A gacha banner is a pool of randomized in-game rewards, and pity is a game-specific counter or guarantee that limits how many pulls can pass before a reward of a stated rarity is awarded. That guarantee may not give you the featured character or item on the first high-rarity result. Before spending, check the live banner rules and set a real-money cap you can stick to even if you do not get what you want.
What banners and pity mean
Banners define the current reward pool
A banner presents a particular pool of randomized rewards, often with one or more featured items or characters. A pull, wish, or warp is an attempt to receive a reward from that pool. The banner’s details determine which rewards are available and the stated probabilities.
Pity is a game-specific counter or guarantee
Pity limits how many pulls can pass before a reward of a specified rarity is guaranteed. It does not necessarily guarantee the featured reward at that point. Counters can be separate for different banner types, shared by concurrent banners, or carried across reruns; a high-rarity reward may also reset a counter. There is no single industry-wide pity rule.
“Hard pity” and “soft pity” are common player terms, but the official sources cited here do not establish a universal soft-pity definition or threshold. Use the rules disclosed for the specific game and banner rather than assuming a community term means the same thing everywhere.
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How pity works in two HoYoverse games
These examples show why the banner type and the guarantee wording matter. The figures below are from HoYoverse Help Center articles published in September 2025; they are not live-banner listings, and players should verify current details in-game.
| Game and banner | Rarity guarantee | First high-rarity result | Counter or guarantee relationship |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honkai: Star Rail Character Event Warp | A five-star character at least once every 90 Warps | HoYoverse lists a 0.600% base five-star rate and a 1.600% consolidated rate including the guarantee. The figures apply to this named banner, not all gacha games. | Each Warp banner type has its own counter. For the most accurate banner-specific pool and rates, use the in-game View Details screen. HoYoverse Help Center |
| Genshin Impact Character Event Wish | A five-star character within 90 wishes | The first five-star has a 50% chance of being promotional. If it is not promotional, the next five-star is guaranteed to be promotional. | The two concurrent Character Event Wish banners share pity and guarantee status. Character Event Wish and Weapon Event Wish use distinct rules. HoYoverse Help Center |
| Genshin Impact Weapon Event Wish | A five-star weapon within 80 wishes | The first five-star has a 75% chance of being one of the promotional weapons. | This banner has rules distinct from Character Event Wish. Check its current details before pulling. HoYoverse Help Center |
Read “guaranteed” carefully
A rarity guarantee and a featured-item guarantee are different promises. In Genshin Impact’s Character Event Wish example, the 90-wish limit guarantees a five-star character, but the first five-star is promotional only half the time. If it is not promotional, the following five-star is guaranteed promotional. Budgeting only for the rarity limit can therefore underestimate how many wishes may be needed for the featured character.
Base and consolidated rates are different
A base rate describes the listed chance before considering the effect of a guarantee; a consolidated rate includes that guarantee under the game’s stated calculation. For Honkai: Star Rail’s Character Event Warp, HoYoverse lists 0.600% as the base five-star rate and 1.600% as the consolidated rate. These are not interchangeable, and neither should be applied to another game or banner.
What to check on the live banner
Rules and featured pools can change. HoYoverse directs players to the in-game details for current, banner-specific information. On the relevant Wish or Warp screen, open View Details or the Wish details screen and review the rules before spending.
- Which items are in the featured pool, and what rarity is guaranteed?
- How many pulls can pass before that rarity is guaranteed?
- Is the first high-rarity reward guaranteed to be featured, or is there a chance it will not be?
- If it is not featured, what does the next guarantee cover?
- Are counters shared across concurrent banners, separate by banner type, or carried over to a rerun?
- Does the screen distinguish base rates from consolidated rates?
For Honkai: Star Rail, HoYoverse says: “For the most accurate and specific information, including featured items and drop rates, tap the View Details button on the respective Warp screen in-game.” Source
Set a spending limit before you pull
A pull counter does not set a safe spending level. Decide on a maximum real-money amount before a banner creates urgency, and consider the possibility that you will reach the rarity guarantee without receiving the featured reward on the first high-rarity result.
- Choose a cap in real money. Pick an amount you are willing to spend even if you do not get the desired item. Include taxes and platform-specific pricing where they apply.
- Convert the cap into pulls. Use the actual currency bundles and purchase options shown in your region and platform. Bundle sizes, bonuses, and prices vary, so there is no universal cost per pull.
- Check your current counter and guarantee status. Use the game’s own displayed history or banner information where available. A player who is partway to a guarantee may need fewer pulls than someone starting from zero; do not assume a counter carries across banner types.
- Compare the worst case with your cap. Work out how many pulls could be needed for the desired featured reward under that banner’s rules. If that outcome would exceed your limit, stop short of spending toward it.
- Stop when you reach the cap. A personal limit cannot improve the odds, and buying more after reaching it does not make a specific outcome certain unless the published rules say it does.
Consumer-protection context
In a U.S. announcement dated January 17, 2025, the Federal Trade Commission said HoYoverse had agreed to a proposed settlement involving a $20 million payment and a restriction on in-game purchases by children under 16 without parental consent. The FTC described the order as proposed and subject to judicial approval at the time of that announcement; it is not a global age rule. The release also discusses the agency’s allegations about disclosures of odds and transaction costs. FTC announcement
In the same settlement context, Samuel Levine, then Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said: “Genshin Impact deceived children, teens, and other players into spending hundreds of dollars on prizes they stood little chance of winning.” That is Levine’s and the agency’s characterization of the case, not a general finding about every gacha game. FTC announcement
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