Video Games News

Home

Quizzes

Newsletter

Destiny Rising Gacha System Feels Generous—But It’s a Trap

Originally posted on Total Apex Gaming | By Mollie Dominy | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 8:32 AM ET

Destiny Rising just launched, and if you’re coming from Destiny 2 or any other non-gacha ecosystem, the first few hours might feel like Christmas morning. You’re pulling five-star Guardians left and right, the currency flow is steady, and the game doesn’t immediately shove microtransactions down your throat. It’s smooth. It’s exciting. It’s bait.

This is textbook gacha psychology: flood the player with early wins, make them feel lucky, and build the illusion that this pace is sustainable. Spoiler—it’s not.

The First Taste Is Free, But the Grind Is Coming

Gacha games are built on scarcity disguised as generosity. Destiny Rising starts strong, handing out premium pulls like candy. But that honeymoon phase is short-lived. Once you’re past the intro content, the currency drip slows to a crawl, and those five-star Guardians become elusive unicorns.

The game’s pull system avoids some genre sins—like the dreaded 50/50 fail rate on banner characters—but don’t let that fool you. The grind is coming. And unless you’re saving every gem for a pity pull, you’ll be stuck rerolling four-stars while whales flex their meta squads.

Free-to-Play Is Possible—But It’s Not Always Fun

Let’s be clear: Destiny Rising isn’t unplayable without spending money. You can absolutely run free-to-play builds and still clear most content. The game’s shooter mechanics reward skill, and lower-tier Guardians aren’t useless. But the dopamine hit of pulling a shiny five-star? That’s what the system is designed to sell.

If you’re disciplined, you can stockpile currency and snipe banners when they drop. But if you’re impulsive—or just unlucky—you’ll feel the grind hard. And that’s when the monetization model starts whispering sweet nothings about “just one more pull.”

Destiny Rising’s Gacha System Is About Want, Not Need

Image of Destiny Rising courtesy of Bungie

Like most gacha games, Destiny Rising is more about want than need. You don’t need the top-tier Guardians to play. But you’ll want them. Because they look cooler. Because they hit harder. Because they’re the ones everyone’s talking about on Reddit and Discord.

It’s the illusion of necessity that drives spending. And Destiny Rising nails that illusion with precision. The early generosity builds trust. The slowdown builds tension. And the banner drops build urgency. It’s a loop designed to keep you chasing.

Manage Expectations Before You Burn Out

If you’re new to gacha, here’s the reality: the game will get stingier. The pulls will get weaker. And unless you’re ready to grind or spend, your roster will plateau. That doesn’t mean the game’s bad—it means it’s playing by genre rules.

So manage your expectations. Enjoy the early rush, but don’t expect it to last. And if you start feeling the burn, take a break. Because burnout is real, and gacha games are built to exploit it.

Final Thoughts: Destiny Rising Is Slick, But Don’t Get Played

Destiny Rising is polished, fun, and surprisingly generous—for now. But that generosity is the angler fish’s lure, not a promise. Gacha systems are designed to hook you early and slow you down later, like that second helping at the buffet you swore wouldn’t make you sick. If you know what you’re getting into, then play until your heart’s content. If not, you’ll be wondering why your pulls lack that certain, lucky attribute that has you saying, “Well, maybe the next one!”.

Play smart. Pull smarter. And remember: in gacha, the house always wins.

This article first appeared on Total Apex Gaming and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: