Gacha
Gacha
All of the best ways to farm Drive Discs in ZZZ
Nina Forneloza
Drive Discs can make or break a build in Zenless Zone Zero, so ZZZ players will want to know the best ways to get them. Zenless Zone Zero’s Drive Discs work like Artifacts in Genshin Impact and Relics in Honkai: Star Rail. No matter how skilled someone is at dodging, tough bosses will tear through them without a good Drive Disc set. With the right Drive Discs, agents can gain …
Gacha
All Varesa materials in Genshin Impact for ascension and talents
Nina Forneloza
Varesa is the next Nightsoul-aligned character coming to Genshin Impact, and farming her materials in advance will help players to be sure she’s ready to take on Spiral Abyss and other difficult content from her drop on day one. Version 5.5 is shaping up to be Genshin Impact’s biggest update yet, bringing a new map expansion, new bosses, artifact sets, and more characters. The latest drip marketing campaign confirms that …
Gacha
Iansan materials in Genshin Impact for character, talent ascensions
Nina Forneloza
Genshin Impact Version 5.5 is set to release a new four-star electro character named Iansan, and pre-farming her materials early on before she arrives could save some hassle later. Iansan is one of the six ancient heroes of Natlan and is confirmed to be the next playable character in Genshin Impact. Just like Varesa, she hails from the Collective of Plenty tribe and will debut as an electro character. Early …
Gacha
Best Varesa build in Genshin Impact: Artifacts, weapons, more
Hannan Mundia
Varesa is a 5-star Electro character in Genshin Impact with powerful abilities that can reach their full potential with the correct build, including weapons and artifacts. Genshin Impact has been going strong for almost half a decade now, with new content continuing to release at regular intervals. Whether it’s the release of a grand region like Natlan or engaging new events for players to participate in, Genshin Impact players are …
Gacha
These are the best ways to beat Spiral Abyss in Genshin Impact
Nina Forneloza
Clearing the Spiral Abyss is no easy feat as it stands as Genshin Impact’s biggest test of skill, so it’s no surprise that players want to know the best ways to beat it. For those wanting to test their combat skills or just challenge themselves, Spiral Abyss could be exactly what they need. As one of the two permanent endgame modes, it doesn’t hold back in its difficulty. Only the …
Gacha
Best Genshin Impact 5.3 pulls from the Chronicled Wish banner
Nina Forneloza
Version 5.3 of Genshin Impact brings back the Chronicled Wish banner featuring a new roster of characters and weapons, leaving many players weighing their options as to what the best pulls might be. March 2024 saw the first appearance of the Chronicled Wish in Genshin Impact, meant to bring a collection of old characters together in a single banner for a limited time. Though it vanished after its first run, …
Gacha
Complete ZZZ Pulchra materials guide for promotion, skills upgrade
Nina Forneloza
With ZZZ version 1.6 well on its way, the full breakdown of promotion materials for Pulchra is here, meaning now’s the best time to gather them in advance of their arrival. Silver Soldier Anby and Trigger aren’t the only new agents in version 1.6 as Pulchra is joining the roster as well. It’s been a while since Zenless Zone Zero introduced a new A-rank unit and players are excited to …
Gacha
Silver Soldier Anby materials, best ways to farm them in ZZZ
Nina Forneloza
Thanks to reliable leaks, players can now start farming Silver Soldier Anby’s materials to get her ready for battle when she hits the live server in ZZZ. Zenless Zone Zero just teased three new agents for version 1.6, and one of them has caught many by surprise. The latest drip marketing campaign revealed what appears to be an S-rank version of Anby, one of the game’s earliest units. Silver Soldier …
Here’s how to craft Condensed Resin in Genshin Impact
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
For those looking to burn through Resin faster, or for those simply struggling to fit the lengthy required farming sessions into their busy schedules, crafting Condensed Resin can make things way easier. Anyone who plays Genshin Impact knows how grindy it can get. Building characters from scratch and fine-tuning their stats can eat up a lot of time, and this is where Condensed Resin becomes a lifesaver. Instead of entering …
ZZZ: Full Evelyn materials pre-farm guide for promotion, skills
Steven Rondina
Gacha
Evelyn is coming to Zenless Zone Zero and pre-farming materials for her skills, core skills, and promotions will let ZZZ players tear up enemies with her on day one. Soldier 11 and her faction mates are set to be in the spotlight for Zenless Zone Zero’s 1.6 patch. But during version 1.5, the game’s featured fire attacker is Evelyn. Her ability to bunch up enemies and land massive, devastating AOE …
ZZZ version 1.6: Find out its release date, banners, and content
Steven Rondina
Gacha
Zenless Zone Zero version 1.5 is proving to be a hit but the gacha game grind continues on, with fans excited for ZZZ version 1.6’s release date. Though some patches in Zenless Zone Zero pan out as a nothing burger beyond the banners, ZZZ 1.5 has had a lot to offer fans. The Lunar New Year-themed events offer great rewards including a new skin for Nicole and a heaping helping …
Ultimate ZZZ Evelyn build: Best Drive Disc, W-Engines, Teams
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
With Evelyn being the newest attacker in ZZZ, everyone’s curious about the best build for her, from her best drive disc to her ideal team composition. Zenless Zone Zero had its run of anomaly DPS dominating the meta, and now it’s finally circling back to attackers. Midway through the 1.5 patch, Evelyn Chevalier from the Stars of Lyra faction is joining the lineup as an S-rank Fire on-field attacker with …
ZZZ 1.6 banners, release date info for Trigger, Pulchra, and Anby
Steven Rondina
Gacha
HoYoverse has seemingly confirmed the new banner characters for ZZZ version 1.6, and we likely already know the release dates for Silver Soldier Anby, Trigger, and Pulchra. Version 1.5 of Zenless Zone Zero and Astra Yao’s run as a top support are only a few days old but the developers wasted no time teasing players with what’s to come. January 23 saw three new playable characters confirmed for the game. …
The best ways to farm artifacts in Genshin Impact
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
Great builds in Genshin Impact start with artifacts, and here’s how players can get their hands on the ones they need. As players level up in Genshin Impact, the world level rises, leading to tougher enemies to face. On top of that, endgame content such as the Spiral Abyss and Imaginarium Theater are notorious for being unforgiving to their players. In order to take these challenges on successfully, players will …
Best Astra Yao build in ZZZ: Drive Disc, W-Engine, Teams
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
The wait for an S-rank support in Zenless Zone Zero is over, as Astra Yao is officially on her way. Here are the best builds and team setups for Astra Yao, New Eridu’s brightest star in ZZZ. Supports don’t easily fade away in Hoyoverse titles, as shown by the likes of Ruan Mei from Honkai: Star Rail and Kazuha from Genshin Impact. Now it’s Zenless Zone Zero’s first-ever S-rank support’s …
The best ways to farm Astrites for free in Wuthering Waves
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
New resonators just keep coming, making farming for Astrites in Wuthering Waves more necessary now than ever before. And while microtransactions might seem necessary to fill out these requirements, there are actually a few ways to earn Astrites for free in Wuthering Waves. Wuthering Waves’ gacha system features new characters through limited-time banners, which usually stick around for just a few weeks before being swapped out. Because of this, the …
Complete ascension materials for Brant in Wuthering Waves
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
Brant is slated to join Wuthering Waves’ character roster very soon, and players are already scrambling to figure out which ascension materials he’ll need. Brant’s confirmed for version 2.1 as the next five-star resonator, arriving alongside Phoebe. His drip marketing campaign only confirms he’s a Fusion sword unit, but credible leaks suggest he might be a niche healer armed with fusion and resonance skill damage amplification who’s able to weave …
All WuWa Phoebe materials for character and forte ascension
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
With Phoebe headlining WuWa version 2.1, leaks have made it easy to prep her materials ahead of the new character’s debut release. After Roccia and Carlotta, another pair of Rinascita characters is making their way to Wuthering Waves, as teased in the latest drip marketing. In a post on the game’s official social media, Phoebe is introduced as a Spectro resonator wielding a rectifier. Not long after, leaks showcasing her …
These are the fastest ways to level up in Genshin Impact
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
Reaching AR60 in Genshin Impact is a long journey that can literally take years, leaving many players searching for ways to level up faster. Beyond the clear importance of ascending characters and weapons, leveling up in Genshin Impact is one of the most crucial aspects of the game. This is especially true given that character ascensions, regions, quest and other features are typically gated behind specific account levels. The rewards …
All we know about Mizuki in Genshin Impact: Abilities, release date
Nina Forneloza
Gacha
A new five-star playable character named Mizuki in Genshin Impact is slated to debut in version 5.4, and many players are curious about her abilities and release date. Here’s everything we know so far. At the end of the Genshin Impact 5.3 Special Program, developers teased upcoming characters with silhouettes showcasing who will arrive during the Natlan cycle. Seven characters are planned for release, with the first, Yumemizuki Mizuki, confirmed …
The gacha game genre has proven to be one of the most contentious topics there is in all of video games, but despite that contention it remains hugely popular.
