How Soft Pity and Hard Pity Work in Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact’s “pity” system ensures that players eventually receive high-rarity rewards after a certain number of wishes. There are two tiers, soft pity and hard pity, which work together to smooth out the randomness of the gacha. Understanding these mechanics helps players strategize their pulls, manage Primogems, and maximize their chances for five-star characters and weapons. Below, we break down exactly how soft pity and hard pity operate, and what that means for your next banner run.
How the Pity System Operates
Genshin Impact features three concurrent banners, Character Event, Weapon Banner, and Standard Banner, each with its own wish counter and pity rules. Every time you wish on a specific banner, the counter increments; pulling a four-star or five-star resets the respective pity counter for that rarity tier on that banner only. These counters do not carry over between different banner types, ensuring each banner’s rates are tracked independently.
After 90 pulls without a five-star, the game guarantees you one at the hard pity threshold. Conversely, soft pity refers to the range of pulls preceding hard pity, typically between pull 60 and pull 80, during which the probability of a five-star gradually increases above the base rate.
Soft Pity Explained
“Soft pity” is an unofficial term used by the community to describe the boost in five-star probability as you approach the hard pity mark. Data analysis suggests:
- Base chance per pull: 0.6% for a five-star
- Starting around pull 75 (or 70–80), this chance ramps up incrementally each pull
- By pull 80–85, many players report noticeable spikes in five-star rates
While the exact probability curve isn’t published by miHoYo, hobbyist analyses estimate that each pull after 75 sees the five-star rate increase by roughly 0.5–1.0 percentage points until hard pity kicks in at 90 pulls.
Why Soft Pity Matters
- Optimized Pulls: Players often switch from ten-pulls to single pulls once they hit soft pity, as each single pull draws from the boosted rate directly.
- Resource Planning: Knowing soft pity typically starts around 75 pulls (≈16,500 Primogems) allows better budgeting for desired characters or weapons.
Hard Pity Guaranteed
“Hard pity” is the defined cap where, on your 90th pull without a five-star, the game automatically awards a five-star item or character. For four-stars, hard pity occurs at 10 pulls. This hard cap ensures that no player will go more than 90 wishes without at least one five-star payoff.
Featured vs. Standard Guarantees
When you hit hard pity on an Event Character banner, there’s a 50/50 chance you receive the featured five-star. Losing this 50/50 guarantees your next five-star on that banner will be the featured character. This so-called “fate point” mechanic resets only when you win the 50/50, not every time you hit five-star.
Pulling Strategy and Takeaways
- Track Your Counters: Always check the Wish History tab to see how many pulls you’ve made toward your next pity.
- Aim for Soft Pity: If you’re within 10–15 pulls of soft pity, consider doing single pulls to capitalize on boosted rates.
- Plan Your Primogems: Soft pity typically requires ~75 pulls (~15,000–17,000 Primogems); hard pity guarantees a five-star at 90 pulls (~18,000 Primogems).
- Use Fate Points Wisely: Remember the 50/50 rules—losing guarantees a featured character next time.
By mastering soft pity and hard pity mechanics, you can pull more effectively, reduce RNG frustration, and make every Primogem count. Whether you’re chasing a new five-star character or hunting for that coveted five-star weapon, knowing these thresholds gives you a clear roadmap to gacha success.
