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Quick start

This guide will walk you through installing your first audio mod using ZZAR. You’ll go from a fresh installation to a working mod in just a few minutes.
Before you begin, make sure you’ve installed ZZAR and completed the first-time setup.

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Installing your first mod

If you just want to install mods created by others, follow these steps:
1

Launch ZZAR

Open ZZAR and wait for it to load. You should see the main interface with tabs for Mod Manager, Audio Browser, Audio Converter, and Import Wizard.
2

Download a mod

Get a .zzar mod file from a mod site like GameBanana or a community Discord. Save it somewhere you can find it.
Look for mods with the .zzar extension. These are ZZAR’s native mod format and are easiest to install.
3

Install the mod

  1. Go to the Mod Manager tab
  2. Click the Install Mod button
  3. Browse to your downloaded .zzar file and select it
  4. Click Open
ZZAR will validate the mod package and extract it to your mod library.
4

Enable the mod

After installation, the mod appears in your mod list but is disabled by default.
  1. Find the mod in the list
  2. Check the Enable checkbox next to it
  3. Click the Apply Mods button at the bottom
ZZAR will generate modified PCK files and place them in your game directory. This may take a few seconds.
5

Launch the game

Start Zenless Zone Zero and test your mod! The audio you replaced should now play your custom sound.
Some mods may conflict with each other if they replace the same audio file. ZZAR will warn you about conflicts and let you choose which mod takes priority.

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Creating your first mod

If you want to replace audio yourself and create a mod package, follow these steps:
1

Find the sound you want to replace

  1. Go to the Audio Browser tab
  2. Browse through the PCK files to find the sound you want to replace
  3. Click on a sound to preview it
Use the search bar to find sounds by ID or tag. You can download the official tag database from Settings → Download Tags to make searching easier.
2

Prepare your replacement audio

Your replacement audio should be:
  • In a common format like MP3, WAV, FLAC, or OGG
  • Similar length to the original (optional but recommended)
  • At a reasonable volume level
ZZAR will automatically convert your audio to WEM format and normalize the volume, so you don’t need to match the exact format.
3

Replace the audio

  1. In the Audio Browser, select the sound you want to replace
  2. Click the Replace Audio button
  3. Browse to your replacement audio file and select it
  4. ZZAR will convert it to WEM format and mark it as changed
The changed sound will now show a different icon in the Audio Browser.
4

Export as a mod

  1. Click the Export Mod button in the Audio Browser
  2. Choose a name for your mod
  3. Fill in the metadata:
    • Mod Name: A descriptive name for your mod
    • Author: Your name or username
    • Version: Start with 1.0.0
    • Description: What your mod does
  4. Click Export
ZZAR will create a .zzar file containing all your changes.
5

Test your mod

  1. Go to the Mod Manager tab
  2. Install your newly created .zzar file
  3. Enable it and click Apply Mods
  4. Launch the game and test it
If everything works, you can share your .zzar file with others!

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Converting existing mods

If you have old mods that aren’t in the .zzar format, you can convert them:
1

Open the Import Wizard

Go to the Import Wizard tab in ZZAR.
2

Choose your import method

WEM files

Select Import WEM Files if you have loose .wem audio files

PCK files

Select Import PCK File if you have a built .pck archive
3

Import the files

  1. Click Browse and select your WEM files or PCK file
  2. ZZAR will scan the files and try to match them to game audio
  3. Review the matches and adjust if needed
4

Export as ZZAR

  1. Fill in the mod metadata (name, author, version, description)
  2. Click Export as ZZAR
  3. Choose a save location
You now have a .zzar file that you can install or share with others.

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Common tasks

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Managing multiple mods

When you have multiple mods enabled:
  1. Use the Load Order in the Mod Manager to control which mod takes priority
  2. Drag and drop mods to reorder them (higher mods have higher priority)
  3. ZZAR will warn you if mods conflict and show which mod’s changes will be used

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Disabling mods

To temporarily disable a mod without uninstalling it:
  1. Go to the Mod Manager tab
  2. Uncheck the Enable checkbox next to the mod
  3. Click Apply Mods
The mod stays in your library but its changes are not applied to the game.

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Updating mods

When a mod author releases a new version:
  1. Download the new .zzar file
  2. Install it using the Install Mod button
  3. ZZAR will detect that it’s an update and ask if you want to replace the old version
  4. Click Yes to update

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Troubleshooting

  • Make sure the mod is enabled in the Mod Manager
  • Click Apply Mods to generate the modified PCK files
  • Check that the PCK files were created in your game’s StreamingAssets/Audio/GeneratedSoundBanks/Windows/ folder
  • Restart the game if it was running when you applied the mod
ZZAR normalizes audio to -9 LUFS by default. If your audio sounds wrong:
  • Go to Settings → Audio Converter
  • Adjust the normalization target (try -12 LUFS or disable normalization)
  • Re-export your mod
When two mods replace the same audio:
  1. ZZAR will show a conflict warning
  2. The mod higher in the load order takes priority
  3. Drag mods in the Mod Manager to reorder them
  4. Click Apply Mods to use the new order
To make finding sounds easier:
  1. Go to Settings → Download Tags
  2. Download the official tag database
  3. Now you can search by character names, sound types, etc. instead of just IDs
  4. Use the Find Matching Sound feature to find variations of a sound

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Next steps

Now that you know the basics, explore more features:

Mod Manager

Learn advanced mod management features

Audio Browser

Master the Audio Browser for precise replacements

Creating Mods

Deep dive into mod creation workflows

Audio Converter

Use the Audio Converter for batch operations

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