Gacha Impact: Systems, Characters, and the Player Experience of Gacha Games

Gacha games are a broad genre of games that feature monetized Random Reward Mechanisms (RRMs) as a core mechanic—known as the gacha. Gacha games have become increasingly prevalent and popular all across the world, and simultaneously controversial due to their monetization methods. Several studies have examined player motivations in gacha games that differ from gambling psychology, such as agentic play or emotional connections. However, these works primarily focus on specific game subcommunities, thus it is difficult to discern which findings may be generalizable to larger player communities. A broader overview can provide a basis for more nuanced future research and discussion. In most modern gacha games, the gacha rewards characters, which are complex and multi-faceted because of the sociocultural context within which they are produced and consumed. This study conducted an online qualitative survey, which examines gacha game players’ perspectives on gacha game characters and player interactions with them. The survey’s 563 responses were analyzed using iterative reflexive thematic analysis. The findings highlight how gacha games affect how players form relationships with characters through a variety of direct and indirect ways, from the gacha itself to the player’s understanding of the genre as a whole.