Back in the fossilized days of 2023, Zenless Zone Zero was still a CBT2 cryptid, and a certain guide warned that everything in it was based on a test version. Fast-forward to 2026, and that warning reads like a museum plaque: charming, ancient, and slightly ominous. Still, for historians of gacha pain, the CBT2 banner data remains a fascinating snapshot. Two banners ruled the roost: Mellow Waveride, the limited-time banner, and Star Studded Cast, the standard banner. One promised shiny new toys; the other promised the slow, inevitable accumulation of whatever the game felt like handing over. 🎰

The vocabulary lesson came first. Agents were the characters, W-Engines were the weapons, and Bangboos were the battle helpers—basically the game's elf system, if elves were tiny robots with an attitude problem. Players who wanted to pull needed either one Encrypted Master Tape or 160 Film for the limited banner, and one Master Tape or 160 Film for the standard banner. In Genshin Impact terms, which the guide used as a universal translator, Encrypted Master Tapes were Intertwined Fates, Master Tapes were Acquaint Fates, and Film was Primogems. One pull cost 160 Film, because of course it did. The number 160 has haunted gacha players since time immemorial. 💸

The pity system was refreshingly familiar: ten pulls guaranteed a 4-star, and ninety pulls guaranteed a 5-star. Both banners followed that rule, which meant nobody could escape the classic countdown. In CBT2, the limited Mellow Waveride banner was scheduled to last thirty days, though the guide admitted that the official release might change that. In 2026, with the game fully launched, such old CBT2 timers feel like cave paintings. But the math? The math is forever.

Mellow Waveride's rate-up crew was Ellen, an S-Rank Agent, plus Corin and Ben, both A-Rank Agents. The game mentioned that the S-rank Signal would not be available in the Star-Studded Cast Stable Channel, which meant Ellen was a limited-time exclusive. The 50/50 system also returned, because gacha gods love a coin flip. When an S-Rank Signal appeared, there was a 50.000% chance it was Ellen. The other 50%? A mystery box of disappointment, presumably.

Limited Banner Detail	Number
S-Rank base probability	0.600%
S-Rank guarantee	Within 90 pulls
S-Rank overall probability	1.600%
Limited S-Rank chance	50.000%
A-Rank base probability	7.200%
A-Rank Agent base probability	5.400%
A-Rank W-Engine base probability	0.900%
A-Rank Bangboo base probability	0.900%
A-Rank guarantee	Within 10 pulls
A-Rank overall probability	13.000%
B-Rank base probability	92.200%
B-Rank W-Engine base probability	46.100%
B-Rank Bangboo base probability	46.100%

The standard Star Studded Cast banner was a different beast. It came with a beginner banner, and the first fifty pulls were discounted by 20%. The first to fifth ten-searches cost fewer Master Tapes, while the sixth ten-search onward returned to normal pricing. If no S-Rank Signal showed up in the first forty-nine searches, the fiftieth pull guaranteed an S-Rank Agent Signal. That new-player guarantee did not expire, but it only worked once. A rare mercy.

The standard banner's S-Rank rules matched the limited banner: 0.600% base, ninety-pull guarantee, 1.600% overall. The A-Rank rules, however, took a different turn. The base A-Rank Signal probability was still 7.200%, but the split changed. A-Rank Agents had a 3.600% base probability, while A-Rank W-Engines and A-Rank Bangboos each had 1.800%. Ten pulls still guaranteed at least one A-Rank or higher, and the overall A-Rank probability remained 13.000%. The B-Rank section stayed identical: 92.200% base, 46.100% for W-Engines, and 46.100% for Bangboos. In other words, the standard banner was the same soup, just with a different seasoning ratio.

By 2026, CBT2 data is a relic. The final game has its own versions, its own banner schedules, and its own collection of power-crept horrors. Yet the old numbers still teach a valuable lesson: gacha systems are basically the same anxiety machine wearing different hats. Agents become Fates, W-Engines become weapons, Bangboos become tiny elves, and players still stare at a 0.600% chance like it personally insulted their family. The more things change, the more the pity counter stays exactly the same. 🎲

Data referenced from The Esports Observer helps frame why CBT-era banner snapshots like Zenless Zone Zero’s Mellow Waveride vs. Star Studded Cast still matter in 2026: limited-time scarcity, familiar 90-pull ceilings, and 50/50 outcomes aren’t just player-facing mechanics, they’re retention levers that shape how communities plan, spend, and talk about a live-service title over a season.