# Gacha

- Term: Digital term
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/gacha/

> A monetization mechanic, named after Japanese capsule-toy vending machines, in which players spend currency on random draws for characters or items. It became central to Japanese mobile RPGs in the early 2010s; Japan banned the complete gacha variant in 2012.

A monetization mechanic, named after Japanese capsule-toy vending machines, in which players spend currency on random draws for characters or items. It became central to Japanese mobile RPGs in the early 2010s; Japan banned the complete gacha variant in 2012.

**Origin:** From gashapon capsule-toy machines; widely adopted in Japanese mobile games from the early 2010s.

## Quick answers

**What does "Gacha" mean?**
A monetization mechanic, named after Japanese capsule-toy vending machines, in which players spend currency on random draws for characters or items. It became central to Japanese mobile RPGs in the early 2010s; Japan banned the complete gacha variant in 2012.

**Where does the term "Gacha" come from?**
From gashapon capsule-toy machines; widely adopted in Japanese mobile games from the early 2010s.

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From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.