free-to-play: Is Blue Archive free-to-play?

Players might be wondering if Blue Archive is a free-to-play title. The story-rich gacha anime tactical RPG focuses on the various female students of Kivoto. You'll engage in many turn-based battles that test your strategic prowess. However, for many, the game's highlight is the MomoTalk sections: Sequences where you sit down and have a heart-to-heart with a student.

Considering that the title adopts a gacha monetization system, players might be wondering if there is any initial asking price. Luckily, that is not the case. Blue Archive is a free-to-play game.

Blue Archive is a free-to-play gacha RPG

A still from the anime RPG (Image via Nexon Games)

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Blue Archive was originally released for mobile via Google, iOS, and Samsung Play Store in 2021. The title got ported on Steam on July 04, 2025, finally allowing PC players to enjoy the game as well. Furthermore, all versions are free-to-play.

Regarding the gacha elements, Blue Archive is much better than other titles in its ilk. When it comes to pulling characters, it isn't required to pull dupes. Furthermore, if you get a unit for a single time, you can invest resources to upgrade it, making the grinding significantly easier when compared to other similar games.

Gacha games usually follow a particular transactional model. Players can spend real money to buy in-game currency, which can be used to obtain new characters or simply speed up the process.

However, due to their monetization systems being comparatively more ingrained with the gameplay, many gacha titles, including Blue Archive, are free-to-play. If you want your game progress to be extremely quick, you'll need to spend some money. However, doing so isn't required or even necessary.

Also read: Blue Archive announces The Senses Descend Update, bringing new recruits, mini-game, and rewards

As mentioned earlier, this RPG focuses on the fictional world of Kivoto and puts you in the shoes of a teacher. Your role in the game is to guide students through various school experiences and military operations.

The fantasy tactical RPG can be divided into three gameplay segments — the campaign, events, and MomoTalks. The story introduces you to the cast, playable character, and Kivotos. While the writing isn't anything new, it is still great and executes its tropes very well.

Events are light-hearted side missions that provide humorous and mostly standalone deviations. MomoTalks are small yet eventful episodes, each focusing on one student. You and a student have a heart-to-heart that offers more depth to the character.

Also read: BlueArchive daily reset time explained

That's all about Blue Archive being free-to-play.

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About the author

Meet Soni is an Esports & Gaming writer at Sportskeeda who specializes in covering the sphere of single-player games, with a focus on linear games. Currently in the second year of his BA degree, he has always been passionate about film, music, anime, and sketching, and added gaming to that list after being spellbound by the first Metal Gear Solid game.

When it comes to industry influences, he looks up to streamer MoistCrit1kal for his engagement with the goings-on in gaming as a whole while playing and reviewing games. And while he prefers single-player games, he keeps tabs on Valorant tournaments and the ALGS, follows teams such as 100 Thieves, Paper Rex, and Sentinels, and is always up for some Overwatch or Fortnite with his friends.

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Edited by Arundhoti Palit