For your great qualification on Zorin-knowledge, Ubuntu 20.04 = Zorin 16.2 and is the first stage of Snaps ..... So no , Zorin did not remove the Snaps out of Ubuntu's copy. Worse : they provide flatpak inside the Snap enviroment. 2 sandboxes in 1 ...
Before you try to make fun of other's comments, try to know a little or 2 about the OS you are using ; )
They are using Snaps at this very moment on 16.2 lol ......... maybe revert back to Windows for you ?
As far as i know the best way to be first to know when & what is new on new release's ,,
Is to subscribe to Zorin newsletters, & to my knowledge, Zorin 17 should be ready mid to later this year 2023 
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Happy New Year to everyone, I'm new here. I'll use this to give a quick feedback. I donated (Core version) because it just runs well and is mature; I'll get the Pro version starting with Zorin 17, even though I don't need most of the software for my work (texts, education sector).
I think Zorin's release schedule is very good; in my experience Ubuntu LTS versions usually become very stable with the second point release like 20.04.2 or 22.04.2 onwards. As for new software: Flatpaks. What else can I say but that I am very satisfied with Zorin OS. Thank you!
Again, who said they will use snaps in Zorin 17 ? With my post about pop os i wanted to make clear that it can be removed like you said mint did too.
Where did i say they have removed it ???
Maybe i should have be more clear to you that i was pointing at their newer release (zorin 17)
Where did i try to make fun of others ? Just because i say pop os does not have it and posted a 
behind it….come on seriously.
Maybe you should do that. Your reaction on my post is abnormal.
1 more thing…for my “zorin knowledge“ , i dont use zorin i use Pop OS 22.04. But if you have read my post better you would have known this already.
If Mint teams could modify their 21.1 distro to stay away from Snaps, then Zorin teams can do the same thing too for Zorin 17. Beside that, Mint 21.1 is also using Ubuntu Jammy. Yes, maybe Zorin is not as Snaps-free as Linux Mint, but the devs can set the essential software using Deb packages by default, like Firefox for example.
Gday @limbo Welcome to the forum, On behalf of Zorin, Thank you very much for the Donation,
You may like to introduce yourself by making a New Topic in our Chat about Zorin #chat-about-zorin .
Also feel free to ask questions in our help section #general-help .
You can add to the exciting subject for ❇ HAPPY NEW YEAR 2023 ❇
best wishes for the newyear.
Again Welcome & enjoy.
Regards Al
I hope Zorin OS 17 has a Rolling release version so that there's no need to manually download software updates after installing Zorin OS 17
Let Us Pray it does... Or able to do the upgrades like on Mint.
Rolling Release brings the instability, regressions and package failures that I prefer to avoid by using an LTS stable Distro.
I get that. I've used the mintupgrade tool, via the update manager and it's worked perfectly both times. If they could figure out a way, that would just be yet another great reason to use Zorin. Using backups does help the process, but more effort.
Either way, I'll be shilling out for 17.
IA or some chatgpt will be in Zorin 17?
I'd rather hope not !! AI of Chat GTP is not AI at all. At many question-prompts I got pure lies in return or false information. This is not even needed for use, just do your own research a lot on Google, YouTube for howto's, and search in the goldmines of internet. Question answer, just be plain smart on searchings. And NEVER use that tool of blackness ChatGTP, you'll be enslaved and have nothing to question anymore. Again, this is NOT AI !!!! It is a corrupt database, that Q & A numb, even with faulty answers on real questions. 13 hits of bad returns. So please leave Ubuntu, Zorin for smart people and not addicts of the lazy principle.
Yes. I was many faul answers. It can create a catastrophy.
How do we join the beta testing team?
The new generations young are propably not to much check information and can believe.
That is very sneaky politics commercial business.
Yeah it has been a really long time since we had a release of Zorin OS I would like a copy of the Alpha or BETA to Test I wouldn't mind I really want some of that Zorin OS 17 please if a Dev is listening to me tell me by when should we have Zorin OS 17?
Gday @ZorinOSFan , Welcome to the community.
Please refer to the posts above as to how you can be the first to Know & help with the Public Zorin OS 17 Beta Testing, when Released.
Hope this helps.
But that doesn't give us a spefic time or date it only says the 2nd half of 2023
Correct, it's hard to put time on perfection 
Yeah but I've been in Anticipation for the new release of Zorin OS 17 that will be based on Ubuntu 22.04 LTS with the Gnome 40 series of UI come on Ubuntu 22.04 came out in 2022 while Zorin OS 16.2 relased in 2021.