Genshin Impact leak claims new gacha-less character unlock system coming soon

Andrew Amos
Yae Miko in Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact players might soon be able to unlock new characters and weapons without having to use precious Primogems in the game’s gacha banners. A new gacha-less method to obtain is reportedly in the works for release in 2022.

Genshin Impact’s gacha system has been widely criticized by players since the game’s 2020 launch — as it rakes miHoYo in millions.

It can be a cruel mistress, having to dabble with prohibitive pity rates ⁠— and even the 50/50s ⁠— to try and unlock your favorite character. By the time you roll them, you don’t even have enough to invest into new weapons for the rest of your squad.

The gacha system isn’t the most free-to-play friendly, but a new system is on its way that could help players unlock the characters and weapons they need.

Arataki Itto outside a house in Genshin Impact
Just want to unlock your favorite Genshin Impact characters without worrying about gacha? Change could be coming.

According to a leak from insider Ubatcha1 on December 14, “a method to obtain standard weapons and possibly characters [is coming]. This would of course not be through gacha.”

How exactly the system remains to be seen. Players have theorized miHoYo will implement a “fragment system” like Honkai Impact 3rd to potentially unlock new characters and weapons.

In Honkai, fragments can be used to rank up characters (akin to constellations), with players earning them through boss fights and rotating in-game shops.

Genshin Impact already has a shop, of sorts, to buy four-star characters and weapons on rotation in the Starglitter Exchange. However, they still rely on rolling on banners and the gacha element to farm currency.

https://twitter.com/Ubatcha1/status/1470873188011810828

The implementation of a new method of unlocking characters ⁠without gacha will be welcomed by free-to-play Genshin Impact players, but it’s not confirmed yet. If the new system does ship, it won’t be until “mid-way through 2022 at best”, Ubatcha1 stated.

For now, players just have to do their best with the gacha system in Genshin Impact. Thankfully, there are some ways of getting Primogems for free, including monthly codes as well as the limited-time offer following The Game Awards 2021.