Gambling for wishes

How Genshin Impact hooks players chasing highs

Story by Calvin Lowe

Published Sept. 24, 2026

Faruzan, a character from Genshin Impact, wields “artifacts,” items that enhance characters’ abilities and stats throughout the game. // Photo by Allie Van Parys

A sword-wielding animated character dressed in a blue tunic races across a grassy mountaintop, his long blonde hair swaying in the wind. He reaches the edge of a cliff and jumps. A glider appears, allowing him to soar through the sky. Below him dirt paths wind between clusters of trees and a narrow stream glints in the sunlight. If you thought this was the video game “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” you’d be wrong. It’s actually “Genshin Impact,” one of the most popular gacha games. 

Sabina Davis is a Western alumna who has been playing the game on and off since December 2020.

“It kind of piqued my interest just from the fact that I was really into Breath of the Wild and it looked pretty similar,” Davis said. 

Most video games have an upfront cost and contain no other transactions. Gacha games are free to play, but entice players to buy in-game currencies to use for the chance to obtain a desired character or weapon. Genshin features in-game purchases, often cosmetics, weapons or playable characters obtained through microtransactions. Gacha comes from the Japanese word “gachapon,” which is a coin-operated toy capsule machine. While people spend money at gachapon machines for a chance at a desired toy, in Genshin Impact, players can exchange an in-game currency called primogems for “fates” used to make  “wishes,” or randomized draws, for a chance to obtain a five-star character or weapon. 

Though Davis has only spent about $10 on the game, she has invested countless hours.

“If you feel like you're spending every single day grinding in the game just to get like a ten-pull or whatever, that was sort of the addiction side that I have faced where I spend a lot of time just to get something that might not even get me anything,” Davis said. “Then I feel like at the end of the day, I'm like, ‘oh, I just wasted my time for nothing.’”

In Genshin Impact, the chances of obtaining a five-star character begin to rise after the player’s 74th wish, with the odds increasing with each subsequent pull. This is known as the soft pity system. If a player still has not received a five-star character after 89 wishes, the game guarantees one on the 90th wish. This is known as the hard pity system. Many players hope to obtain a five-star character well before reaching the 90-wish threshold.

Characters are only available for a short amount of time during a “character banner,” which can last a few weeks. Once the time limit is up, that character is replaced with another. Players who want to obtain a specific character may have to wait months for another chance to pull them.

“I think with every gacha game, it's this whole thing of ‘fear of missing out’ or like they keep releasing characters,” Davis said. 

As a Western student, Davis would sometimes play Genshin Impact until 4 a.m.

Genshin Impact is a prime example of how modern games are designed to keep players engaged for long periods of time through story progression, grinding systems, daily rewards and limited-time events. Many players lose track of time while trying to finish quests or collect resources, often playing much later into the night than intended, said Kelly Frost, executive director and counselor at Clarity Mental Health and Recovery in Bellingham.  

For those who don’t want to spend much money, players can play the game for hours and complete daily goals to obtain rewards, which can include primogems. However, those who spend money can progress through the game much faster. 

“I feel like the game is definitely addictive and you either spend your time or your money on it, or both,” Davis said. “I feel like you know that you're getting addicted money-wise, once you're like, ‘I need to get this character,’ … you get this exhilaration with spending.”

Clarity Mental Health and Recovery has treated gaming addicts in the past. Frost says that one of the biggest warning signs of video game addiction is when gaming starts interfering with daily life. 

“People may stay up all night playing, neglect work, school, hygiene, or relationships and become irritable or anxious when they cannot play,” Frost said. “A common pattern is that gaming becomes less about entertainment and more about escaping stress, loneliness, depression or emotional discomfort. Many people struggling with compulsive gaming also report feeling stuck in cycles of binge gaming followed by guilt or shame.”

Malachi-Jacob Taub is a Western student and member of the WWU Game Design Club, a student organization that welcomes anyone with a passion for creating games. He can attest to Genshin Impact’s pull. 

“Whenever I get hooked into a story bit, I usually can’t stop playing…not until I finally reach that goal,” Taub said. “I usually end up staying way past midnight.”

For those trying to beat their addiction, it may be easier said than done. 

Jen Lois, a sociology professor at Western, teaches a class on deviant behavior. She recommends that people not attempt to curb their addiction by themselves. 

“Sociologically, there are patterns to trying to quit some kind of deviant behavior,” she said. “If you just quit, you don’t solve the problem that’s causing you to do the behavior. So you turn to something else.” 

Video games activate the brain’s reward system through achievement, anticipation and constant stimulation. It’s difficult to stop because gaming often becomes a person’s primary coping mechanism, social outlet or achievement — catalysts for addiction. 

“Treatment for compulsive gaming behaviors focus on understanding the underlying emotional and psychological factors driving the behavior rather than labeling games themselves as the problem,” Frost said. 

The worst problem a Genshin player can have is overspending. “Whale” is a term that describes Genshin players who spend thousands of dollars to obtain desired characters. Players who struggle with self-control can lead themselves into financial distress for short-term gratification.

“If you're a whale, a broke college student and you have a really bad gambling addiction, that is actively detrimental to your life,” Davis said. “Think about whether this all is worth it to you. Think about other stuff that you could spend money on instead. I know it could be pretty difficult for anyone who's addicted. If I had less financial willpower, my funds would also be siphoned.”