New gacha games are being announced almost every month but only a few can stand out a few months after the official launch.
That is why it is quite big if an upcoming title receives much attention and support even if only minimal information is available to the public.
This year, several big hitters are expected to roll out, some from established developers while a few from notable newcomers.
Either way, it is good to have a head start and idea on what would be the next big title for the gacha community.
Zenless Zone Zero
Topping off the list is MiHoYo's newest upcoming title, Zenless Zone Zero.
Building from the success of Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd, this urban fantasy open-world game offers a frenetic combat system mixed with Persona-like exploration through the cityscape.
However, combat and exploration are not the only surprises many players would enjoy and sink their time into.
Unlike previous titles, ZZZ offers more side content and minigames for people to casually play during their downtime. Of course, this also means more sources for in-game currencies to pull for the tons of character and item banners the game will roll out.
As of writing, ZZZ has opened its early beta test for PC and PlayStation platforms to more than 30 million registered players.
No confirmed date has been announced yet but it is expected to come out in the latter half of the year.
Wuthering Waves
From the makers of Punishing: Gray Raven, Chinese developers Kuro Games present Wuthering Waves, its latest contender to open-world action RPG to compete with Genshin Impact.
Taking a step back from the post-apocalypse urbanized world from its previous titles, Wuthering Waves will take players into a medieval landscape filled with magical enemies and mysterious powers ready to be discovered.
Based on the early beta previews, the game will feature more active exploration mechanics similar to parkour as players traverse rocky walls, rooftops, and hanging caverns.
Wuthering Waves is set to release on May 22, for PC, mobile, and PlayStation consoles for free.
Project Mugen
Remember that one game preview with similar mechanics with Insomniac Games' Spider-Man, yet this is it.
Project Mugen is a far more ambitious project than the previously mentioned gacha games, featuring both swing and ridable vehicles for transportation, as well as shooter gameplay on top of melee combat.
It also has a far more wider map, at least compared to other gacha games, although there is not many previews on what players can do in these big areas outside of combat and story missions.
There is no exact release date for Project Mugen yet, although speculations predict that it could come out late this year around the same time as MiHoYo's ZZZ.
Arknights: Endfield
Speaking of MiHoYo, Kuro Games is not the only one that is set to release its own open-world gacha title to compete with the Genshin Impact on top of its already existing titles.
Singapore-based GRYPHLINE is looking to release the Arknights: Endline sometime this year as a companion story to the main Arknights game.
Early previews of the game hint that the side story will have a more active combat system compared to its predecessor, but will still have base-building aspects reminiscent of Arknights.
Kingdom Hearts - Missing Link
Square Enix is not yet done with the Kingdom Hearts franchise in the gacha gaming scene as evidenced by the upcoming Missing Link game, nearly five years after it shut down the Kingdom Hears - Dark Road.
Building up from its partnership with Disney, players are sure to encounter many notable characters from Disney's wide arrays of franchises, including Baymax from "Big Hero Six," Ariel of "Little Mermaid," and even Simba from "The Lion King."
It is worth reminding players not to expect much on the graphic side of the game, although the story itself could be a real tear-jerker on some occasions.
Kingdom Hearts - Missing Link is currently under development, although insider rumors put the game's release date in late 2024 if no delays and development issues were faced.
