What are the Mechanics of Gacha Games: Pulls, Rates, and Pity System

The question what are the mechanics of gacha games: how do pulls, rates, and pity system work is one of the most searched topics in the Filipino gaming community today. If you play Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, or any mobile gacha title, you surely feel the attraction of each pull — and the frustration when the character you want doesn’t appear. In this article, we will provide a clear explanation of each part of the gacha system: from simple pulls to the more complex soft pity and hard pity mechanics.

What is a Gacha Game and Where Did the Term Originate

According to Wikipedia, the term “gacha” comes from the Japanese “gachapon” — the capsule toy vending machines that were widespread in Japan during the 1980s. The concept is simple: insert a coin, twist the machine, and get a random toy inside a small capsule. This mechanic was transferred to digital games in the early 2000s in Japan and became the foundation of a large industry that reached a global audience, including large communities of players in the Philippines.

Based on formal studies from Uppsala University, the gacha mechanics provide a “randomized virtual item or reward” in exchange for a “set amount of virtual currency.” This is the foundation of all modern gacha games: it involves payment (whether in in-game currency or real money), and the result is random.

How Pulls Work in Gacha Games

At its simplest level, a pull (also called “roll,” “wish,” or “draw” depending on the game) is a transaction: you spend in-game currency, and the game gives you a random reward. According to the analysis by Tampere University, pulls are usually available in two formats: single pull (one-time draw) and 10-pull or multi-pull (ten draws simultaneously). The 10-pull often provides a guarantee of at least one item of higher rarity than common, which is why many players prefer it.

Within each pull, the game runs a weighted random selection. According to the detailed technical explanation by UC Santa Cruz, each item in the pool comes with a “rarity tier” with its own probability weight. When you pull, the system selects a random number and checks where in the probability distribution that result falls. For example: if a 5-star has a 0.6% rate, the system will more than 99% of the time give a 4-star or lower rarity.

The Role of Banners

It’s not just a pool of all items in gacha. Most games use “banners” — special pools containing a selected set of items or characters. According to information from Wikipedia, banners are often limited in availability, creating time pressure on players. There is also the concept of “rate-up”: when a particular character is on a “rate-up” banner, their probability of appearing when you get a 5-star is higher compared to the standard banner. In Genshin Impact, for example, if you get a 5-star on a rate-up banner, there is a 50% chance that you will get the featured character (and if not, your next 5-star is guaranteed to be featured).

In-Game Currency and Real Money

Most gacha games are free-to-play, but their primary revenue comes from players who pay real money for premium in-game currency. This is referred to in the research by MCL Lopez thesis as an “opaque selling approach” — selling gacha pulls through the probability of reward, not a specific product. This distinguishes the gacha business model as a unique monetization strategy in mobile gaming.

What are Drop Rates and How Do They Influence the Gacha Experience

The drop rate (also called pull rate or summon rate) is the percentage probability of obtaining a particular item or rarity tier in a pull. Based on a study by Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB) released in 2026, drop rates and expected value calculations are essential parts of optimizing players’ gacha spending. The lower the rate, the rarer the item, and more pulls are needed — on average — before obtaining it.

Here is a simplified example of a rarity structure common in many gacha games:

A 0.6% drop rate means that on average, you need to pull more than 160 times before receiving the rarest reward — without any guarantee before reaching pity.

The transparency of drop rates has become a standard practice in many modern gacha games. Many publishers now hide drop rate information within the game itself (usually under the “Details” or “Rate” button on the pull screen), as a way to build player trust and address concerns about fair play.

How the Pity System Works: Soft Pity and Hard Pity

The pity system is one of the most important mechanisms in modern gacha games. Its goal is to prevent players from experiencing excessively long losing streaks. Based on the technical analysis by dev.to game design deconstruction of gacha mechanics, there are two main types of pity:

Hard Pity: The Guaranteed Reward

Hard pity is a set number of pulls where a high rarity reward is guaranteed. In Genshin Impact, based on data from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, the hard pity for character event wish is 90 pulls — meaning you will never reach 91 pulls without getting a 5-star character. This pity counter remains even after a banner passes, so your pulls are not simply “wasted.”

Soft Pity: The Gradual Increase in Probability

Before reaching hard pity, many gacha games have a “soft pity” zone — a range of pulls where the probability of obtaining a high rarity item gradually increases. In Genshin Impact, soft pity starts at pull 74, and the probability of a 5-star continues to grow until reaching the 90-pull hard pity. A practical example: if you’re at pull 75, your chance of a 5-star is higher than at pull 1 through pull 73. Soft pity is why most players obtain a 5-star faster than the theoretical maximum of 90 pulls.

