusive Channel and W-Engine Channel.

Can you change Custom Search picks later?

Yes. Settings stay active long-term and you can edit them whenever you open the Signal Search menus. Retune after Cinema 6, after an anniversary selector claim, or when a new Agent joins the nine-Agent list.

Should you put max Cinema Agents in the Custom Search pool?

Yes when you want Invitation Letters. High-Cinema losses convert; two Letters buy another Agent. Skip this path if you still need first copies of Yanagi, Rina, or Lycaon.

Do Agent and W-Engine Custom Search lists have to match?

No. Lists are independent. Lock Yanagi without Timeweaver, or lock Steel Cushion without Nekomata, if that matches your inventory.

Conclusion

Zenless Zone Zero Custom Search turns lost 50/50s into a shortlist you control. Lock Yanagi, Rina, and a buffed Attack carry first, keep Lycaon until Ice teams breathe, and park Koleda plus Grace outside the six unless you have a clear Fire Stun hole. Retune W-Engines toward Timeweaver, Tusks of Fury, Steel Cushion, The Brimstone, Hellfire Gears, and Weeping Cradle. Bookmark this page when the selectable pool grows, and keep Monochrome ready on XPTopup only for the Exclusive Channel you already chose to finish.