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A recent survey conducted in 2025 highlights a troubling trend among young adults in Japan, revealing that almost 20% of individuals in their twenties are facing challenges in meeting basic living expenses due to their spending habits on in-game purchases associated with Gacha-style games.
The surge in popularity of Gacha games, especially with the success of titles like Genshin Impact, has contributed significantly to this phenomenon.
Gacha games are similar to traditional capsule toy machines, allowing players to spend money for a chance to obtain specific in-game items, characters, or cosmetic features. This model often leads players to make unpredictable financial decisions, sometimes resulting in substantial expenditures over time.
Gacha games are so addictive, some Japanese players struggle to cover living expenses
As the trend continues, an online survey from Japan’s SMBC Consumer Finance Corporation found that nearly 20% of young adults reported difficulty in affording essential living costs, such as housing, attributed to their engagement with Gacha games.
The findings from the survey indicated that 18.8% confessed to spending so much on in-game purchases that it hindered their ability to cover daily expenses, while an additional 23.9% expressed regrets regarding their spending behaviors related to in-game transactions.
Intriguingly, the report also highlighted a rise in the proportion of players engaging in microtransactions and Gacha games, with numbers climbing from 15.8% in 2024 to 21.6% in 2025, marking a 5.8% increase in just one year.
Despite the growing number of players, the average spending on microtransactions saw a noticeable decline. In 2024, the typical expenditure for young adults was approximately 5,138 yen ($35.85 USD) per month, but this figure dropped to 4,247 yen ($29.63 USD) in 2025.
The conversation around microtransactions has gained momentum in gaming circles, with increasing scrutiny on perceived predatory practices. This has attracted the attention of regulatory bodies, prompting actions such as the European Union’s initiative to mandate that games disclose the real-life costs of in-game items alongside their virtual prices.
Source
www.dexerto.com