Zenless Zone Zero is easily the most stylish entry in HoYoverse's fast-growing catalog of free-to-play RPGs.
Zenless Zone Zero boasts 17 characters for its version 1.0 launch period. Make no mistake: it will be extremely expensive to obtain all of them. That's why we believe the vast majority of players will only focus on a select few. As such, it's important to consider the ideal options for your squad. Here are the best characters in our Zenless Zone Zero tier list.
Our Zenless Zone Zero tier list is divided into four ranks: S-tier, A-tier, B-tier, and C-tier. We also considered several factors, such as:
Nicole is one of the free characters you can get--call her default agent along with Anby and Billy. What makes her one of the best characters in Zenless Zone Zero is that she uses the Ether element, which inflicts corruption and deals extra ether damage. The only other Ether-based user is Zhu Yuan, and she's a 5-star with her own limited-time banner that's available during the second half of the version 1.0 phase.
Her kit is further bolstered by her Stuffed Sugarcoated Bullet EX special and Ether Grenade ultimate, both of which create gravitational fields that pull in enemies toward the center. If you've played Genshin Impact then think of Nicole's gravitational fields as akin to Venti's windy torrent pulls, albeit with smaller area-of-effect (AoE) coverage. In spite of this, she becomes invaluable since she can group enemies together, allowing teammates to bombard them with devastating abilities.
The limited-time banner for the first half of the version 1.0 phase has Ellen up for grabs. You might be enticed to pull for her, and with good reason as she's at the top of our Zenless Zone Zero tier list.
Ellen combines fast and fluid movement, allowing her to avoid blows from hostiles with ease, as well as rapid attack sequences that hit multiple times. This shark-tailed lady even uses the Ice element, which can cause freeze, shatter, and frostbite. Let's just say that freezing your opponents in place is like triggering an extra stun effect.
We all know cats are awesome, and cat person Nekomiya certainly proves this fact. Her attack animations are so fast that you'd think everyone else is as slow as turtles. Her combo sequences are a sight to behold, allowing her to zip across the screen to rip apart targets and avoid nasty hits. Likewise, the fact that Physical damage also causes opponents to flinch (i.e. increased daze build-up) turns her into a Stun-type agent in her own right. While she can be hard to control at first (the only downside we've seen), almost all other characters pale in comparison to her overall output.
As of the time of this writing, Ben Bigger is the only Defense-type agent in the game. This makes him unique in his own way, though it can also cause hassles when trying to gear him up. There are items only meant for him, but they're unlikely to be equipped by other party members.
In spite of this, the burly bear is an invaluable part of any squad that he's part of. His Guardian core passive grants 40% of his DEF as bonus ATK, and it allows for his Cashflow Counter EX special to grant shielding to his allies. Speaking of Ben's EX special, activating it blocks a ton of damage and unleashes a brutal counter, making him an obvious pick when dealing with late-game encounters. Oh, and you can get him for free, too.
Billy joins you alongside Nicole and Anby very early in the campaign. Similar to Nekomiya, he deals Physical damage as an Attack-type character. The key difference is that he's ranged DPS with a playstyle that's hilariously easy to get used to.
Spamming the attack button causes Billy to happily fire his dual pistols, hitting foes around him. Yes, this means room-wide coverage and mob-clearing with barely any effort. This is further boosted by his Steady Shot core passive, where he gains +25% damage while in his Crouching Shot stance (i.e. just repeatedly press the attack button), though you need to avoid moving or getting knocked back.
Both Billy and Rina are exceptional ranged DPS agents. While Billy can shoot everyone around him, Rina focuses on smaller groups of targets, and she's got ridiculous range to boot.
The Electric element inflicts shock, which can cause further damage or interruption if you attack a debilitated foe. Both her Quadruple Meter Gavotte EX special and Code of Conduct chain attack see her Bangboo dolls creating electrical fields with a decent AoE radius, enough to whittle down packs of enemies as she floats around. Meanwhile, her Mini Destruction Partner core passive ensures that penetration (and thus damage dealt) is increased for your squad.
Although Rina and Grace are from different factions, you can ensure that their respective additional perks are activated since they're both Electric-based agents. In Grace's case, her Pre-Driven Needle core passive provides a buff that causes high Electric anomaly build-up, while her Tech Support perk boosts shock damage taken by a target. She's also got grenades that deal further Electric damage. Make no mistake: a Rina and Grace duo is ideal for those who want an Electric-focused team.
Lycaon the wolf man has quick attack combos that deal Physical and Ice damage. His other abilities primarily make use of the Ice element, too, which can inflict the freeze, shatter, and frostbite status. Given that he's a Stun specialist, the multiple hits from his punches and kicks can incapacitate his targets.
The downside is that he's not that viable in non-Ice comps. He does, however, excel when in a team with Ellen and Soukaku, a pure-Ice comp that reliably freezes hostiles.
Zhu Yuan is one of the best characters in Zenless Zone Zero, and she becomes available in her own limited-time banner during the second half of version 1.0. Her combo sequence, a flurry of martial arts combined with pistol shots, deals both Physical and Ether damage. Her amazing attack speed is further complemented by the Special Ops Ammunition core passive, which grants bonus damage especially against stunned targets. Likewise, there's the Tactical Coordination additional perk, which provides a massive +30% crit rate after you use her EX special, chain attack, or ultimate.
The only reason why we couldn't place her in the S-tier category is because there's currently no other character from the New Eridu Public Security faction. As such, maximizing her potential means that you should always have Nicole in your squad. Well, that, and we recommend Ellen as the 1.0 gacha pull (for those who prefer only one agent from a limited-time banner).
Soukaku holds the unfortunate distinction of being the worst Ice-based character right now, though this is mostly because Ellen and Lycaon are quite impressive already. The main drawback, outside of being the only HSOS6 member right now, is that her attack animations are significantly slower compared the two aforementioned Ice characters.
Nevertheless, her Rally/Fly the Flag special provides a massive ATK boost, which can be passed to her allies by way of quick assists or chain attacks. Her Group Set Meal additional perk is useful for Ice-focused squads, though Rally the Flag is great for any team comp.
There's something strange about Koleda's playstyle: she's a Stun specialist and her blows deal extra daze build-up, but her animations are slower compared to her counterparts. Thankfully, both her Boiling Furnace EX special and Hammerquake ultimate deal tons of Fire damage.
On her own, she might disappoint you at first. However, once Ben Bigger is part of your roster, you can make use of their unique combined assists and ultimates. The reason we've dropped her down a couple of notches is that Ben is viable regardless of the team comp, whereas Koleda needs Ben to improve her viability.
At this point in our Zenless Zone Zero tier list, you might be wondering if the characters here are terrible. Well, no, they're not. In fact, Soldier 11 is quite decent: easy Fire application via her attacks and specials, a powerful ultimate ability, and increased Fire damage through her additional perk.
The problem is that she's currently the only agent from Obol Squad, so you'll miss out on her extra perk unless you bring another Fire-based character with you. That means getting Ben (great), Koleda (great if she's with Ben), or Lucy (so-so). The Ben and Koleda duo primarily focuses on the unique combos of those two, which leaves Soldier 11 at an odd spot.
Lucy has a minion-based playstyle with abilities spawn Guard Boars. These inherit her ATK and impact stats, as well as crit rate and crit damage if her additional perk is active. These critters independently attack your foes even while she's not the active character (i.e. off-field). Sadly, AI pathing is a bit wonky, and the quick movement of your characters leads to situations where the Guard Boars themselves don't even reach opposing mobs. The good news is that she does have abilities where she can just toss and smash them straight into foes.
Note that her Cheer On! buff affects the ATK of Lucy's allies and Bangboo (the increase is dependent on a percentage of her own ATK). However, we've noticed that the boosted effect is lower and the duration is shorter compared to Soukaku's Fly the Flag.
If our Zenless Zone Zero best characters guide was solely for the free-to-play agents, then you can be sure that we'd rank Anby highly. But we have to consider all characters in the version 1.0 phase, causing Anby to drop several spots.
The extra daze application from her Fluctuating Voltage core passive requires you to do a Basic Attack: Thunderbolt, special attack, or EX special after the third hit of her regular attack sequence. The special attack and EX special are self-explanatory, but her Thunderbolt is triggered after a delayed button press or by holding down the attack button after you hear a ping sound effect. With combat being a bit too spammy and frenetic, you can end up missing your queue completely.
With no shortage of agents that have rapid animations and multiple hits, the very average Anby gets outclassed by other members of your roster.
To be clear, Corin has the potential to be one of the best characters in Zenless Zone Zero. This is primarily due to dozens of hits from her chainsaw weapon and her ability to lower a target's Physical resistance. The problem is that this is only activated upon reaching Agent Focus/Cinema rank 2--i.e. Constellation 2, C2, or getting two more duplicates of her.
By default, you have to contend with slower sequences, and the fact that she has to remain on the field for prolonged periods to rev up her chainsaw. Worse, other Physical-type agents (i.e. Nekomiya and Billy) are significantly better in comparison right from the get-go.
We tried hard to make Anton work during our playthrough, but he just wasn't cutting it. An Electric-type Attack-focused character requires him to stay on the field longer to deal damage while in Burst Mode. The issue is that the Grace-plus-Rina setup has you just alternating between the two (and it's pretty effective already), with barely any time for Anton to showcase his skills. It's certainly disappointing to see the main DPS get outshined by the Support and Anomaly classes.
Rounding out the pack is Piper who, just like Lucy, is also a member of the Sons of Calydon faction. We did test her capabilities in battle, but we found her sorely lacking in several departments. Firstly, her DPS throughput isn't as reliable compared to Nekomiya's or Billy's--you'd have to use her EX special or ultimate to regain a stacking buff. In the same vein, her attack animations are relatively slow, made worse by the notion that she has to stay on the field for longer than necessary. Even Corin at C2 or C4 is a more viable option for a Physical-focused team.
That does it for our Zenless Zone Zero tier list and best characters guide. We hope that our extensive testing gives you an idea as to which agents are worth it in the long run. While these are our findings, it's still a given that you should try out different team comps that might work well for you. For those who are just starting the campaign in New Eridu, we recommend checking out our beginner's guide and free-to-play agents guide.
There are 17 agents that are part of Zenless Zone Zero version 1.0 (also known as the launch version of the game). While the vast majority come from its gacha feature called Signal Search, some can be yours without spending a single dime. Here's our guide on how to unlock all free characters in Zenless Zone Zero.
As of the time of this writing, we know of the following free Zenless Zone Zero characters:
You don't need to spend anything to obtain them in-game. However, if you want to max out their capabilities, you need to obtain their respective Agent Focus, usually by earning duplicates from Signal Search (i.e. gacha wishes) or by purchasing from the Signal Shop.
Note 1: You explore New Eridu as Proxies named Belle and Wish, but you don't actually control them in combat as they're not agents.
Note 2: To learn about the ideal characters for your roster, you can check our best agents tier list.
The three members of the Cunning Hares, Nicole Demara, Anby Demara, and Billy Kid, are the Zenless Zone Zero free characters that you can get at the earliest time. They actually join up near the beginning of the campaign. This is primarily because combat in the game involves having a three-person squad, which means you need three agents to learn all there is to know about battle mechanics.
Since these three characters become part of your roster early on, you're going to make use of them for quite some time. Likewise, they're part of the same faction (Cunning Hares), which means their additional passive perks are activated in battles.
