An essential part of the popular co-op RPG Genshin Impact is the gacha system. A form of gambling to obtain more characters or weapons. We at MeinMMO explain to you how the gacha works and how much pay-to-win is really behind it.
What is the gacha system? The word gacha comes from the Asian region and refers to the gambling machines in the very loud arcades of Japan. The term does not come from “gotcha”, but from “gachapon” (that’s what the machines are called).
In the mobile gaming market, in-game shops became increasingly popular as a way to finance free-to-play games a few years ago, and they were called gacha games. In these shops, you often spend real money to obtain random loot. Similar to the controversial loot boxes in other games. This can create a feeling of pay-to-win. Genshin Impact also uses this system to finance itself.
What is pay-to-win? Every player defines pay-to-win differently. Basically, it means paying for in-game advantages over other players. For example, by purchasing stronger weapons and armor. Pay-to-win is also widely discussed in our MeinMMO community.
Before we address how pay-to-win Genshin Impact actually is, you need to understand how the gacha system works.
What you need to know about the gacha system in Genshin Impact
The shop in Genshin Impact is simply structured and does not offer many options to spend real money. Many items can be purchased with primogems, which you also obtain in the game. However, to unlock more characters, you also need intertwined fates. With the fates, you can unlock random characters and weapons in the wish.
Primogems, fates, wishes – excuse me, what? We explain the most important terms from the shop.
These are creation crystals: Creation crystals are the premium currency in the game. You can only purchase them in the shop for real money and then exchange them for additional products.
This is primogem: Primogem is also a premium currency in the game that you need to acquire various items like fates from the shop. You cannot purchase primogems directly with real money, but you can exchange them for creation crystals in the shop. Additionally, you can also obtain primogems by completing quests and dungeons, finding chests, and mastering challenges.
These are fates and wishes: To unlock more characters and weapons, you need fates. There are two different types:
- Destined fate
- Intertwined fate
Both can be purchased in the shop for 160 primogems each or 5 star glitter. A limited number of fates can also be acquired for star dust. Star glitter and star dust are shop currencies that you only obtain through wishes. There are also a few fates to collect in the Gnostic experience pass – more on that later.
You can then spend the fates either one at a time or in a pack of 10 for wishes. For each fate spent, you receive a random reward, and after conducting 10 wishes, the pack guarantees a 4-star item.
All 5-star items, whether characters or weapons, are of course highly sought after. However, they have a low chance of 0.6%. So it can happen that you immediately get the best characters from the tier list on the first try, or like others spend thousands of dollars to get your favorite character. However, by the 90th wish, you will certainly receive a 5-star item.
This happens with duplicate characters: If you are in a position to draw a character again in a wish, you will instead receive enhancement materials for the constellations of that character as well as star glitter.
These are star glitter and star dust: In the shop, you can purchase various materials to enhance characters and weapons, or even characters and 4-star equipment with star glitter and star dust.
However, you can only obtain both currencies through the wishes as a sort of byproduct. It is advisable to save especially the star glitter until a desired character is available for purchase. The selection is updated monthly.
What you can purchase with real money in Genshin Impact
As of the current date, October 16, 2020, the actual shop only offers two items that you can buy with real money:
- Creation crystals
- Moonlight blessing
We have already talked about the creation crystals. With them, you can primarily purchase aid packages weekly or exchange them for primogems at a rate of 1:1. You can purchase the creation crystals in packs for €1.09 to €109.99.
This is the moonlight blessing: The moonlight blessing is highly promoted in the shop as recommended, and for those who want to spend money, it’s a good deal.
When purchased for €5.49, you will receive 300 creation crystals worth €5.49 immediately, and for 30 days, you will receive 90 primogems per day. This corresponds to 2700 primogems, which, if you were to purchase them with creation crystals, would have a value of about €40.
The moonlight blessing can also be purchased multiple times. The 300 creation crystals will always be received immediately; however, the amount of primogems remains at 90 per day. With each additional moonlight blessing, the duration merely extends by another 30 days, up to a maximum of 210 days.
This is the only downside: To receive the 90 primogems, you must log into the game daily. If you do not do this, the 90 primogems for the respective day will disappear.
