The Blue Archive 5.5th anniversary showcase started off well, with fans excited about several new reveals, including a brand new game mode. But that excitement didn’t last long. Once the developers revealed changes to the game’s pity system, the mood shifted fast, and now it’s the only thing players across all servers are talking about.

Under the old system, Blue Archive used what’s known as a spark system. Every pull on a banner earned the player one point, and once a player collected 200 points, those points could be exchanged for one character from the current rate-up banners. Since multiple rate-up banners often ran at the same time, players had the freedom to choose which character to exchange their points for. If a player went the full 200 pulls without getting a rate-up character naturally, they could use their 200 points to guarantee one. If they got lucky and pulled a rate-up character before reaching 200 pulls, they could still use their remaining points toward the other rate-up character or its fragments, which are used to upgrade characters.

【新情報⑰】
7月29日(水)メンテナンス後より、生徒募集の仕様がリニューアルされます！

「呼び出しポイント」の廃止に伴い、新たに「呼び出しチャージ」や「募集回数特典」が実装されます。

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※詳細はこちらの画像にてご確認ください#ブルアカ#ブルアカらいぶほっとの三段活用SP pic.twitter.com/w5LqsGYt9D

— ブルーアーカイブ公式 (@Blue_ArchiveJP) July 26, 2026

The new system removes the spark mechanic entirely. In its place is a system built around pity resets, similar to what’s used in other well known gacha games like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. Every 100 pulls now gives a 50% chance of landing a rate-up character. If a player loses that fifty-fifty chance, the rate-up character is guaranteed by the 200th pull. However, once a player receives a rate-up character, their pity count resets back to zero.

This change affects players differently depending on what they’re trying to get. For someone who only wants one specific rate-up character, the new system can actually work out better. But for players who want both rate-up characters from a banner, the new system is considered a downgrade. Under the old system, a player who pulled one rate-up character within their first 190 pulls could spend just 10 more pulls to hit the 200 point mark and grab a second rate-up character, meaning it was possible to get both characters within 200 pulls. Under the new system, getting a rate-up character early no longer carries that same benefit. Pity simply resets to zero, and the player may need up to another 200 pulls just to have a shot at the second character.

Reaction from the community has been largely negative since the announcement. On social media, players have compared the new system unfavorably to those used by other gacha games. One Japanese fan on X said the change felt like copying a system fans of other games have long complained about. Another player said the change made them lose motivation to keep playing altogether, calling the timing of a mid service gacha overhaul, paired with what they see as a downgrade, hard to accept.

マジで今からでもいいので今までのガチャ仕様に戻してください。
サービスの途中にガチャ仕様を変更することがそもそもありえないし、しかも改悪仕様に変更なのでブルアカ熱めちゃくちゃあったのに一気にやる気失くし増した。
普通に引退案件です。

— りんご (@applesuraimu) July 26, 2026

For now, developers have not announced any changes in response to the criticism. Whether the new pity system stays as is or gets adjusted will likely depend on how loud the pushback continues to be in the days ahead.