Corin is a demure maid from Victoria Housekeeping Co. Similar to Billy, she's an Attack specialist who deals Physical damage, with the difference being that she's a melee character who needs to be in the thick of the fray.
Corin is part of the global pre-registration milestone rewards. You should be able to claim her via in-game mail during your playthrough.
The burly bear Ben Bigger bashes and beats baddies. Currently the only Defense-type agent in the game, he provides his teammates with invaluable shielding and protection, coupled with extra Fire-based abilities.
Ben Bigger joins your squad upon completion of a "Rookie on the Road" event objective, which entails reaching Inter-Knot level 23 and finishing Chapter 2.
Soukaku is another free character in Zenless Zone Zero. She has the Ice element, and she's a Support class that grants bonus ATK and Ice damage to her allies.
Soukaku can be yours once you're finished with Chapter 2 - Interlude and reach Inter-Knot level 30. This unlocks the Shiyu Defense activity, and you must clear Shiyu Defense Stage 3 to earn her as a reward.
While this guide is primarily about the Zenless Zone Zero free characters you can unlock, it's worth noting that there are S-rank (or 5-star) agents that can be yours if you get lucky in Signal Search (i.e. gacha wishes/pulls).
The Star-Studded Cast banner has a promo where 10 pulls only cost 8x Master Tape (i.e. premium gacha currency). Moreover, you're guaranteed one S-rank character within 50 pulls. Technically, you can just amass enough Master Tape through early-game tasks for a single 10-pull and hope for the best. If you don't get the agent you want, you can just make another account or "reroll" to go through the initial stages of the game.
Here are the S-rank agents that are available in the Star-Studded Cast banner:
Last but not least, even if you don't get the agent that you prefer, there's a long-term pity mechanic of sorts. Once you've done 300 pulls (a very costly endeavor), you can select the S-rank agent that you really want.
That does it for our guide on how to unlock free characters in Zenless Zone Zero. As you're getting set to step foot on New Eridu, we encourage you to check our beginner's guide for more tips. We also have a best agents tier list so you know how these free-to-play characters fare in the long run.
The city of New Eridu awaits you in Zenless Zone Zero. As humanity's last bastion against the cataclysmic effects of the Hollows, it's up to siblings Belle and Wise, known as Proxies, to aid various agents in navigating a dangerous world. We know you're eager to hop in and start your adventure, but there are a few concepts you might want to check out. Here's our Zenless Zone Zero tips and beginner's guide to help you as you begin your journey.
Our Zenless Zone Zero beginner's guide is filled with tips to help newcomers familiarize themselves with the challenges posed by the Hollows. We discuss various gameplay mechanics, including combat, grid-like exploration, minigames, and more.
You'll spend a lot of time in the Random Play video store. This is also where you'll find the Hollow Deep Dive system or the HDD, a terminal that grants access to various missions. These are generally broken up into three categories:
Your Zenless Zone Zero squad is comprised of up to three characters, also known as agents. Agents from the same faction, or those with similar elemental attributes, have their additional passives activated for the duration of that mission. This is denoted by a yellow smiley face icon in the upper-right corner of the screen. This means you must think properly about your squad setup in case you want to have certain buffs present.
Here are some examples based on the image above:
Our Zenless Zone Zero beginner's guide wouldn't be complete if we didn't mention agent specializations (or specialties):
As for leveling up, you'll notice similarities if you've played other HoYoverse games, such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. Characters use items known as Investigator Logs to gain XP. Upon reaching a threshold (i.e. every 10 levels), you need to use a Certification Seal to "ascend" them to the next threshold.
Related guides:
Agents in Zenless Zone Zero already have a default weapon that's equipped. Gearing up, therefore, is relegated to giving various components to your characters:
Note that high-tier W-Engines come from gacha banners. However, you can also purchase a few from the Gadget Store on Sixth Street. Drive Discs, meanwhile, can be purchased from the Music Store just across from the Random Play building.
One Zenless Zone Zero tip to remember is that combat moves at a frenetic pace. You'll have to make use of each character's normal attacks, often pressing the spacebar to swap to other teammates. Dodging enemy blows is also a given, as these animations grant temporary immunity from the damage that you'll otherwise receive.
Meanwhile, activating special attacks requires energy, which is seen in gauges/pips just below a character's HP meter:
As you continuously hit enemies, their respective daze meter builds up until they're stunned. When you follow this up with another heavy attack (i.e. the last hit of a basic attack sequence, special/EX specials, and the like), you'll trigger a chain attack instance.
When the chain attack prompt appears, choose another agent in your squad who will do the action (i.e. left-click or right-click, depending on the teammate). Since agents have their own chain attack effects, you need to be mindful of which character does that particular action.
Note that you can trigger two consecutive chain attacks when fighting elite foes, and up to three consecutive chain attacks when you're up against bosses.
In battle, you should see a point system on the left-hand side of the screen. This represents the decibel resource. At 3,000 points, you can unleash an agent's ultimate ability by pressing the "Q" key. Note that the decibel gauge is shared across your whole three-person squad, which means you can swap to a different character if you prefer to use their ultimate at that moment.
When creating your squad, it's possible to include a Bangboo (i.e. small creatures that look like rabbit dolls). These Bangboos act like a fourth party member of sorts. You can't control them, but they can independently attack hostiles. Moreover, when you trigger a chain attack, the combat Bangboo will also be part of the sequence.
Instead of tackling one battle after another, we recommend visiting General Chop's noodle store on Sixth Street. This fella sells different kinds of food in exchange for dennies, the game's basic currency. The noodles you eat grant temporary buffs:
Here are some examples of dishes that you can buy:
In general, Exploration Commissions, as well as some Story Commissions, present a grid structure. No, you're not going to roam around a massive open-world environment. Instead, your Bangboo avatar is meant to navigate and move across several tiles to reach objectives.
