Blue Archive has been getting a bad rap from fans as of late, with the game’s Steam version dropping to an “Overwhelmingly Negative” rating based on recent reviews. This is largely related to the new Summoning Charge gacha system (and the way it was announced), which is currently implemented in the game’s Japanese servers. Executive producer Young-ha Kim recently acknowledged players’ frustrations regarding the change and apologized, promising to prioritize a more “stable gaming experience” moving forward.
The Summoning Charge system was announced for Japanese servers on June 28, one day before the release of Blue Archive’s new limited-time summer student banners. It replaces the Summoning Points system, which allowed players to exchange 200 Summoning Points (obtained by pulling for students) for a featured student of their choice.
Summoning Charges work similarly to the gacha systems of HoYoverse titles like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero. At 100 pulls, players are guaranteed a three-star student, with a 50% chance that it will be the featured student. If they do not obtain the featured student, reaching 200 pulls (this includes the previous 100) guarantees that student.
Though it may seem like the two systems aren’t too different from each other, the Summoning Points system allowed players to essentially hoard their points for future students that they might want. In contrast, the Summoning Charge system counter resets whenever players obtain any pickup student, preventing them from building extra points toward a second featured unit. Likewise, the new Recruitment Count perk system, which gives limited-time rewards when reaching specific pull milestones, resets with every new banner.
Since Blue Archive often releases multiple limited-time banners simultaneously (as is the case with the new Satsuki and Makoto swimsuit students), players on the Japanese and global servers are understandably upset by the direction the developers are taking the game, with many boycotting the new gacha system.
In response to fan backlash, executive producer Young-ha Kim posted an apology on his personal X account. According to him, the new gacha system was implemented because his team believed the biggest source of stress for players was when they reached the old pity point without obtaining a pickup student. He also acknowledged that the last-minute release of information regarding the new gacha system, as well as related posts from staff accounts, caused confusion and hurt players’ trust.
Kim did not give an immediate solution to the issue, but promised that “moving forward, his team will “prioritize delivering a stable gaming experience to players above all else.” He added that they will be more considerate with the development process and “provide sufficient guidance” to fans, promising to rebuild player trust by adopting a more responsible approach.
Blue Archive is available for PC (Steam), iOS, and Android.
