Belobog Heavy Industries in Zenless Zone Zero: A Coincidence or a Hidden Connection?

As a long‑time fan of HoYoverse titles, I still remember the electric anticipation before Zenless Zone Zero finally launched. It’s 2026 now, and New Eridu has become a second home for many of us, but one question has lingered since the early beta tests: why does the name “Belobog” appear here too? When I first guided my Proxy through the neon‑streaked streets and stumbled upon Belobog Heavy Industries, my mind instantly jumped to Jarilo‑VI, the frozen planet in Honkai: Star Rail where the city of Belobog stands as humanity’s last bastion against the Eternal Freeze. For a moment, I was convinced HoYoverse had planted a clever crossover seed. After all, both games come from the same creative powerhouse, and shared naming conventions often hint at a larger connected universe. But as I dug deeper, the truth turned out to be far simpler — and far more interesting.

Before I spill the official verdict, let me set the scene for anyone who hasn’t yet stepped into the Hollows. Zenless Zone Zero is an urban fantasy action game built around a unique post‑apocalyptic premise. Mysterious, ever‑shifting domains called Hollows tear through reality without warning — spherical distortions packed with rogue monsters known as Ethereals. The last surviving metropolis, New Eridu, didn’t just shelter from this chaos; it turned the Hollows into a resource. By pioneering technology to extract valuable assets and data from these deadly zones, the city grew prosperous and overcrowded. Today, entire guilds, corporations, and outlaw crews compete for control over Hollow exploration, and that’s where Belobog Heavy Industries makes its entrance.

The Belobog Heavy Industries of ZZZ is an emergent industrial faction that specializes in infrastructure development and heavy machinery — a corporate giant whose cranes and excavators are a familiar sight on every construction site across New Eridu. But what truly sets them apart is their patented line of heavy equipment designed specifically for operation inside Hollows. That’s right, they don’t just build the city above ground; they plumb the depths of corrupted space with bulldozers and drilling rigs, carving safe paths through Ethereal‑infested territory. Leading this rugged crew is Koleda, the young and fiercely ambitious president whose tactical mind and fiery determination have earned the respect of even the most hardened Hollow investigators.

The first time I browsed the faction roster, the visual contrast with Star Rail’s Belobog couldn’t have been starker. Honkai: Star Rail’s Belobog is a snow‑bitten city of granite walls and ancient steam pipes, its people fighting to preserve warmth against an apocalyptic ice age. ZZZ’s Belobog is a sun‑bleached workshop of oil, sweat, and roaring engines, its members more likely to wield a rivet gun than a rifle. Yet the shared name nagged at me so persistently that I wasn’t the only player asking whether HoYoverse had intentionally linked the two worlds. During early media coverage, the game’s producer, Zhenyu Li, directly addressed the question — and his answer cut through all my theories like a plasma torch.

Zhenyu made it clear that Zenless Zone Zero’s universe stands completely independent from Honkai. “After the release of the second beta test trailer, many players noticed that a core faction in the game is named Belobog Heavy Industries, which overlaps with the name of an important element in another game,” he explained. “However, this is merely a coincidence, and there is no direct connection between the two.” Hearing this directly from the production lead initially felt a little anticlimactic — my grand unified HoYoverse theory evaporated on the spot. But Zhenyu’s honesty also rekindled my appreciation for how each game builds its own identity. ZZZ doesn’t need to piggyback on Star Rail’s lore to be compelling; its vision of a gritty, corporate‑driven Hollow economy is already strong enough.

Despite the clear separation, I find it fascinating how the Belobog name carries a similar symbolic weight in both games. In Slavic folklore, Belobog is a spirit of light and good fortune — a perfect motif for a city that refuses to freeze over or an industrial firm that lights the way into the dark Hollows. Whether intentional or not, the echo adds a layer of depth for players who happen to straddle both player bases. And if you explore Zenless Zone Zero’s narrative threads, Belobog Heavy Industries lives up to that symbolism. Their employees double as certified Hollow Investigators, equipped not just with hard hats but with combat training to face the Ethereals that lurk where their rigs drill. The faction’s story, which I got to see unfold more after the global launch, revolves around ambition, family‑like bonds among the crew, and the relentless pursuit of progress even when the Hollows push back.

Now, two years after Zenless Zone Zero’s debut on July 4, 2024, we still haven’t seen a formal crossover with Honkai: Star Rail, and Zhenyu’s original statements suggest we shouldn’t hold our breath for a lore connection. However, the door has never been fully closed. “I see this as an open possibility in the future,” he added, referring to crossover content in general. I personally would love to see a limited‑time event where Belobog Heavy Industries machinery somehow finds its way to Jarilo‑VI — perhaps the Architects could use a few excavators. But even without that, the Belobog name in ZZZ stands on its own merits, a testament to HoYoverse’s ability to remix themes and names across different creative canvases.

So next time you’re switching between Star Rail’s ice‑bound battles and ZZZ’s Hollow‑diving action, take a moment to appreciate the happy accident. It’s not often that a simple name becomes a crossroads of fan speculation, and I’m glad HoYoverse addressed it openly. Belobog Heavy Industries isn’t a secret clue — it’s just a crew that builds, fights, and stands tall in a world that’s constantly shifting underfoot. And honestly, that’s more than enough reason to love them.