Gacha game
A game whose progression and monetization are built around gacha draws, typically free-to-play with banner-scheduled character releases. The genre spans from Puzzle & Dragons in 2012 to Genshin Impact and its successors.
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A gacha game is a video game, almost always free-to-play, in which acquiring characters or equipment happens mainly through randomized gacha draws, and in which the release calendar is structured around limited-time banners. The gacha is not a side feature: the roster is the content, and the draw is the business model.
The template solidified in Japan between 2010 and 2012 on feature-phone social platforms, then went worldwide through smartphone hits. Puzzle & Dragons (GungHo, 2012) was reported as the first mobile game to reach US$1 billion in revenue, demonstrating the model's scale. [1] Fate/Grand Order (2015) proved character IP could carry it globally, and Genshin Impact (2020) moved it onto consoles and PC with an estimated US$2 billion in first-year mobile spending alone. [2]
Common structural features: a pull currency with dual sourcing (earned and bought), rarity tiers with published rates in most markets, safety mechanisms (pity, spark), duplicate-based upgrades (dupe systems), a permanent standard pool plus rotating limited pools, and scheduled reruns.
The label is descriptive, not pejorative, and covers games across genres: turn-based RPGs, action RPGs, tower defense, shooters, and sports simulators all operate gacha economies. See history of gacha games for the genre's development.
References
- Puzzle & Dragons is the first mobile game to $1 billion in revenue PocketGamer.biz. Accessed 2026-07-09.
- Genshin Impact generates $2 billion on mobile in first year Sensor Tower. Accessed 2026-07-09. Third-party estimate.
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