What is a gacha game?

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Table of Contents What does gacha mean? Is gacha just gambling? Why are gacha games popular?

Some of the most popular video games of the current decade are part of a genre known as gacha, but what really does this word mean? Why are gacha games so popular, and how are they making so much money? Anyone unfamiliar with the term gacha will inevitably ask these questions, and we have answers to them.

From games like Genshin Impact to Wuthering Waves, and now Infinity Nikki, these games all share the gacha name and have many similarities in terms of game mechanics. These aren’t the only beloved gacha games, as there are dozens, if not hundreds of other gacha games that have captured the hearts — and wallets — of millions of gamers. Here’s everything you need to know about gacha games.

What does gacha mean?

Gacha games are games in which players are encouraged to use real-life money to unlock randomized items in a loot box-type system. The term gacha originated in Japan and comes from the word gachapon, which is a type of machine where you put in tokens and receive a capsule containing a random toy.

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Gacha games grant players the option to spend money on in-game currency that can purchase randomized rewards, but this currency is also earnable for free while playing the game itself. These games have a free-to-play (F2P) model that allows players to not spend a dime and still take a chance on “pulls” to see if they get the reward that they want. Otherwise, gacha games heavily incentivize players to spend real money for more chances to win that special character, weapon, or other in-game item they desire.

Just like how gachapon machines tell you which items you may receive by spending money, players also have a sense of their chances of