Delightworks

Views on Gacha Games and Mechanics from a Canadian Context: A Qualitative Study

This qualitative study examines how Canadian video game players perceive gacha games, a monetization system that lets players spend real money on randomized virtual rewards, and how they distinguish it from loot boxes.

• Canadian players largely see gacha and loot boxes as functionally similar, both involving spending currency for randomized rewards and sharing an element of randomness, with some comparing the experience to slot machines.
• The main perceived difference is that gacha is integral to progression and competitiveness, whereas loot boxes were more often viewed as purely cosmetic.
• Of 29 Canadian gamers who had opened loot boxes, 70% reported familiarity with gacha, with HoYoverse titles the most frequently mentioned, followed by Umamusume: Pretty Derby and Fate/Grand Order.