Gacha games tend to be limited to games made outside the US, but it seems like Destiny: Rising is falling down a path that opens this up to American development. However, since the game is being made outside the US, that’s not really the case.
Gacha games are here to stay, and so seeing them in a big franchise shouldn’t be surprising. Those who love Destiny 2 and wanted the next game in the Destiny franchise to be based on skill will be disappointed.
Is Destiny: Rising Another Gacha Clone?
Yes, unfortunately, Destiny: Rising is undeniably a gacha game, and its core mechanics are deeply rooted in the gacha model. This means the game relies heavily on randomized pulls and microtransactions to generate revenue, which is a common practice in many mobile games. The gameplay revolves around collecting characters, each with unique abilities, weapons, and skill sets, mirroring the familiar gacha formula where players spend in-game currency or real money to acquire these characters.
One of the most prominent aspects of Destiny: Rising that confirms its gacha nature is the draw system. Players use in-game currency, obtained through various activities, to make “draws,” which offer a chance to obtain new characters, cosmetic items, weapons, and other resources. The odds of obtaining the rarest characters, such as Mythic characters, are typically quite low, creating an incentive for players to make more pulls in hopes of obtaining them.
The game will feature different banners, including a standard banner with a rotating limited banner. These banners are central to the gacha experience, and the rarity of the characters and the mechanics built around them are key to the monetization strategy.
While Destiny: Rising tries to incorporate elements of the Destiny universe, like strikes, raids, and familiar characters, the gacha mechanics are a core component that defines the game. The monetization model, revolving around randomized pulls and microtransactions, places it squarely in the gacha genre.
What Does “Gacha” Mean in Destiny: Rising?
If you’re not familiar with the term “gacha,” it’s basically a way for games to make money by having you spend in-game currency to get random stuff. Think of it like opening a loot box, but the whole game is built around it. You never know exactly what you’re going to get with each “pull” or “draw,” in Destiny: Rising, and that element of chance is the whole point.
In Destiny: Rising, the gacha mechanic is all about getting new characters. You use a special in-game currency, like “Bonvoyage charms,” to pull from a pool of characters. The game has different banners for these pulls. There’s a standard one that’s always there, but then there are these limited-time banners with new, more powerful characters that show up for a while and then go away. The catch is that the odds of getting those top-tier characters are usually super low. The rarest characters have the lowest drop rates, which is pretty common in these types of games.
To be fair, they do have a “pity” system. For example, after you make a certain number of draws, you’re guaranteed to get a Mythic character. This is a good way to keep players going and maybe even encourage them to spend some money to get to that guaranteed reward faster.
The gacha system isn’t just for characters, either. You can also get other cool items like weapon skins, Ghost shells, emotes, and other in-game goodies. Every single draw is a chance to get a random item from a pool, and just like with the characters, the rarer items are the hardest to get. It’s a system that’s definitely designed to make you think about spending real money to get the best stuff. While you can make progress without paying, the game really encourages you to open your wallet for those big benefits.
So, the gacha element in Destiny: Rising basically adds a bit of a gambling feel to the game. For some people, that’s the fun of it; the excitement of a chance to get a super rare item. However, it can also lead to a “pay-to-win” situation, where players who spend more money have a big advantage over those who don’t.
How Do the Gacha Mechanics Work in Destiny: Rising?
Instead of the usual classes like Hunter, Titan, or Warlock, you’ll be collecting different characters in Destiny: Rising with their own unique playstyles and personalities. The catch is that you’re going to get them through a draw system.
The main way to get these new characters is by using in-game currencies like Bond Voyage charms and Lumia leaves, which you earn just by playing the game and completing quests. Every time you use this currency, you’re making a “pull” from the gacha system, hoping to get a high-tier Mythic character.
The odds of getting one start out pretty low, but they get better with every single pull that doesn’t get you a Mythic character, guaranteeing you one after a certain number of draws, like 60. This setup is designed to keep you pulling and pulling until you finally get that top-tier character you’re after.
What Are the Different Gacha Elements?
Destiny: Rising is incorporating gacha elements into its monetization strategy, and it looks like the game is aiming to get players to spend money on in-game pulls. The most prominent feature is the draw system, where you use an in-game currency called “Bond Voyage charms” to acquire characters and items.
You can earn these charms by playing the game, completing quests and triumphs, and possibly through the battle pass, which gives players a free-to-play way to get pulls. But it’s clear the game is designed to encourage spending, as getting these charms can be pretty slow without buying them.
The whole draw system is built around getting Mythic characters, which are the top tier in the game. These are the main goal of the gacha system, and your chance of getting one is based on probability, starting at just 1%. This may be good to play on your PC in the background if you don’t want to waste phone battery waiting to draw a good character.
This system is designed to get you to keep pulling, hoping to get lucky before you hit that guaranteed pull. It’s a classic way to keep players engaged and spending.
Beyond characters, the draws also give you other rewards like cosmetic items, ornaments, and ghost shells, as well as vehicles and resources for upgrades. These are handed out in a “knockout” system, where you get a set of items for every 10 draws. When you pull, the boxes empty and you get a random assortment of stuff.
There are two different draw pools in the game: a standard banner where characters are always available and a limited banner with new, more powerful characters that are released over time. The standard banner is always there, and it offers a discount on the first 50 draws.
On the other hand, the limited banner guarantees you a Mythic character within 60 draws. This gives players a choice of where to spend their charms and adds a dynamic element to the game’s character roster. Plus, if you get a duplicate character, you earn “Fortuna crystals,” which you can use to further enhance your characters through the talent tree, essentially boosting their power.
Ultimately, the gacha elements in Destiny: Rising are all about encouraging spending. The game is structured to maximize how much players spend, with a system that gives you a chance to get characters and items while constantly pushing you to spend more to get the best rewards and be the top player. It’s all designed to get you to spend your money often to get those top-tier rewards.
