Android remains the dominant OS in countries like India, Indonesia, Brazil, and parts of Africa, providing indie studios with a large audience eager for content and more likely to download experimental games from unknown developers.
Aniimo is a creature-collecting gacha game currently in closed beta, aiming for a broader launch in 2026. It features multiplayer functionality, allowing players to explore and battle together, and includes interactive elements with aniimos in the open world. Despite some intriguing features, Aniimo struggles to stand out in a crowded market of gacha games. Industry sentiments indicate growing fatigue with the genre, and competition from upcoming titles like Hoyoverse's Honkai: Nexus Anima may impact its success.
The anime gacha game market is becoming increasingly similar, with Genshin Impact as a dominant influence. New titles often struggle to differentiate themselves, leading to a saturation of open-world action RPGs with collectible anime characters. Arknights: Endfield introduces a unique factory-building mechanic, allowing players to mine materials and manage conveyor belt systems, which sets it apart from typical gacha games. Honkai: Star Rail is noted for its turn-based gameplay and humor, while other titles like Zenless Zone Zero and Genshin Impact feature vibrant character designs but face challenges with monetization strategies that can detract from gameplay enjoyment. Despite the innovations in Endfield, it still caters to the Genshin Impact audience, highlighting a desire for more engaging gameplay without the complexities of traditional action RPGs.
The author has been involved in gacha games and RNG mechanics for over a decade, starting with mobile games like Love Live! School Idol Festival. They transitioned to various titles, including Genshin Impact, which launched in 2020 and expanded the gacha genre's audience. The author notes the overwhelming number of games from HoYoverse, such as Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero, and expresses concern about the sustainability of the market due to the rapid release of new titles and the fear of missing out. They highlight the transient nature of live service games, with many shutting down within a year, leading to doubts about investing time and money in them. Despite these concerns, the author still feels a desire for the excitement of gacha games and their character-driven narratives, suggesting that a reduction in the number of available titles could enhance the gaming experience.
Umamusume: Pretty Derby is a game created by Cygames that allows players to train anime horse girls at Tracen Academy to compete in the URA Finale competition. Each horse girl has their own story and goals, and players must train them properly to help them achieve their dreams. The game features voice acting, animations, music, and mechanics that make it stand out, and the excitement of watching close races adds to the overall experience.
In 2025, PC gaming has seen a resurgence in sports titles, with notable trends emerging. EA's free-to-play skateboarding game, Skate, achieved the most successful launch of any sports game on Steam this year, peaking at 134,901 concurrent users (CCU) but has since dropped to weekly peaks of 8,000 to 10,000 CCU. EA Sports FC 26 peaked at 100,283 CCU, lower than its predecessors, and maintains weekend peaks of 60,000 to 80,000 CCU. Rematch peaked at 92,841 CCU but has only retained around 4,000 players during peak times. Umamusume: Pretty Derby reached 87,453 CCU globally and attracts 17,000 to 20,000 PC players each weekend. Football Manager 26 launched with 84,909 CCU and maintains weekend peaks of around 60,000 CCU. Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road achieved 52,795 CCU with a user rating of 90 percent. NBA 2K26 peaked at 32,081 CCU, down over 20,000 from its predecessor, while F1 25 peaked at 22,595 CCU. Madden NFL 26 peaked at 6,600 CCU, while Madden NFL 24 remains the most popular entry with 9,526 CCU.
Resonance Solstice, released at the end of October, is a real-time card-battling game combined with train simulation, set in a fractured continent where players rebuild connections. The game features complex mechanics, including various types of in-game currency, economic strategies, and interactions with anime characters. Initial user reviews on Steam are mixed, citing a lengthy tutorial, stamina limitations, and narrative issues, while some players appreciate the train mechanics and economic management. The game's social media engagement has been low, and it has struggled to generate buzz compared to competing gacha titles. Despite the challenges, the development team has received praise for their previous title and the introduction of a free battle pass may enhance player engagement.
Pan Studio's Duet Night Abyss is a fantasy anime game that avoids the traditional gacha model by allowing players to acquire characters through in-game farming and collecting Character Shards, rather than through monetary transactions. The game eliminates time-gated energy systems, enabling players to engage with content at their own pace. Revenue is generated through cosmetic gacha mechanics, which do not affect gameplay. The game draws inspiration from titles like Warframe and aims to blend respectful monetization with engaging gameplay elements.
Duet Night Abyss allows players to unlock every character without traditional gacha mechanics, requiring players to earn 30 of a character's thoughts to add them to their roster. The top characters at launch include:
- S Tier: Psyche, Fina, Truffle, Filbert
- A Tier: Daphne, Rebecca, Lynn, Randy, Tabethe, Yale, Oliver
- B Tier: Outsider, Berenica, Fushu, Hellfire, Lisbell, Phantasio, Rhythm, Randy
- C Tier: Lady Nifle, Margie, Sibylle
Psyche can be unlocked for free via the Covert Commissions system and is available for purchase in the shop. Fina can also be unlocked through Covert Commissions or purchased from the store. Lisbell is unlocked by completing the chapter Noctoyager [On a Gentle Breeze]. Truffle and Filbert require players to complete the quests Go, Geniemons! and Tutorial: Covert Commissions. Fina will become available on November 25, with additional characters Kezhou, Fushu, Yuming, and Zhiliu expected in patch 1.1, while Hilda is confirmed for release after patch 1.1.
The character tier list for Stella Sora at launch includes:
- S Tier: Gerie, Ridge, Nazuna, Chitose
- A Tier: Minova, Flora, Noya, Teresa, Cosette, Freesia, Chixia, Mistique, Tilia, Nonoha, Ann
- B Tier: Canace, Jinglin, Caramel
- C Tier: Kasimara, Coronis, Iris
- F Tier: Laru, Shimiao, Amber
All characters except Chitose can be obtained for free from the starting banner. The tier list focuses on four and five-star characters, excluding equippable discs. Duplicate pulls can unlock new passive abilities, allowing some four-star characters to outperform five-star ones.
Players can perform a complimentary 10-pull summon after completing the prologue, with the option to reroll up to 20 times during the tutorial banner. To continue pulling from the standard banner, players must reach level 4 and complete the first page of Growth missions for additional gems.
When rerolling, players should aim for one five-star damage character from the S-tier and several top-tier four-star characters, ideally from Vanguard or Support roles. A balanced team should consist of a Vanguard, Support, and Attacker. Players can replace any of the five saved pulls if desired.