Certain events may occur depending on the current mission (i.e. you have to push blocks or avoid corruption that lowers your team's HP). Enemies, represented by red or purple "demon slime" tend to be present as well. Likewise, icons that look like funnels usually mean that they transport you to another layer or floor of the grid. In some cases, it might be possible to check all tiles or go back to the previous layer in case you missed rewards.
While navigating across tiles in the grid, you might pick up some rewards, including Dennies (basic currency), Polychrome (akin to Primogems/premium currency), and Gear Coins. The Gear Coins are used to unlock tiles that have a particular cost, and these paths tend to have extra rewards, too. Additionally, you could find Ether Dewdrops, which fully restore the HP of all party members.
Other exploration-type grids, like the Qualification Assessment in Scott Outpost, let you collect Resonium. These are cards that provide beneficial effects to your party. Examples include:
Obtaining Resonium cards of the same type unlocks a fusion variant with stronger effects. All of this ties into the roguelike nature of grid exploration.
One of the most important tips in Zenless Zone Zero is to check all the areas that you've unlocked in case there are new side quests and activities. This can be done by pressing the "M" key to bring up the locations that are available and then fast-traveling to those spots.
You might discover that NPCs have errands that can be completed. Likewise, there might be a few area-specific tasks that are part of the Mewmew's Medals objectives.
The Inter-Knot can be accessed by pressing the "E" key. This is akin to a social media app or a message board of sorts, where you can see posts from other citizens of New Eridu. If you click on the drop-down list in the bottom-right corner of the screen, you can select the "Help Request Info" option. This brings up posts that lead to side quests.
All activities in the HDD, as well as the side quests that you tackle, grant Inter-Knot XP. Think of this as akin to "World Level" or a means of overall progression.
However, there will be moments when you feel that you've already done everything, yet you still lack XP. If this is the case, then you need to head to the Hollow Investigation Association or the HIA Club. The VR simulations in the HIA Club allow you to select from different combat challenges. These allow you to farm for materials, such as Investigator Logs (character XP), W-Engine components (W-Engine leveling), and Plating Agents (Drive Disc leveling). Moreover, completing these runs nets you Inter-Knot XP, too.
However, be forewarned that farming for materials in Zenless Zone Zero also depletes your energy meter. While energy points are restored gradually, it will likely take hours for the meter to be filled up. To alleviate this, you can buy coffee from the Coff Cafe on Sixth Street. Alternatively, you can spend Ether Batteries or Polychrome to restore +60 energy.
Pressing the "Q" key while exploring New Eridu brings up your phone. In it, you can see text messages from other characters, including agents that you've unlocked. Texting agents allows you to meet up with them, scheduling the activity depending on the time of day. Your interactions here also helps boost their trust in you (i.e. affinity), which leads to further interactions and companion missions.
To view your relationship/affinity with an agent, go to the Random Play hub, interact with the Workbench, and select Partner Archive.
God Finger arcade on Sixth Street has minigames for those who want to take short breaks. These include Snake Duel, which is akin to playing the old Snake game on mobile phones, and Soul Hounds, which is a bit like Dig Dug. Events may also appear from time to time.
You obtain the Camera gadget early in the Zenless Zone Zero campaign. Once you have it, hold the "F" key, select it, then left-click for activation. This lets you take pictures of your surroundings in New Eridu. Some errands even require you to photograph people and pets in the area.
Eager to fight enemies and don't have time to sit through dialogue? That's fine, you can skip those parts if you want. But if you want to rewatch them, you can do so via the Video Archive in the Random Play hub. The chapters and scenes that you've completed appear as VHS tapes.
An important thing to keep in mind when playing Zenless Zone Zero is that this is still a free-to-play game with gacha mechanics. That means there's always a chance that you might feel compelled to spend extra, and you need to beware of potential expenses. Currently, we've seen the Star-Studded Cast banner, which has six S-tier (i.e. 5-star) agents available: Grace, Rina, Koleda, Nekomiya, Soldier 11, and Lycaon. Because of RNG, you might end up with rewards you don't even need (i.e. low-tier W-Engines).
In any case, that does it for our Zenless Zone Zero beginner's guide. We hope these tips help prepare you for your adventures in New Eridu and beyond. Of course, if you're worried that you might spend extra, note that there are unlockable free-to-play characters. Lastly, if you want to learn about the ideal agents to have in your party, you can take a look at our best characters tier list.
Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) is HoYoverse's third game launch in four years. You'd think that HoYo's formula would get stale with yet another free-to-play gacha RPG dropping just 15 months after the release of Honkai: Star Rail, but that couldn't be further from the truth. The developer has managed to create another familiar but distinct gameplay experience by once again learning from past missteps to deliver a game that is both iterative and innovative at the same time. The downside here, however, is that ZZZ puts several new and interesting elements together but forces you to spend the most time with the least interesting of the bunch.
Zenless Zone Zero has more style and aesthetic excellence than both Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, all in a much smaller package in terms of world size and scale of locations. At this point, Genshin Impact's open-world has become almost too large and sprawling to facilitate a comfortable or compact mobile gaming experience, meaning it's best experienced on PC or console. Meanwhile, Star Rail is the exact opposite because its turn-based combat and auto-battle features are a perfect fit for mobile devices. Zenless Zone Zero sits squarely in the middle of those two experiences by combining roguelike puzzle dungeons, fast-paced action combat, and chill life-sim activities into one varied gameplay loop.
The story also deviates from what we've come to expect from HoYoverse. The world-building is still strong, but it's scaled back considerably. Instead of high-stakes conflicts with gods and higher powers, so far, Zenless Zone Zero has you follow the daily lives of two tech-genius siblings--Wise and Belle--as they find ways to make money legally and illegally. You get to pick which sibling you play as, but no matter who you go with, both remain in the story as characters who get regular dialogue. The main difference is that you choose what your protagonist says and control them while exploring the city of New Eridu.
