Destiny Rising’s closed beta has been out for a short time, and while it’s still too early to judge the game’s full potential, one thing is already clear: the monetization system. Since players get full access to the cash shop and gacha mechanics from day one, we can take a closer look at how fair (or unfair) it feels compared to other mobile RPGs.
The Gacha System, Pity, Rate Explains
Destiny Rising runs on a character-focused gacha model, similar to games like Genshin Impact, Tower of Fantasy, and Withering Waves. Here’s how it stacks up:
- Five-Star Rate: 1% base chance (slightly better than HoYoverse titles).
- Hard Pity: 60 pulls (lower than Genshin’s 90 and Withering Waves’ 80).
- No 50/50 Coin Flip: Limited banners guarantee the featured hero, making it less punishing.
- No Weapon Banner: All currency goes toward characters, avoiding split pulls.
The downside is the price per pull—180 premium currency instead of the usual 160, which makes each roll about 12.5% more expensive. Still, thanks to no 50/50, the overall ceiling cost for a character is lower than most competitors.
Low-Spend Options – Monthly, Battlepass, Bundles!
For light spenders, the game does include some decent offers:
- Monthly Card ($5): Grants daily currency plus bonus resources.
- Battle Pass: Cheaper than usual at $5 (premium) and $10 (super premium). Rewards include exotics, cosmetics, and extra pulls.
- $1 Bundle: Comes with a starter character, a skin, and a few pulls (clearly designed to encourage a first purchase).
On paper, these look more generous than many other gacha games.
Predatory Event Events
Things take a turn when you look at the beta-exclusive spending events.
- Rebate Event: Promises a 150% return on purchases made in beta.
- Wolf Skin Event: Offers a premium skin for the main character Wolf.
Sounds fair until you see the fine print:
- The Wolf skin costs 13,800 silver ($115)—but due to restrictions, it actually requires around $220.
- Rebates don’t apply to top-up bonuses, meaning you spend far more than expected.
This creates a situation where what looks like a fair deal quickly turns into whale bait.
Journey Bundles The Real Trap
Another controversial feature is the Journey Bundle system. These unlock as you progress through the story, each one slightly more expensive than the last, but often disguised as a “deal.”
- First bundle: 300 silver (discounted with coupons).
- Later bundles: 600–720 silver, offering pulls, wings, and even 4-star selectors.
- By the time you’ve unlocked 20+ bundles, the cost can run $100–200 worth of currency.
This “progress-based monetization” encourages constant spending and feels more predatory than straightforward gacha pulls.
The Cosmetic Shop
Destiny Rising’s shop is also filled with cosmetics:
- Bright Dust items: Old Destiny 2 assets (ghosts, sparrows, emotes) reused as budget rewards.
- Premium Skins & Shaders: Locked behind silver currency only.
- Four-Star Skins: Mostly just recolors, yet still monetized.
This blends Destiny 2’s Eververse model with gacha monetization—doubling down on pressure to spend.
A Red Flag for the Future?
Destiny Rising’s gameplay and content may have a lot of potential, but its monetization model in closed beta leans too heavily on aggressive tactics. While the gacha itself is fairer than many competitors, the inflated skin prices, journey bundles, and recycled cosmetics undermine that goodwill.
The big question is how free-to-play and low-spending players will fare once the game reaches endgame. If content remains accessible without excessive spending, then Destiny Rising could balance out. But if these systems scale harder at launch, players may feel squeezed rather than supported.
For now, Destiny Rising is still in beta, which means there’s room for change. Hopefully, the developers will adjust their approach before launch. The game has all the ingredients to succeed—but only if it respects players’ time and wallets.