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?
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.
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.
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.
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