Microtransactions have long been a source of frustration for gamers. All the way back to the notorious horse armor DLC available in The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion, game developers have been accused of paywalling content that ought to be included in the base version of the game. It goes without saying that games built around microtransactions wouldn’t be well-received by players.
Despite that, gacha games have carved out a definitive niche in the gaming world. But what are gacha games exactly, and how did they become so popular?
What is a gacha game?
A gacha game is a genre of video games where progression is tied to randomized rewards earned through playing or given through microtransactions.
They are similar in some ways to trading card games, where players have a chance to obtain desirable cards by buying more booster packs. Unlike trading card games, there isn’t usually a resale market that allows players to directly purchase the optimal content of those packs. Typically, gacha games have a “pity system” that guarantees the best outcome after a certain number of attempts.
The exact origins of the genre are murky, as numerous games have had randomized elements within gameplay progression for years.
The genre in its current form mostly came together in the early 2010s. There was significant pushback against these games during this time due to questionable gameplay and monetization systems, as well as a lack of fan familiarity with them. Such titles as Final Fantasy All the Bravest were lambasted to the point where it soured fans’ opinions on gacha games and mobile gaming as a whole.
Genshin Impact popularizes gacha gaming in Western markets
Fan sentiment toward gacha games turned on its head in 2020 with the release of Genshin Impact.
The title from developer miHoYo became an overnight hit, with many praising its gameplay and graphics. Genshin Impact has a colorful style that was likened to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with tens of hours of open-world gameplay available at launch. Its free-to-play model allowed players to jump in at no cost, and the game saw incredible success across multiple platforms.
Shortly after its launch, Genshin Impact was cemented as one of the biggest commercial successes in gaming. Reports circulated that the title had generated tens of millions of dollars within weeks, hundreds of millions within months, and over $1 billion within six months of its release.
The revenue was driven through the sales of in-game currency, which is used to purchase “wishes.” Wishes often give players weapons of varying quality, but offer a small chance of unlocking a new character. Players are strongly incentivized to purchase currency by the introduction of new characters that are only available for a limited time.
Alongside this, progression in the game is also heavily gated. Though players can acquire some items freely, strengthening characters and weapons is tied to resources that are given to players slowly over time. Players can hasten their progression by directly purchasing these limited resources.
Genshin Impact success spurs tidal wave of gacha imitators
The popularity of Genshin Impact resulted in a major shift in the perception of gacha games for both fans and publishers. Following its release, a long list of gacha games that were previously exclusive to Asian markets were localized for Western release. Similarly, titles that were previously exclusive to mobile devices were ported to PC and consoles.
Alongside this was an uptick in the number of gacha games with significant development budgets. While many of its predecessors were small upon release, Genshin Impact attracted fans with its AAA look and feel. Games like Wuthering Waves had similar gacha mechanics and open-world gameplay, but had their own style that made them distinct.
Genshin Impact’s success also saw miHoYo roll out a number of other gacha games. The company took its winning formula into a turn-based RPG direction with Honkai Star Rail in 2023. In 2024, it released a character action game in Zenless Zone Zero.
With miHoYo games garnering strong reviews and many looking to chase Genshin Impact’s success, there’s no question that gacha games are here to stay.