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If you've ever wanted to create your own mobile apps, websites, or desktop software, there's a good chance you've heard of Visual Studio. Whether you're a new dev or an experienced Visual Studio user, you should check out StackSocial's deal on Visual Studio Pro. Through July 5, you can get a lifetime license to Visual Studio Professional 2022 for only $35. A Visual Studio Pro subscription regularly costs $45/month, so this is a really great deal.
Microsoft Visual Studio 2022 is a 64-bit IDE (integrated development environment) used for making apps, webpages, and more. It supports multiple programming languages and platforms, including C#, C++, .NET, Node.js, JavaScript/TypeScript, and Python. The Professional build also has more features and an expanded license compared to the free Visual Studio Community version.
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For a limited time, you can grab a pair of pricey Microsoft productivity apps for a very low price. Microsoft Project Professional 2021 and Microsoft Visio Professional 2021 are on sale for only $20 each at StackSocial through July 5. The retail prices for both of these apps are eye-popping in comparison. Project Professional is listed for $1,130 on the Microsoft Store, and the standard edition is $680. Visio's standard version costs $310, while the Professional is listed for $580.
You're obviously getting huge discounts on both of these apps, but whether or not they will prove useful to you really depends on the type of work you're doing. As far as Microsoft software goes, Visio and Project can be considered "niche." You can find cheap or even free alternatives to both of these apps, but if you really enjoy the Microsoft productivity suite, these deals could be right up your alley.
Microsoft Visio is a brainstorming and diagramming software used to create charts, graphs, and other data visualizations like architectural layouts. It comes with dozens of templates for flowcharts, org charts, floor plans, and more, and it can import data from other Microsoft programs like Excel, Exchange, and Entra ID to automatically create charts and diagrams.
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Windows 11 Pro licenses are available for only $23 at StackSocial. Though most PC users can upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 for free (if you haven't yet), this deal is worth considering if you're planning on building your own PC or want to fully replace your operating system with Windows. Pro licenses cost $200 via Microsoft, while the Home version goes for $139. Needless to say, getting Windows 11 Pro for $23 is a fantastic deal. This offer is only available through July 5.
Note: This license is for “PCs that need a new license for Windows and meet the minimum requirements for Windows 11.” If you need help checking your specs, you can verify your compatibility here.
StackSocial has several other notable Microsoft software deals right now. We've listed all of them below:
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Diablo fans can snag a great deal on The Horadric Vault - The Complete Collection, a box set featuring four books exploring the lore and stories of Blizzard's iconic action-RPG series. The collection released last November for $100, but right now you can purchase the set for only $58.68 at Amazon. This massive 41% discount probably won't be available for long, so Diablo fans should snag it while they can.
The anthology collects all four books in the Horadric Vault series, including The Book of Cain, Book of Tyrael, Book of Adria, and Book of Lorath. Each tome covers different aspects of the world of Sanctuary, where the Diablo series takes place, and narrated by each book’s titular character.
Though this set is dubbed "The Complete Collection," there's actually one more Horadric book that complements these lore books: Diablo: Tales from the Horadric Library. This short story collection is available in hardcover format for $18 (was $30) at Amazon.
Book of Cain covers the lore and history of the war between heaven and hell as told by fan-favorite Deckard Cain, while Book of Tyrael recounts important events from Sanctuary’s history through the eyes of the Archangel Tyrael. Book of Adria is a bestiary detailing the many demons, beasts, and undead creatures players face in the games. Book of Lorath looks at the numerous magical relics that Sanctuary’s heroes and villains seek to control.
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The Steam Deck is an okay-looking device, but device customization retailer Dbrand exists in hopes of making it look even cooler. If you're in the market to pretty up your Deck, whether original or OLED, you can take advantage of Dbrand's summer sale. The retailer has a bunch of customization gear on sale for Steam Deck, including the sleek and protective Killswitch case.
The sale sees prices sliced down to as much as 50%, and includes everything from skins and cases for phones, gaming devices like the Deck and Nintendo Switch, and laptops, to keycaps and analog stick caps. In fact, among those customization items you can grab is the Clone Kingdom skin, a design inspired by Nintendo's Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom OLED Switch, for Steam Deck, Switch, ROG Ally, and Lenovo Go.
Dbrand is also offering 15% off site-wide, so even if what you're looking for isn't in the summer sale, you can at least get something of a discount--but act fast. Dbrand's sale ends on July 5.
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Prime Day 2024 officially runs July 16-17, but plenty of Lego sets are on sale ahead of the popular shopping holiday. So while we're expecting some pretty great Lego Prime Day deals, these price cuts are mighty enticing for anyone searching for a Lego set ahead of the event. From Indiana Jones and Super Mario to Star Wars and Disney, there's no shortage of great Lego deals for you to peruse. You'll find both playsets designed for kids and collectibles designed for adults--so there's bound to be something that catches your eye.
Once you're done checking out all these discounts, be sure to check our round-ups of even more deals available online ahead of Prime Day. And swing by our Prime Day hub to see all the latest discounts that crop up between now and Prime Day.
Amazon Prime Day 2024 Early Deals
$144 ($180)
This massive Lego Optimus Prime set clocks in at over 1,500 pieces and features a bunch of accessories--including an ion blaster, Energon axe, and jetpack. Best of all, it can convert from a robot to a truck, making it a fully functional Transformer. It's designed for builders aged 18 and up, as it's quite complex and is better suited for established Lego enthusiasts.
