Best gacha RPGs to play in 2025

Gacha RPGs keep evolving, and 2025 is packed with top-tier combat, vast worlds, and the thrill of pulling your dream character (without a four-star spook). Whether you crave action, strategy, or deep storytelling, there's something for you. Let’s dive into the best gacha RPGs this year.

Best 2025 gacha RPGs to try in 2025

The following list of RPGs are all Gacha games that are among the best in their respective crafts. These are games made with quality in mind and are absolutely worth trying out, even if their genres don't exactly suit your fancy.

Wuthering Waves: A combat and exploration dream

If Wuthering Waves was an ice cream flavor, it’d be a triple-scoop of slick movement, action-packed combat, and exploration so good you’ll forget what you were doing. The game lets you parkour, grapple, and glide your way across a massive open world that begs to be explored. Combat? Chef’s kiss. It’s fast, fluid, and rewarding, with some of the best combo-based mechanics you’ll find in any gacha RPG.

But what really makes WuWa stand out is the devs actually listen to the community—a truly rare sight in the gacha world. The launch had its bumps, but constant updates, especially the 2.0 update, have shaped it into one of the most polished and fun experiences around. If you love action-heavy RPGs with deep, responsive combat, this one is a must-play.

Zenless Zone Zero: Chaotic, stylish, and packed with fun

Welcome to New Eridu, where you’ll be dodging, weaving, and breaking enemies apart in some of the flashiest fights in the genre. Zenless Zone Zero takes the high-octane combat Genshin and Honkai are known for but distills it into a more focused, roguelike-inspired mission system.

Each run is a chaotic blast of fluid combos, stylish finishers, and some of the best-looking characters you’ll ever pull. Speaking of which, the character roster? Top-tier. If you love urban fantasy with a cyberpunk aesthetic, a story full of twists, and fights that make you feel like an action movie star, ZZZ is the game for you.

Arknights Endfield: The most unique RPG

I had the chance to play Arknights Endfield in the last closed beta, and let me tell you: this is unlike any gacha RPG you’ve played before. Imagine Factorio or Satisfactory, where you build intricate, functional bases, but then combine that with open-world exploration straight out of Xenoblade Chronicles.

Arknights: Endfield is such an ambitious mix, but it works. You get the deep strategy of resource management alongside exciting RPG exploration and combat. The world is mysterious, the gameplay loop is addictive, and with an expected mid-2025 release, this one’s going to be a game-changer for the gacha scene.

Girls Frontline 2: XCOM meets gacha

Want a break from all the action combat? Girls Frontline 2 scratches that strategy RPG itch while still delivering that addictive gacha experience. Think XCOM, but with anime waifus and a deep tactical layer that’ll challenge even seasoned players.

Positioning, resource management, and planning ahead are key. if you love games that reward careful decision-making (and you don’t mind some occasional gacha pain), this one’s for you. Plus, the story is surprisingly deep and dark, making it one of the more narrative-driven gacha RPGs out there.

Genshin Impact: The titan

At this point, Genshin Impact is basically the Final Fantasy of gacha games—huge, constantly evolving, and packed with content. It’s still the gold standard for open-world RPG gameplay in the gacha space, with tons of regions, characters, and stories to dive into.

The combat remains one of the best out there, the lore has gotten richer over the years, and if you can get past the occasional filler content (yes, I'm looking at you, meaningless NPC quests), you’ll find a genuinely compelling RPG. With new characters and regions always on the way, Genshin isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Snowbreak: Containment Zone: Guns, waifus, and sci-fi madness

Want a third-person shooter gacha instead of the usual sword-swinging and spell-casting? Snowbreak: Containment Zone delivers exactly that. The combat is gun-focused, tactical, and incredibly satisfying, set in a cyberpunk dystopia filled with mechs, monsters, and mayhem.

The character roster is solid, the gunplay is smooth, and while the fanservice is definitely a thing, it doesn’t overshadow the fact that this is a genuinely fun and well-made game. If you’re into futuristic shooters with a dose of RPG mechanics, you’ll have a blast here.

Honkai: Star Rail: The best turn-based gacha RPG

Turn-based combat fans, rejoice! Honkai: Star Rail is still the king of the genre. It takes everything great about classic JRPGs (deep combat, strategic planning, compelling characters) and gives it a modern, fast-paced twist.

The game keeps expanding with new content, characters, and storylines, and it genuinely feels like playing a high-quality single-player RPG with a gacha element. That said, power creep is starting to become a concern, and duplicate pulls (dupes) are way stronger than they should be. But if you can work around that, Star Rail remains one of the most polished and enjoyable gacha RPGs out there.

Punishing: Gray Raven: High-skill combat with a puzzle twist

If you love action combat that actually challenges your reflexes and decision-making, Punishing: Gray Raven is a must-play. On the surface, it seems like another flashy action RPG, but underneath is a deeply rewarding combat system that rewards mastery.

Dodging, countering, and combo-chaining are crucial, and while it starts off easy, the deeper mechanics make it one of the most skill-based gachas on this list. Plus, it’s free-to-play friendly, making it a great pick if you want a game that doesn’t force you to spend.

The post Best gacha RPGs to play in 2025 appeared first on Destructoid.