On the 26th, Nexon Games' subculture collectible RPG 'Blue Archive' unexpectedly announced changes to its monetization model during an official broadcast for the Japanese server, which is operated by Yostar.

The existing gacha system in Blue Archive uses a mileage-based approach: if a player fails to pull the featured character, they earn one 'Recruitment Point' per pull. Once 200 points are accumulated, they can be exchanged for the featured character or another character currently on rate-up. However, these points do not carry over; once the recruitment period ends, any remaining points are converted into 'Keystone Pieces,' which are used to craft furniture and various items in the Crafting Chamber.

The system is being changed to a 'pity' mechanic: a 3-star character is guaranteed at 100 pulls (with a 50% chance of it being the featured character), and the featured character is guaranteed at 200 pulls. If the featured character does not appear, the pull count increases, and this count is shared among banners running at the same time. Limited-time banners share pull counts only with other limited-time banners running concurrently. Unlike the previous system, the pull count persists after a banner ends and only resets when the featured character is obtained. Rewards, such as 10-pull tickets for limited banners and growth materials, will be provided based on the number of pulls made during the recruitment period.

The sudden announcement of these changes sparked backlash from users across Japan, Korea, China, and other global regions on social media and community forums. Users took issue with the fact that such a major change was announced by voice actors reading a notice during a live stream, rather than by the developers or operations team. They also criticized the short lead time, with the changes set to take effect in the update on the 29th, just three days after the announcement. Some users also pointed out that Blue Archive typically features two rate-up characters per update, making the new system less favorable compared to other games that use similar monetization models.

In response to the controversy, Yostar stated in customer inquiries, "This decision was reached after long-term discussions with the developer (Nexon Games). However, we prioritize our users' experience above all else. We are taking the feedback we have received seriously and will convey it to the developer once again." Beyond this, there has been no further official response.