A handful of Indiana Jones Lego sets are on sale ahead of Prime Day, though the coolest might be the Temple of the Golden Idol Building Set, as it's a recreation of the iconic scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark. It'll take a while to complete at over 1,500 pieces, so be sure to check out the other sets up for grabs if you're looking for something smaller in scope.
$35 ($48)
This Peach Starter Course is down to one of its best prices of the year and serves as a great entry into the world of Lego Mario sets. We've already seen it go in and out of stock, however, so you'll want to check it out soon. The set includes an interactive Princess Peach figure as well as a Lava Bubble, a Lemmy figure, a Yellow Toad figure, and plenty of other obstacles. Princess Peach works with all Lego Mario expansions, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for price cuts on these sets as we get closer to Prime Day.
$25 ($30)
Speaking of Lego Mario expansion sets, the Bowser's Muscle Car set is seeing a slight discount to $25 (down from $30). You'll get to build both Bowser and a stylish muscle car, which can fling bombs out of it when pulling on a lever. When paired with the Peach Starter Set above or its Mario or Luigi variants, you'll get even more interactivity.
A ton of Lego Marvel sets are discounted right now, including the popular Avengers Quinjet which includes five minifigures and 795 pieces. Other great deals include the 3,772-piece Daily Bugle Newspaper Office Building and Hulkbuster action figure. If you're looking for a great centerpiece for your home theater, be sure to check out the Marvel Infinity Gauntlet, as it comes with a stand to show off your masterpiece.
One of the coolest Lego Star Wars sets is down to one of its best prices of the year, as you can purchase the 6,187-piece Razor Crest UCS Set for $455 (down from $600). The massive kit comes with a display plaque and a few minifigures, making it a good choice for dedicated Star Wars fans with serious building chops. Plenty of other Star Wars sets are on sale, including both playsets and collectibles, so be sure to check out all the deals leading up to Prime Day.
All sorts of Disney and Pixar Lego Sets are on sale, including the adorable Up House for $48 (down from $60). The 598-piece set lets you build the iconic house from Up and comes with two minifigures, an animal figure, and heaps of accessories. Other good deals include the Stitch Building Kit and Belle and The Beast's Castle building set, though the Hocus Pocus Sanderson Sisters' Cottage might be the coolest of all--clocking in at a hefty 2,316 pieces and featuring six minifigures.
$192 ($240)
This massive Lego set lets you build a replica of the Atari 2600. Along with the console, you'll get to build a wired controller and 3D vignettes for three classic games. The cartridges can even be inserted into the console or a buildable cartridge holder, giving you plenty of ways to display the work of art.
From the Statue of Liberty to the Paris Skyline, a bunch of Lego Architecture sets are seeing nice price cuts. The Taj Mahal is one of the larger sets up for grabs, featuring over 2,000 pieces and designed with a removable chamber so you can view the inside of the building. For something smaller, you can piece together the New York Skyline with just 598 bricks.
Plenty of other Lego sets are discounted ahead of Prime Day, including a cool Bonsai Tree, a collection of cacti, and a Fender Stratocaster replica. You'll find our favorite deals below, and be sure to check back closer to Prime Day as more are bound to go live as we get closer to July 16-17.
The biggest shopping holiday of the summer, Amazon Prime Day, is just around the corner on July 16-17. Ahead of all the early Xbox Series X Prime Day deals we're expecting to see in the next few days, there are already a few great discounts to peruse--including price cuts on video games, headsets, controllers, and more.
If you haven't picked up an Xbox console yet, consider taking a look at the Xbox Series S (1TB), which is available for a generous price drop ahead of Prime Day. You can also pick up the Xbox Series X Diablo 4 Bundle, and now is a good time to dive in, as the Vessel of Hatred expansion arrives later this year. If you already have a console, you'll find a handful of games on sale, including Elden Ring and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Some of the best Xbox deals ahead of Prime Day are for controllers and headsets. Several versions of the Xbox Wireless Controller are discounted, as is the premium Xbox Elite Series 2. You'll even find great options from 8BitDo and ASUS on sale, giving you plenty of options to choose from.
There's a lot more to discuss than the few items listed above, so we've pulled together all the best Xbox Series X deals below. Be sure to also check out our round-ups of even more early Prime Day sale, and keep tabs on our Prime Day Hub for all the latest discounts.
Amazon Prime Day 2024 Early Deals
If you need a new gamepad, it's hard to go wrong with the standard Xbox Wireless Controller. Plenty of styles are discounted ahead of Prime Day, including Robot White and Carbon Black, as well as flashier designs like Shock Blue. Here's a look at all the price cuts available right now.
The Elite Series 2 is one of the best controllers for competitive gaming, and right now you can snag it for one of the best prices of the year. Along with adjustable triggers and thumbsticks, it comes with tons of swappable components--making it easy to build a controller that fits your needs. For something just as premium but with fewer swappable parts, be sure to take a look at the Elite Series 2 Core.
A nice alternative to the Elite Series 2 is the ASUS ROG Raikiri. This is available in two formats. The more affordable version gets you back buttons, adjustable triggers, customizable lighting, and premium buttons that are great for fast-paced multiplayer games. Step up to the Raikiri Pro, and you'll add a built-in OLED display that lets you quickly check your settings or swap profiles.
As far as third-party controllers are concerned, it's hard to beat 8BitDo. The company has been churning out reliable (and affordable) gamepads for years, and many of them are discounted ahead of Prime Day. This includes the 8BitDo Ultimate with Charging Dock, the officially licensed Arcade Stick, and the retro-inspired M30 Wired Controller.
Arguably the worst part of the standard Xbox controller is its requirement for AA batteries. Consider righting that wrong with the 8BitDo Charging Dock, which comes with two rechargeable battery packs and a docking station that holds two controllers. Not only will it save you money on batteries over the years, but it helps keep your gamepads charged and ready for your next gaming session.
