In the ever-evolving landscape of gacha games, HoYoverse stands as a titan with multiple successful titles under its belt. As 2025 unfolds, players have begun noticing concerning patterns across these games, particularly regarding power creep. While Honkai: Star Rail struggles with significant power imbalances in its 3.0 era, the newer Zenless Zone Zero still has a chance to chart a different course.
The Shadow of Power Creep
HoYoverse's relationship with power creep is complicated, to say the least. The company needs to sell new characters—that's just business 101. But there's a fine line between creating desirable new options and rendering earlier investments obsolete.
Honkai: Star Rail has arguably suffered the worst from this phenomenon. Many early characters now feel painfully inadequate compared to newer releases. Sure, they can technically clear endgame content, but it's like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight. The game's recent move to its 3.0 stage introduced not just a new planet but also an entirely new Path focused on summons, further widening the gap.
Two main factors drive this power creep:
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Inflated enemy health pools that favor newer characters with higher damage ceilings
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Endgame content specifically designed around new character strengths (like current Star Rail endgame enemies being weak to Ice, benefiting characters like The Herta)
Early Warning Signs in Zenless Zone Zero
Though still in its first year, Zenless Zone Zero is showing concerning signs of following the same path. The game recently entered the intermediate stages of its 1.X updates, with version 1.6 set to introduce an entirely new fighting style.
"You can already see the writing on the wall," sighs a veteran player who wished to remain anonymous. "Ellen Joe was amazing at launch, but now? Miyabi just does everything better."
Standard banner characters, with the exception of Lycaon, already feel underwhelming compared to limited options. While this gap isn't catastrophic yet, it's reminiscent of how power creep began in HoYoverse's other titles.
People Also Ask
Is power creep inevitable in gacha games?
While some degree of power progression is expected, extreme power creep isn't inevitable. Games like Arknights have managed to maintain relevance for launch characters years into their lifecycle.
Do older characters become completely useless?
Not necessarily useless, but they often require significantly more investment to achieve results that newer characters can reach with minimal building.
How Zenless Zone Zero Can Chart a Different Course
Unlike its siblings, Zenless Zone Zero has some unique advantages that could help it avoid the worst aspects of power creep:
1. Skill-Based Combat System
The game's combat system has a much higher skill ceiling than its counterparts. While Star Rail is largely about team composition and investment, and Genshin Impact is constrained by its elemental system, Zenless rewards mechanical skill.
"I've seen someone with a perfectly built Ellen Joe absolutely demolish content that others struggle with using 'meta' characters," notes a content creator who specializes in Zenless Zone Zero guides. "The game rewards mastery in a way that the others don't."
2. Character Uniqueness
Each character in Zenless has a distinct playstyle with hidden nuances. Miyabi's semi-dual element kit exemplifies this approach. Instead of making characters that are straight upgrades of previous ones, HoYoverse has been creating alternatives with different strengths.
3. Mechanical Challenges vs. Stat Checks
Perhaps most importantly, Zenless Zone Zero's endgame content focuses more on mechanical challenges than pure stat checks. Enemies don't need massive health pools when the challenge comes from dodging, parrying, and executing complex combos.
"It's like comparing a rhythm game to a clicker game," one player explains. "One tests your skill, the other tests how much time or money you've invested."
The Road Ahead
The next six months will be critical for Zenless Zone Zero. With each new character release, HoYoverse faces the challenge of creating appealing options without invalidating previous ones. The introduction of the new fighting style in 1.6 will be particularly telling—will it complement existing playstyles or render them obsolete?
The developers must walk a tightrope between:
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Creating exciting new characters that drive revenue
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Maintaining the viability of earlier releases
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Designing challenging content that doesn't artificially favor newer units
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Preserving the skill-based nature of combat
If they can navigate these challenges successfully, Zenless Zone Zero could establish a healthier long-term model than what we've seen with Honkai: Star Rail.
FAQ: Understanding Power Creep in HoYoverse Games
Q: What exactly is power creep?
A: Power creep occurs when new characters or items consistently outperform older ones, eventually making early-game options obsolete. It's like if your smartphone became unusable for basic functions just because newer models exist.
Q: Can I still enjoy these games without the newest characters?
A: Absolutely! While power creep can make content more challenging with older characters, all HoYoverse games are designed to be completable with standard options. You might just need to work a bit harder or be more strategic.
Q: Does HoYoverse ever buff older characters?
A: They occasionally implement balance changes and provide special equipment that can help older characters remain relevant. However, these adjustments rarely bring older units fully in line with newer releases.
Q: Is spending money the only way to keep up with power creep?
A: Not necessarily. Smart resource management, focusing on a core team, and developing your mechanical skills can help free-to-play players overcome many of the challenges posed by power creep.
In the end, Zenless Zone Zero stands at a crossroads. It can follow the path of its predecessors into increasingly severe power creep, or it can forge a new direction that values skill, creativity, and character diversity over raw numerical advantages.
For now, players can only hope that HoYoverse has learned from its past experiences and recognizes that a balanced game is ultimately more sustainable—and more fun—than one where only the newest shiny toys matter.
Market data is sourced from NPD Group, which provides comprehensive insights into video game sales and player trends across North America. Their research on gacha game monetization and character release cycles underscores the delicate balance developers must maintain between introducing new content and preserving long-term player engagement, a challenge currently faced by HoYoverse with Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai: Star Rail.