PETALING JAYA: From rare characters and weapon skins to limited-time “pulls” in gacha games, microtransactions have quietly evolved into a billion-ringgit industry, with some Malaysians admitting to spending thousands chasing virtual items with no real-world value.
A gamer who wanted to be known only as Daniel, 27, said he never expected a free mobile game to leave him in debt.
“I started with RM30 or RM50 top-ups. It did not feel like much because every purchase looked small,” he said.
“But after a while, I was spending every month just to keep up with events and limited characters. I kept telling myself, ‘Just one more pull’.”
Daniel estimated he spent nearly RM12,000 over three years across several popular gacha games. At one point, he even took out a personal loan after exhausting his savings.
“I knew it was stupid, but at that point, I felt trapped because I had already spent so much money and time. You feel like if you stop now, everything you invested becomes wasted.”
Daniel admitted hiding some of his spending from family members out of embarrassment after his debts started piling up.
It took him two years to recover financially after he stopped spending heavily on games.
“People think it is just a game until they actually see how much they have spent.”
Another gamer, who wished to be known only as Sarah, 24, described gacha games as “online shopping mixed with gambling”.
“You already know the odds are low, but the excitement keeps pulling you back,” said Sarah, who spent more than RM7,000 within two years on cosmetic skins and character banners in several mobile games.
Sarah said online gaming communities also encouraged spending habits, as players could feel left behind when others obtained rare skins or characters.
Skins are purely visual, virtual outfits or textures that change a character’s appearance without affecting gameplay, while pulls are randomised, lottery-like character or item draws.
“You want to show off too because that becomes part of your identity in the game,” she said.
Sarah eventually deleted most of the games after realising she had neglected her savings goals.
Malaysia Esports Federation president Muhammad Naim Al-Amin said gacha systems, loot boxes and top-up mechanics now play a major role in Malaysia’s gaming ecosystem, particularly in mobile gaming.
He said Malaysia has more than 20 million gamers, with reports showing that Malaysians spend an estimated RM2.7bil annually on video games and in-game purchases, much of it involving cosmetic items, battle passes, randomised rewards and seasonal purchases.
However, he said concerns over excessive spending linked to gacha systems were drawing increasing global attention, especially among younger players who may not fully understand the financial risks or probability systems behind loot boxes.
Muhammad Naim said digital education, financial literacy and parental awareness were important in promoting healthier and more responsible gaming habits.
“At the same time, the industry can also consider more transparent approaches such as disclosing drop rates, spending and parental control systems to better protect younger players,” he added.
