F2P RPG Duet Night Abyss abandons gacha mechanics just weeks before launch in response to “consistent” player “dissatisfaction”

Pan Studio’s free-to-play RPG Duet Night Abyss has pulled all gacha elements just weeks ahead of its October 28 launch.

In an interview with Automaton, producer Deca Bear said that whilst prior versions of the PC and mobile game had its “monetization model built around character gacha,” “consistent” complaints from fans during beta testing saw the team “scrap both the character and weapon gacha” completely.

“After analyzing player data, community feedback, and in-game survey results from the last beta, we realized that the complaints were fairly consistent,” Bear explained. “We debated the issue many times internally, and concluded that no matter how much we optimized the gacha and stamina systems, it wouldn’t be enough to address the fundamental dissatisfaction players felt.

“So, we returned to pursuing what was our original vision for Duet Night Abyss – a game that’s fun to play, easy to pick up, and doesn’t place a burden on players. To align the product with that vision, we removed both gacha and stamina. As a result, the gameplay has become more consistent and self-contained.”

Bear said that while in the short term, this may lead to a loss of “fast monetization opportunities,” in the long term, he believed it will lead to “stronger player retention, a better reputation, and a healthier, more sustainable business model.”

“From a management perspective, our aim is to create a game that can keep running for a long time,” he added. “That’s why our decisions regarding monetization are based not only on the current market, but also on what players will want three to five years from now.

“Whether players are willing to spend money depends on how much they value a product, so we’re trying not to focus on just short-term profit. We’re avoiding pay-to-win mechanics and forced spending as much as possible, instead prioritizing getting players to enjoy the game.”

The game’s characters will now be free to obtain, and “in principle,” be permanent. Pan Studios hopes it will instead be able to generate an income from Duet Night Abyss from cosmetics, animations, and accessories.