Gacha Game Loses All Fanservice, Revenue Surges Anyway — Small Indie Dev Beats Big Studios with Respect?

A mobile gacha game censors all its fanservice art and its revenue goes UP instead of down? 'Code: Aster' just delivered what might be the most absurd underdog story of early 2024.

According to the original post, Code: Aster's next event will feature a double rate-up banner. The developer clarified these are non-limited characters, and the version 1.0 limited-time rate-up character 'Ying' will enter the standard pool next update. Compensation includes a free 6-star character selector that includes Ying. The post title was edited from 'thriving' to add 'total wipeout' — but the sarcasm is palpable, with attached images allegedly showing the game's revenue data.

Despite massive art censorship, the game's daily revenue reportedly held steady at around ¥300K (~$42K). One player asked in disbelief: 'Three hundred grand a day? What are people even spending on? The free stuff is enough to buy every skin and background, and the gacha pool practically hands you everything you need — are you all just hoarding paid currency?' Another admitted to spending over ¥600, purchasing the 30K-tier Treasure Pot and sitting on 41,000 paid diamonds waiting for future skins.

The 'Treasure Pot' is Code: Aster's signature spending mechanic — players make a one-time investment and receive massive diamond returns over time. This system directly fueled the revenue spike at launch. Some players dropped ¥648 on the 30K tier, with one calling it the only game since 2023 where spending ¥328 felt 'absolutely amazing for both gameplay and operations experience.'

Skepticism abounded too. One player couldn't fathom why revenue was holding: selectable gacha pool, guaranteed top-tier character in 30 pulls, minimal duplicate value, and 'all the skin artwork is dead except one character getting bullied by Western standards.' Another player's reply revealed the real answer: 'The art was taken down but not actually censored — everyone's stockpiling for what's coming next. I completed the entire Treasure Pot the night the removal was announced.' Players were essentially betting that future content wouldn't be permanently censored, and front-loading their spending.

The comments section also featured heated debate about gacha rates. Someone claimed the displayed 2% pull rate 'felt extremely generous, never needed 50 pulls for a character.' But another player dropped a bombshell: 'The probability display is actually a text error by Code: Aster's team — the real guaranteed rate is about 3.1% overall, 2% per character. First time I've seen a game accidentally write their real rates LOWER than reality.' If true, this 'reverse rate padding' would be practically unheard of in the gacha industry.

One player crystallized the spending psychology perfectly: 'You show me respect, I'll throw money at you. It's that simple, yet some developers act like they're our parents while treating us like idiots.' Others expressed relief at not playing a certain big-studio gacha (referred to as 'Shao Qian 2,' a derogatory nickname), saying they 'almost left a digital criminal record.' Behind the memes lies genuine long-term frustration with major studios treating players as cash cows.

Not everyone was optimistic though. A self-described casual player said that after art censorship and content gating, 'I don't think I'll last much longer — the spending hook is basically just skins now, and once the free premium currency runs out, I'm probably quitting.' The reply was blunt and classic: 'You show me the goods, I give you the money' — a brutally simple summary of this genre's core transactional logic.

The most analytical comment came from Floor 18, who broke down the long-term revenue risks in detail: the Treasure Pot's 7-day launch surge would create a spending drought — ¥300 spent could cover 40 future skins; generous early-game freebies meant low gacha depth; and future revenue depended entirely on attracting new paying players. If they couldn't sustain momentum, 'the devs will eventually have to figure out new monetization hooks, like selling skins at ¥98 direct purchase. I feel like that's not far off.' Their verdict: 'Play it right and they stabilize. Play it wrong and they die — faster than any other game.'

Floor 19 echoed this caution: 'Revenue should drop significantly in a few days. A lot of people had never seen this kind of investment mechanic and spent a few hundred just to stock up.' Clearly, the Treasure Pot-fueled revenue spike had a built-in expiration date.

In summary, Code: Aster's current 'thriving' status is driven by a combination of launch momentum, the Treasure Pot mechanic, and genuine player goodwill. This small indie studio has absolutely earned a wave of positive reputation through honest operations. But whether it lasts depends on content output and operational wisdom going forward. As for the jab about 'a certain black-stockings tech company probably getting nervous' — when a tiny studio proves you can make money by simply respecting your players, the big guys probably should start sweating.