The Impact of Gacha Mechanics on the Behavior of Filipino Players

Understanding what are the mechanics of gacha games: how pulls, rates, and pity system work is not just an academic topic — it has a real impact on how players spend. The thesis researched by De La Salle University on the impact of Japanese-styled gacha games on the spending habits of students in Metro Manila shows a direct correlation between gacha mechanics and the purchase intention of Filipino players. The randomized reward system causes a psychological effect similar to the variable ratio reinforcement schedule studied in behavioral psychology.

According to the MCL research mentioned above, gacha mechanics are designed as a monetization strategy that sells probability, not a specific product. For Filipino players — especially younger ones who do not fully understand probability — a clear understanding of how pulls, rates, and pity systems work is an important step towards more responsible gaming.

Discovering gacha mechanics is not just about maximizing pulls — it’s about smart spending and avoiding unnecessary financial losses.

Common Gacha Mechanics You Shouldn’t Ignore

Aside from basic pulls and pity, there are other mechanics you need to understand in modern gacha games. In Don’t Do This in Mobile Games, we discuss common player mistakes — and many of these are connected to a misunderstanding of gacha systems.

• Guarantee or 50/50 mechanic: In many rate-up banners, when you get a top rarity item, there is a 50% chance it is the featured character and 50% that it is one of the standard characters. If you don’t win the 50/50, your next top rarity is guaranteed to be the featured character. This is called “losing the 50/50” or “winning the 50/50.”
• Pity transfer: In some games, your pity counter carries over from one banner to the next. In others, it resets with each new banner. It’s critical to know this before spending.
• Currency not usable on all banners: Many games have premium currency (purchasable with real money) and free currency (earned through gameplay), and one may only be usable on certain banners.
• Constellations and Eidolons (duplicates mechanic): In many gacha games, obtaining a duplicate of a character grants additional bonus abilities. Therefore, some players attempt to obtain the same character multiple times.

Popular Gacha Games and Their Unique Systems

Each popular gacha game has its own flavor of pulls, rates, and pity mechanics. Here are some well-known examples that are always discussed in the Filipino gaming community:

• Genshin Impact: Uses a “Wish” system. Base rate for 5-star is 0.6%, soft pity starts at 74 pulls, hard pity at 90 pulls. Has a 50/50 mechanic in event banners.
• Honkai: Star Rail: Similar to Genshin but has a 50/50 as well as a 75-pull soft pity and 90-pull hard pity in character banners.
• Blue Archive: Uses a 3% rate for 3-star units in regular pulls and has a spark system (pity that allows direct selection of a character after a set number of pulls).
• Wuthering Waves: Has a higher base rate of 0.8% for 5-star and a faster pity system compared to some competing gachas.
• Fate/Grand Order (FGO): Known for relatively low rates and limited pity system, making it challenging for players to get the servants they want.

Frequently Asked Questions about Gacha Mechanics (FAQ)

What is the difference between gacha and loot boxes?

Gacha and loot boxes share the same concept — both provide random rewards in exchange for in-game currency or real money. The main difference is the context and structure. Gacha games are typically centered around obtaining characters or items through pulls, while loot boxes are often an additional feature in games that are not inherently gacha-based. Additionally, gacha games usually have more elaborate pity systems and rate transparency.

What does “guaranteed” mean in a gacha banner?

When a gacha banner says an item is “guaranteed,” it means there is a mechanism ensuring you will get it within a set number of pulls. This could be hard pity (you automatically get it on pull X), or a special feature like a spark system where you can choose a specific item after enough pulls. Always read the official terms of the banner to know the exact conditions of the guarantee.

Are gacha games really free for non-paying players?

Yes, most gacha games can be played for free. Free-to-play players earn in-game currency through daily missions, events, story completion, and other gameplay activities. However, the number of pulls free players can obtain is limited compared to paying players. For those who want to remain free-to-play, smart currency saving and being selective about when to spend pull resources are important.

How can I tell if the odds of a gacha game are fair?

The best guide is the official drop rates of the game itself, which are usually found within the game (on the pull screen, under the “Details” or “Rates” button). Legitimate gacha games today release their odds as part of transparency standards. You can also look at community resources and fan wikis that document verified pity information for popular titles.

Does the pity counter reset when a banner ends?

It depends on the game. In Genshin Impact, the pity counter for character event wishes transfers to the next event banner — so if you’re at 80 pulls when a banner ends, you start at 80 pity in the next one. However, pity does not transfer between different types of banners (e.g., from character banner to weapon banner). In other gacha games, pity may reset when the banner ends, so always read the official mechanics.

What is “spark” and how is it different from hard pity?

The spark system (also called “selector” or “guaranteed select”) gives players the ability to choose the exact item they want after a set number of pulls, even if they have already received high rarity rewards before reaching the threshold. It differs from hard pity because hard pity gives a random high rarity item, while spark provides an active choice. The spark system is more player-friendly, but not all gacha games offer this mechanic.

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