Why Zenless Zone Zero Fans Are Upset By the Game’s Censorship

Fans eagerly awaiting the release of Zenless Zone Zero are upset by the game’s censorship of character designs and violent undertones across its narrative. Plenty have urged developer HoYoverse to reconsider the censorship before its 2024 release. 

Zenless Zone Zero Censorship Controversy Explained

A massive reason why Zenless Zone Zero is getting censored is due to its 16+ age rating and the strict regulations in China. Since HoYoverse and publisher miHoYo opted to label the game 16+ to hit a wider audience instead of being restricted to adults, China’s laws force them to comply with toning down the violence and sexualization to make it more appropriate.

To fans against this, the censorship “downgrades” Zenless Zone Zero. On November 23 via Twitter, one player noticed how the chest physics for Nicole Demara, one of the game’s characters, had been toned down. Compared to a sexualized version of the character revealed months ago, the design and animation of Nicole are more tame and less about being provocative.

Related: Zenless Zone Zero Is Oozing With Style, Mixed on Substance (Preview)

Basically, players are taking issue with how HoYoverse isn’t oversexualizing the character with absurd jiggle physics and suggestive poses like before, with some claiming they will be “skipping” Zenless Zone Zero due to the change. The censorship of characters seems focused on the female cast, for obvious reasons, and some players are up in arms to defend their original vision.

One fan has even called on others to email the game’s publisher, miHoYo, to criticize the artistic decision and suggested the team create another version of Zenless Zone Zero with uncensored assets in regions that allow sexualized content.

Violence and gory themes in Zenless Zone Zero were also censored. During the recent closed beta test, players discovered an old scene where a character is getting ripped apart was toned down to be more tasteful without the extra nasty details.

“By making the game 16+, you automatically imply that the game would not be suited for children under that age, so by this reasoning, the extra censorship added to the beta is beyond unnecessary and not welcome at all by the community,” argued one player responding in a feedback thread for the latest beta on Reddit.

The entire thread is full of comments regarding censorship, most in favor of the developer splitting Zenless Zone Zero into two versions or removing the censorship entirely. Ultimately, it’s hard to believe miHoYo and HoYoverse will pull back at this point after going through the hoops of censoring content and committing to a 16+ age rating for the game. Players still hope for a change, regardless of how futile it seems, so we’ll have to wait and see.