Genshin Impact is a popular free-to-play gacha game developed and published by miHoYo. Like many other gacha games, Genshin Impact features a gambling system where players can obtain new characters and weapons through “wishing” using in-game currency. However, the drop rates for rare 5-star characters and weapons are quite low. To help mitigate the frustration of going many wishes without getting anything good, Genshin Impact incorporates a pity system.
This article will provide a comprehensive overview of how the pity system works in Genshin Impact.
What is the Pity System?
The pity system is a mechanic that guarantees players will obtain a certain rarity of item after a set number of wishes without any 5-star items. In Genshin Impact, there are two types of pity – one for 5-star characters/weapons and one for 4-star characters/weapons. The 5-star pity is the more important one since 5-star items like characters tend to be much more powerful.
How the 5-Star Pity System Works
The 5-star pity system in Genshin Impact guarantees a player will receive a 5-star item no later than their 90th wish on a single banner type, if their previous 89 wishes did not already contain a 5-star item. There are a few important things to note:
- Pity is tracked separately for each banner type (character, weapon, standard). Wishes don’t carry over between banners.
- The guaranteed 5-star can be either a character or a weapon, depending on the banner type. Character banners guarantee a character, weapon banners a weapon.
- If the previous 5-star obtained was the featured character/weapon on rate-up, the next 5-star has a 50% chance to be the featured one again.
- If the previous 5-star was not the featured one, the next 5-star is guaranteed to be the featured character/weapon.
- Players are advised to only wish on banners where they want both the featured and non-featured 5-star options for best odds.
So in summary, every 90 wishes on a single banner type, you are guaranteed to get at least one 5-star item. It could be the featured one, or it could be a 50/50 to get the featured one depending on your previous 5-star obtainment.
Soft and Hard Pity
In addition to the hard 90 wish pity threshold, Genshin Impact also has a soft pity system that kicks in earlier to increase 5-star drop rates before the hard pity. The soft pity range is estimated to begin around wish 75. Within this range, the chances of a 5-star rise significantly with each additional wish up until the hard 90 pity is guaranteed to trigger.
While the exact rates are unknown and vary per player, it’s estimated the chances could be as high as 30-40% per wish once soft pity kicks in. So most players can expect to get a 5-star within 80-85 wishes on average. Planning wishes with the soft pity in mind allows players to maximize their odds cost-effectively.
4-Star Pity System
Genshin Impact also has a separate pity system for 4-star items. Every 10 wishes is guaranteed to have at least one 4-star item drop. Unlike the 5-star system, 4-star pity is not a guaranteed featured item – it can be any 4-star. Still, accumulating 4-star items and duplicates helps progress characters.
Managing Pity Across Banners
Keeping track of pity counts is important for maximizing value in Genshin Impact’s wishing system. Some tips for managing pity:
- Only wish on a banner when you’re prepared to reach 90 pity for the 5-star guarantee. Save otherwise.
- Try to maintain enough wishes for 2 5-star pities (180 wishes total) before wishing long-term to avoid disappointment.
- Use the Pity Tracker feature in-game or third-party trackers to accurately log pity progress.
- Consider stopping early once you’ve lost the 50/50 near soft pity to save wishes for future banners.
- Only wish on a banner if you want both featured and standard 5-star options for best odds.
- Be aware that weapon and standard banner pities do not carry over to event character banners.
Conclusion
While wishing relies partially on luck, understanding and managing Genshin Impact’s pity system allows players to maximize their odds of obtaining desired characters and weapons over time. With careful planning around soft/hard pity thresholds, players can feel more in control of their wishing outcomes. The pity system provides a safety net to avoid extreme bad luck and keeps the gambling aspect fair.
