Gacha games, like Japanese gachapon machines, offer randomized pulls—via loot boxes or limited banners—to win characters or gear. Spanning genres from real-time strategy, turn-based role-playing games (RPGs) to massive multiplayer online RPGs, hits like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail wow players with their flashy visuals, intriguing lore, and captivating soundtracks. Through these features, gacha systems prey on impulses, as paid transactions fuel a disguised monetizing machine.
Thirdy Romero (II, BSIS) and Sophie Sy (BSCS, ‘25) both began their foray into the world of gacha gaming on a friend’s invitation. Meanwhile, renowned gaming guide creator Sevy or SevyPlays on YouTube and Twitch first dove into the Hoyoverse after Genshin Impact’s Zhongli trailer lured her in. Five years since they stepped into the world of gacha, Sophie revels in the grind of gameplay; Thirdy splurges on exclusive banners to max out characters; and Sevy channels her passion through informative gamer guides.
From innocent introductions to full-fledged gaming routines, their journeys reveal how gambling culture leaks into seemingly harmless games, normalizing addictive loops among younger players.
Pulling planning
“The idea of getting a 0.1 percent [drop-rate] character is extremely enticing,” Thirdy admits. Determined to pursue limited‐time banners, he often burns through in-game resources and his savings. “If it’s not here, it’ll be in the next—that high drives me to keep going,” he says, enthralled by the promise of a game-changing golden pull.
While Thirdy chases rare drops to hasten progression, Sophie’s free-to-play (F2P) approach relies entirely on earned resources and meticulous planning. In her view, paying hands you “the keys to the lock” on premium characters, consequently bypassing the sense of achievement she gains from grinding: “It feels like all the hard work that I’ve earned kind of just gets burned away with some money.”
For F2P players, the stakes remain high even without monetary investment. “You can beat end-game content without swiping, but in exchange for money, you are spending time,” Sevy notes. As such, many players debate whether a weapon or character is worth the purchase.
This conundrum is reflected in the many questions Sevy has received since her Genshin Impact playthrough channel’s launch. To ease her fans’ decision-making, she has since provided informative guides that weigh the pros and cons of pulling for specific items, carving out her niche as she navigates the gacha community alongside her fans.
Beyond fun and games
Gacha games take after other “freemium” game models that offer fun gameplay loops alongside microtransactions that improve the experience. Casino-like tactics like bright lights, lively animations, and beautiful designs further monopolize a player’s attention and spending appetite. In fact, the term “pulling” itself derives its meaning from the act of pulling on a slot machine.
Cognizant of these mechanics, Sophie remarks, “I always say to myself that this is gambling.” Thirdy and Sevy also recognize it as such, with Sevy stressing its appeal of “gambling without being told it’s gambling.” This thin line has landed video games in hot water before. In 2018, Belgium banned the use of random-chance “loot boxes” in games like Overwatch despite being optional. For the Belgian Gaming Commission, the loot boxes were considered a form of gambling easily accessible to children.
As developers profit from gambling-like systems, players have developed their own labels around spending. The term “whale,” for instance, describes someone who has funneled an exorbitant amount of money into games. “I think I spent around P5000 in one afternoon,” shares Thirdy, a so-called “dolphin,” a player who sits between an F2P and a whale.
Such high numbers become less surprising when one considers the deceptive “dark patterns” that trick players into spending, usually through transactions that help players progress. The fear of missing out is also similarly exploited through time-sensitive events with must-have characters, driving impulsive purchases before the opportunity disappears. “That person will never get to access that event again if they don’t play it now,” Sevy emphasizes.
Despite this, gamers still play and spend even while aware of such schemes. “If the gameplay is really good, it’s my way of supporting the company,” explains Thirdy. To them, they are simply paying the price of having fun and sustaining that enjoyment.
Winner takes all
The addictive aspect may entice players to keep rolling, but it’s the other parts of the gameplay that keep them engaged. The simplicity of the gacha system and its pay-to-win scheme forces players to critique games for their mechanics, design, and world-building. Sophie remarks, “Being free-to-play has made me engage with the game[‘s] mechanics. [Watching] whale showcases on YouTube is very fun, but I think the most fun I’ve had with any gacha game really is just using whatever [bad] units I have to build a really great team.”
Meanwhile, Sevy appreciates content creators who highlight alternatives to spending. “I really value those who try to lessen the blow of the gacha gambling by giving as much information as possible related to what you get if you spend, and how you can make up for any gameplay gaps even if you don’t,” she claims, emphasizing the need for content that doesn’t punish players for missing out.
But even if players do miss out on content, Thirdy reminds, “[Limited drops] are always going to come back. That’s just [the developers’] way of hooking you in. If you really want to spend, just make sure you know what you’re doing.” Gachas never truly guarantee a win, so with real money at stake, players have much more to lose than a mere 50/50. Sevy asserts that players must stay vigilant against a system that ultimately works against them.
Risk and reward drive the thrill of gacha games, but players must remember to keep them as just that: games. As immersive as some games may be, losses in a fantasy world are fleeting. There are always counterstrategies to overcome insurmountable trials, and any true gamer knows victory comes sweetest with every bit of effort it takes to get it.
This article was published in The LaSallian‘s October 2025 issue. To read more, visit bit.ly/TLSOct2025.
