It’s World Kindness Day which means we’re sharing some moments of kindness that affected us as well as some game industry trends which express the feeling of generosity and good-will.
Let’s check in with some of our team to get their input on kindness and generosity.
I’ve always loved fighting games, from playing all sorts of cool characters to pulling off crazy combos and embracing the pure spirit of competition. But what truly makes fighting games special to me is being part of the FGC (Fighting Game Community), just a passionate group of players united by their love for the genre.
In *Ragnarok Origin*, our community team delighted players with a heartwarming “Monster Research” party, generously summoning mini-bosses to turbocharge everyone’s progress.
The game’s Monster Research mechanic grants exclusive character titles and valuable rewards for racking up kills on specific monsters—including tough elite monsters and mini-bosses. The catch? These rare spawns have long timers and appear randomly across vast maps, turning farming into a frustrating scavenger hunt.
Enter the Bloody Branch (for mini-bosses) and Dead Branch (for elites): powerful in-game items that summon them on demand. While daily logins offer a trickle of free branches, serious farming meant shelling out premium in-game currency—and those weren’t cheap.
That’s where our community’s generosity shone brightest. We announced the team would unleash **at least 100 Bloody Branches** to spawn a frenzy of mini-bosses for all to share. The event drew massive crowds, fostering epic community vibes as players teamed up for kills. It even sparked a wave of goodwill, with many joining in by popping their own branches to keep the party going!
Mace T., Project Manager
Kindness, to me, is sometimes not in grandiose gestures or planned in-game events.
One moment that really made an impact on me in my early days of playing online games was when I was a noobie in Final Fantasy XI.
There was a player I will never forget because of their enormous generosity. This player would make zone-wide messages inviting new players to join him on his free escort mission trips to a popular hub city, Jeuno, where many important quests and missions began. They were open about the potential danger and expressed that they could not guarantee safety but would do all they could to help players finally continue their adventure.
For those curious, this journey was essential if you wanted to start a quest allowing you to grow your own Chocobo mount which, in those days, took a full month—crazy!!
Also, powerful job Beastmaster and the most popular Bard job began here also.
I had an opportunity to join one of these escorts as a low level noob.
The trip was quite dangerous for low-level players as monsters would wander the zones in wide patrolling patterns and many would aggro on-sight.
Travel took some time and it was definitely full of danger and lots of confusion, but in the end we reached our destination grateful and able to continue our adventures.
As I grew, thanks to their help, I helped run the escort trips with them and gained more confidence in my abilities.
Later, when I became strong enough to survive the journey alone, I was inspired to continue this free escort service for other new players for many more years.
I never knew that this small gesture of kindness that was shown to me would lead to me volunteering my time to help countless players with not just escort runs but also tackling some of the game’s greatest challenges.
I am grateful to this day and invite anyone who needs help to allow me to join them no matter what game I am playing.
On Industry Trends
Andrew S.—
When it comes to generosity mechanics in games, it feels like there has been a rise in VIP systems, reward activities, and loyalty programs. These should not be confused with monthly subscriptions, which require players to pay for ongoing access to a product, like what you see in PC MMOs such as World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV.
VIP systems are optional programs that give users extra perks such as exclusive cosmetic skins, bonus in-game currency, or other special rewards available only to members. They are not mandatory. Instead, they offer an additional way for players to get more out of a game they already enjoy. Typically, you see these VIP systems in MMORPG games, but they are starting to branch out to other genres like FPS.
A clear example of this is the Rainbow Six Siege Membership. Once a full-priced title and now recently turned free-to-play game, Siege offers a VIP program where members receive a Premium Battle Pass, in-game currency, an exclusive skin, and gameplay conveniences that include a 10% store discount and 30% faster battle pass progression, all for $9.99 USD per month. If Siege is someone’s main game, the membership provides significantly more value than the standard experience.
The best part is that these systems are not forced on players. They simply give dedicated fans a way to enhance their enjoyment. It’s an interesting thought that other genres could benefit from considering similar mechanics for players who want them.
Justin J., Asst. Project Manager—
Although “generosity in games” is often framed as a player-friendly gesture, in reality it’s a strategic design trend meant to increase playtime, retention, and overall engagement.
Over the past few years, one of the most noticeable forms of this generosity revolves around gacha mechanics.
Players may say they dislike gacha, but many still enjoy the thrill and dopamine rush that comes from drawing rare characters, equipment, or items.
Game companies have recognized this behavior and are now offering increasingly large “generous” draw events—777 pulls, 3,000 pulls, even 10,000 pulls—numbers that seem to grow every year.
There are several reasons this form of generosity has become so widespread:
- Dopamine and excitement: Large draws give players a rush of anticipation and a higher chance of obtaining rare items, which feels rewarding.
- Retention and catch-up: These events create natural opportunities for returning players to re-enter the game and catch up with current meta or content cycles.
- Genuine goodwill: Some development teams do genuinely want players to feel valued and supported, and generosity helps reinforce that positive relationship.
Overall, this approach clearly works. As players respond positively—both emotionally and through increased engagement—more and more developers and publishers continue to adopt and expand on the trend.
Thanks for taking some time to catch up with the team on this World Kindness Day.
Have a great week and see you next time!