The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is one of our favorite Xbox headsets, offering hot-swappable batteries for unlimited runtime, support for Spatial Audio, impressive noise cancellation, and premium drivers that can properly reproduce booming explosions or the softest of footsteps. It's discounted right now, as are a handful of other great SteelSeries headsets. Here are the best ones to check out.
$210 ($300)
With support for Dolby Atmos, flip-to-mute microphone, supportive headband, and several EQ modes to find the best sound for every game, the Astro A50 Wireless Headset is a nice companion for Xbox Series X. It's usually quite expensive at $300, but the premium headset is seeing a generous discount right now.
$253 ($330)
The Turtle Beach Stealth Pro is one of the most expensive headsets of 2024. However, it's now seeing a big price cut ahead of Prime Day, making this a good time to add it to your collection. Along with a comfortable (and eye-catching) design, it gets you loud 50mm drivers, great noise cancellation, advanced EQ options, and a boom mic that captures crisp audio. There's a lot more to love about the headset, so be sure to give it a look while it's down to one of the best prices of the year.
$88 ($150)
At less than $100, the Razer Kaira Pro is a solid option. Its slim and streamlined design makes it comfortable for long gaming sessions, while its 50mm drivers and hyperclear supercardioid microphone make it easy to chat with teammates. There's also a dedicated EQ and Xbox Pairing button, making it easy to get up and running without much fuss.
Pick up the Xbox Series S (1TB) for $350 (down from $380) ahead of Prime Day. Or, snag the Xbox Series X Diablo 4 Bundle, which gets you both the console and hit ARPG. And with Diablo 4 getting its first DLC later this year, now is a good time to dive into the hellish action.
If you're looking for a quick and cheap way to gain access to hundreds of games, it's hard to beat Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. Membership is currently discounted, giving you a chance to add a one or three-month subscription to your account for cheap. Keep in mind that Game Pass Ultimate gets you not just games on Xbox, but also PC and mobile games, as well as access to online multiplayer.
Prefer to actually own games instead of relying on a monthly subscription? Then you'll be glad to know tons of titles are on sale leading up to Prime Day. Hit games like Elden Ring and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor are on sale, making it easy to fill up your game room for cheap. Here are some of our favorite price cuts.
Amazon Prime Day isn't until July 16, but deals are already hitting the retailer, including on its Kindle Scribe tablets. The Scribe version of Amazon's famous ereader adds a digital notebook so you can use it for writing as well as reading, but it maintains the simplicity of Amazon's E-ink display. Amazon is already offering a bunch of Scribe bundle deals, which come with handy accessories, at deep discounts, so it's a great time to pick up the best Kindle device in 2024.
The bundles include the Kindle Scribe device and pen, a magnetically attached brush print leather folio cover in Storm Gray, and a power adapter for charging. Premium bundles include the Scribe Pen with an eraser function, while the Basic version of the bundle comes with the standard pen without an eraser.
Amazon is offering three versions of the Kindle Scribe Premium bundle for different versions of the Scribe. The most expensive bundle packs a Scribe with 64GB of internal storage, but you can also grab the bundle at 32GB and 16GB of storage. All three versions include the Premium Pen. As for the Basic bundle, it includes a 16GB Kindle Scribe.
To take full advantage of a Kindle Scribe, you might want to include a subscription to Kindle Unlimited, Amazon's service that makes it easy to snag ebooks and audiobooks. If you're a Prime member, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free right now. Prime members can also get three months of Audible Premium Plus for free, which you can then use to claim and keep three audiobooks from Audible's extensive catalog. Both of those promotions require a Prime membership, but you get a free 30-day trial to Amazon Prime if you're a new member. If you're not eligible for the trial offer, you can purchase a one-month subscription for $15, which will grant access to all Prime Day deals.
Best Gaming & Tech Deals This Week
Evercade is responsible for some of the most popular retro hardware on the market, with the Evercade handhelds and and home console boasting a library of over 500 games across 50-plus cartridge compilations. Arcade games have been a major component of Evercade's approach to bringing classics to the modern era--the Evercade EXP and upcoming EXP-R even offer TATE mode, which has a vertical screen orientation that's ideal for some arcade games. And later this year, Evercade will introduce an even more authentic method for playing arcade games. The Evercade Alpha is a countertop arcade machine releasing on November 28. Preorders are live now at Amazon for both editions: Street Fighter and Mega Man. You can preorder either cabinet for a $20 discount, but this early-bird pricing is only available during the preorder stage. The price will jump from $230 to $250 at launch.
The Evercade Alpha is available in two styles--the Mega Man Alpha Series and the Street Fighter Alpha Series. Both are designed as bartop units and come preassembled so you can start playing right out of the box. Each includes six games, though both cabinets are also compatible with existing Evercade cartridges, allowing you to play over 500 titles using the dual cartridge slots on the front of the machine. The cabinet is designed for solo play, with competition-grade controls for a single player. For multiplayer, you'll find two USB ports that support a variety of controllers, including Evercade VS gamepads and third-party controllers.
Other notable features include a vibrant 8-inch display, stereo speakers, headphone jack, and Wi-Fi support for updates. There's even a swappable light-up marquee if you want to change your style. Each cabinet includes a few additional marquees, while others will be sold separately.
The specs are the same across the pair of Evercade Alpha cabinets, but their game lists are completely unique. Here's a look at what you'll find on each. Most of these games have never been available for Evercade. The company previously included a built-in library of 18 Capcom games with the Evercade EXP and a smaller library of Capcom titles in the budget-friendly Super Pocket.
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Early into Stardew Valley, Willy will give you a fishing pole, which unlocks fishing. Fishing is a big part of Stardew Valley and a great way to make money early on in the game, but there are a few mechanics you won't be able to use right away. One of those mechanics is bait, which can be used to cause fish to bite faster.
