Neo Artifacts Gacha System Explained: Rates, Pity, 50/50 And F2P Value
Neo Artifacts uses a pretty stingy gacha setup with low SSR rates, a hard pity, and a 50/50 featured‑unit system that can feel rough if you are used to more generous games. The upside is that pity and guarantees do exist, so long‑term play still slowly pushes you toward rate‑up units even as a free‑to‑play player.
Base rates and banner types
During the EN/JP/TW beta, players dug into the numbers and found that the English‑side SSR rate is noticeably lower than the original Chinese release. One tester reported that “red” (top‑rarity) characters sit at around 2.5% on CN but only about 1.6% on the EN test server, with the limited‑banner SSR rate at roughly 1.8%. On top of that, the rate‑up banner in the beta could only be rolled with premium tickets, while standard tickets were restricted to the regular pool.
That split makes it harder to freely target limited characters, since banner access itself is semi‑premium. It also means you should be cautious about spreading pulls across too many banners and instead focus on saving for the ones that really matter to your account.
Neo Artifacts beta banner basics
| Feature | Beta implementation (EN/JP/TW test) | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| Top‑rarity (red/SSR) rate | ~1.6–1.8% on EN beta, vs ~2.5% on CN | Neo Artifacts beta gacha thread |
| Standard vs limited banners | Separate pools; limited banner has its own pity and 50/50 | Beta discussion |
| Ticket types | Premium tickets required for the limited banner; free tickets for standard only | Player impressions |
Pity and the 50/50 system
Neo Artifacts’ pity/guarantee structure is built around a familiar 50/50 concept: if you lose once, the next hit is guaranteed on‑banner. Beta testers described a system where a guarantee is triggered after a 50/50 loss, with another guarantee associated with reaching roughly 70 pulls on the rate‑up banner. There are hints of both a hard pity at a fixed pull count and a “50/50” that flips your next SSR to the featured character after you miss.
Practically, this means you are not starting from zero odds every time you pull: after losing a 50/50, your next SSR on that banner is guaranteed to be the rate‑up unit. However, the low base rates and the fact that premium tickets are needed to even access that banner make the climb to pity feel much more expensive.
Pity and 50/50 overview
| Mechanic | How it works in beta (as reported) | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| Hard pity | SSR guaranteed at a specific pull threshold on the limited banner (~70) | Beta commentary |
| 50/50 loss | If your SSR is not the featured character, your next SSR is guaranteed on‑banner | Player explanation |
| Carry‑over effects | Guarantees appear to persist across pulls on the same banner | Gacha 50/50 explainer for comparison: Eurogamer |
How F2P‑friendly is Neo Artifacts?
Feedback from beta players was mixed: some enjoyed the tactical gameplay and art direction, but many were alarmed by the lower EN rates and the premium‑only access to limited banners. One player calculated that in a few days of test play they could scrape together about 45 pulls worth of currency for a limited banner, which is decent but still well short of hard pity on a single event. That means F2P players will realistically need multiple events’ worth of income or especially lucky rolls to consistently secure every limited unit they want.
On the plus side, codes and pre‑registration campaigns can stack up to roughly 100 pulls at launch, which gives F2P accounts a strong opening burst. Long‑term, though, the combination of a low SSR rate, premium‑ticket limited banners, and standard gacha monetisation puts Neo Artifacts closer to the “stingy but survivable if you are disciplined” side of the spectrum rather than truly generous.
F2P value summary
| Aspect | F2P impact | Source link |
|---|---|---|
| Launch freebies | Pre‑reg and codes can give around 100 pulls worth of resources at start | AppTime pre‑reg article / iFanzine codes |
| Daily income | Allows steady progress but not enough to pity every limited banner | Beta gacha thread |
| Monetisation feel | Considered stingy by some players due to lower EN rates and banner gating | Player complaints |
| Skill vs spending | Tactical combat lets strong players clear content even without every limited | Neo Artifacts impressions |
If you plan to play Neo Artifacts as F2P, the safest strategy is to hoard premium currency, skip most standard pulls, and only spend when you are ready to chase a specific limited banner through pity and the 50/50 guarantee.
