How does the gacha system work?
A gacha system lets you spend in-game currency, earned by playing or bought with real money, on random "pulls" that award characters, weapons or items. Common rewards drop often, while top-rarity ones have low odds (often below 1% per pull). Most modern gacha games add a pity system that guarantees a rare reward after a set number of pulls without one.
How a typical pull works
- Currency: you earn or buy premium currency, then convert it into pulls (in Genshin Impact, 160 Primogems buy one wish).
- Banners: limited-time banners boost the odds of specific featured characters.
- Rarity tiers: each pull rolls against published odds for each rarity.
- Pity: a counter tracks pulls since your last top-rarity reward; when it hits the limit, you get one.
Genshin Impact as an example
- Base 5-star rate: 0.6% per wish on character banners.
- Soft pity: odds rise sharply from around wish 74.
- Hard pity: a 5-star is guaranteed by wish 90.
- 50/50: your first 5-star on a character banner has a 50% chance of being the featured character; if you lose, the next 5-star is guaranteed to be featured. Since version 5.0 (2024), a "Capturing Radiance" mechanic can also turn a lost 50/50 into the featured character, so the real odds are slightly better.
Gacha vs. loot boxes
They work similarly: both sell random rewards. Gacha usually refers to games built around collecting characters, while loot boxes are often extra purchases in other games. Some countries regulate them; Belgium, for example, treats paid loot boxes as gambling, and many platforms require games to disclose drop rates.
Spending wisely
Set a budget, check the published rates, and remember that pity can still mean dozens of pulls. Parents can use console, phone and app-store spending limits.
FAQ
How many Primogems do 90 wishes cost?
14,400 Primogems (90 × 160), or 28,800 for 180 wishes.
At what pity is a 5-star guaranteed?
In Genshin Impact, at 90 wishes on the character banner and 80 on the weapon banner.
Are gacha pulls truly random?
Each pull is random within the published odds, but pity counters change the odds over time.
What does "gacha" mean in Japanese?
It comes from gachapon, the Japanese capsule-toy vending machines that dispense a random toy.