The reason you can't use bait right away is that the Bamboo Pole Willy gives you doesn't have the ability to use bait. Instead, you will need to upgrade to the next tier of fishing pole, the Fiberglass Rod, which has a slot for bait. The Fiberglass Rod costs 1,800G and is unavailable until you reach Fishing Level 2, which will require you to do some fishing. Every fishing rod you unlock after this point will have a bait slot. Bait is also used in Crab Pots, which will only catch something if it has a piece of bait in it, and which you have to refill. Holding bait and interacting with the Crab Pot will place it inside.
The fishing rod itself can have the bait added directly to your inventory by moving it to the fishing rod. Fishing rods can hold a large amount of bait, so you don't have to reload in between fish.
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The world lost a legend when Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passed away this year, but like all of life's great artists, his legacy lives on through his work. If you've ever wanted to marvel at his talent for drawing awe-inspiring landscapes, pulse-pounding action scenes, and intricately detailed machinery, then you won't want to miss out on Dragon Ball: A Visual History, a stunning hardcover book that's now back in stock at Amazon.
Even better, the book has gotten a substantial discount from its regular price of $50, as you can grab it for just $25 right now. A comprehensive history of the manga, the book showcases manga art, additional promotional material, creator commentary, notes, sketches, and posters from throughout the history of the original Dragon Ball series. Alongside full-color artwork and rarely-seen sketches, it also comes with a dust jacket to protect it.
In case it sells out again, there are some other great Akira Toriyama books to check out as well. Dragon Quest Illustrations: 30th Anniversary Edition is a stunning and in-depth hardcover collection of over 500 illustrations from the Dragon Quest video games that Toriyama worked on and Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater is a collection of short stories spanning the first few decades of his career.
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Video game prop weapons are commonly seen in collections or at conventions. But it's a bad idea to carry around a replica video game weapon that has an actual blade attached to it. Anthony Bray, a resident of Nuneaton in Warwickshire, England discovered this the hard way when police arrested him last month for carrying a replica of Link's Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda.
Via the Warwickshire police, Bray has been sentenced to four months in prison for carrying a bladed article in public. According to the report, Bray was spotted by officers on June 8 with the Master Sword in his hands as he walked down the street. However, it's important to note that this wasn't simply some toy prop. There was a real blade attached on this Master Sword.
Anthony Bray has been sentenced to four months in prison after being found in possession of a bladed article in public - a small replica of the Master Sword from the Legend of Zelda games
— Warwickshire Police (@warkspolice) July 2, 2024
Read more ➡️https://t.co/J38blXOJti#JailedInWarwickshire #Nuneaton
Bray told officers that he purchased the Master Sword replica online, and intended to use it as a "fidget toy" to keep his hands busy. Bray also told officers that he didn't plan on using the sword as a weapon. But since he was openly carrying blade in public, Bray broke the law whether he intended to or not.
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Deadpool and Wolverine is the superhero comeback for more than just Hugh Jackman. As revealed in an early trailer for the film, Aaron Stanford is reprising his role as John Allerdyce aka Pyro, a part he portrayed in the first three X-Men movies from 2000 to 2006. There are several other cameos expected in the film, but since Stanford was among the first to be shown, the actor is finally able to talk about his return to the franchise after 18 years.
In X-Men and X2: X-Men United, the films re-envisioned John as a student at Professor Xavier's school and a friend to Bobby Drake/Iceman (Shawn Ashmore) and Rogue (Anna Paquin). Near the end of X2, Magneto (Ian McKellen) recruits John, who starts going by his chosen codename, Pyro. During X-Men: The Last Stand, Pyro was a member of Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, but he didn't get a real supervillain costume. While speaking with EW, Stanford revealed that Pyro's lack of a proper outfit has been rectified.
"I was just very happy to even have a costume," said Stanford. "In the original X-Men films, Pyro gets really shortchanged in terms of a costume. In X2, we start off with Pyro in Xavier's School for Gifted Mutants. The SWAT team bursts in in the middle of the night and we have to flee. So for half the movie, I'm in my jammies. I never got the cool leather, tactical suit that all the X-Men wear. And in X3, I was just dressed in an ensemble from Hot Topic, basically. So to have him be in a proper superhero costume that was actually taken from the comics themselves was very cool."
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Next year's Superman reboot is the first film to share that title since the 1978 movie starring Christopher Reeve. Although Reeve passed away in 2004, director James Gann is including a nod to the late star in his Superman movie by featuring Reeve's son, Will Reeve, in a cameo role.
Via Cleveland.com, Will Reeve, who is a real-life reporter for ABC, will portray a TV reporter in Superman. In the outlet's footage from the shoot, Reeve's character is seen making a report on the streets of Metropolis. According to the outlet, Reeve’s character and the other extras in his scene were seen reacting to another superhero who arrives during this sequence. However, the report doesn't mention which hero it was. After filming his scene, Reeve was spotted hugging Gunn, and he was also given a round of applause from the cast and crew.
⚠️ Superman cameo spoilers ahead: There’s a pretty big nod to Christopher Reeves’Superman on set in downtown Cleveland today!
— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) July 2, 2024
Video: Josh Duke, https://t.co/a4YA4W3agW
More: https://t.co/5mFXobeEmW pic.twitter.com/ibWWa6ImlL
The first Superman movie established the tradition of former actors in the franchise making cameo appearances in the modern films. Kirk Alyn and Noel Neill, who previously portrayed Superman and Lois Lane respectively, appeared in the movie as Lois Lane's parents during a scene that was initially cut from the film. Reeve kept that tradition alive even after he was paralyzed from a horseback riding accident in 1995. In 2003 and 2004, Reeve made two guest appearances as as Dr. Virgil Swann on Smallville opposite Tom Welling's Clark Kent.
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