In a 2025 survey, it was found that approximately one out of five young adults (aged 20) in Japan had faced financial difficulties covering their daily costs because they spent a significant portion of their income on buying items within Gacha-type online games.
Over time, gacha games have witnessed a significant surge in their popularity. A big factor contributing to this increase is the success of prominent games such as Genshin Impact.
These games, much like the Gashapon capsule toys they’re reminiscent of, provide an opportunity for players to spend money in order to potentially receive a specific item inside the game, whether it’s a unique character, costume, or cosmetic feature.
Gacha games offer unpredictable outcomes, and certain gamers may splurge substantial sums of money in pursuit of the characters they feel they absolutely need.
Gacha games are so addictive, some Japanese players struggle to cover living expenses
It’s become quite apparent that the popularity of Gacha games is reaching unprecedented heights, leading to a situation where an online survey conducted by Japan’s SMBC Consumer Finance Corporation in 2025 revealed that approximately one out of five young adults in their twenties in Japan were having difficulty affording essential expenses like rent, largely due to their excessive spending on Gacha games.
It was found in the survey that approximately one out of five participants acknowledged a past instance where they overspent on in-game purchases to an extent that left them struggling to meet their basic living costs, and around a quarter expressed regret over the money they’ve spent on in-game transactions.
Intriguingly, a recent study by SMBC revealed a 5.8% hike in gamers who spend on microtransactions and Gacha games over the past year. This figure climbed from 15.8% in the year 2024 to 21.6% in 2025.
Despite an increasing number of individuals investing in in-game purchases, the average amount being spent has shown a consistent downward trend. For instance, Japanese individuals aged around 20 years old were spending approximately 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) each month on microtransactions in 2024. However, by 2025, this figure had dropped to just 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) per month—a decrease in spending.
Discussion about microtransactions within gaming circles has grown significantly, as players accuse major game creators of using “aggressive” or “exploitative” tactics. In some cases, governments are stepping into the fray too, like the European Union passing laws that mandate games to display the actual cost of in-game items when using digital currency.
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2025-04-16 23:48