Navigating Teyvat without opening your wallet has become increasingly viable in 2025. Genshin Impact f2p players now have access to more resources, events, and strategies than ever before, making the free-to-play experience surprisingly rewarding for those willing to plan ahead.
The debate around Genshin Impact's f2p friendliness has evolved significantly since the game's launch. While some players insist that spending is necessary for an optimal experience, the reality is more nuanced. With proper resource management and strategic pulling, f2p players can clear all content, including the challenging Spiral Abyss.
Understanding Genshin's F2P Economy
The foundation of any successful Genshin f2p account is understanding the primogem economy. In 2025, HoYoverse has maintained a consistent flow of approximately 50-60 pulls per patch for active f2p players. This comes from:
-
Daily commissions
-
Events and web events
-
Exploration rewards
-
Spiral Abyss clears
-
Maintenance compensation
-
Codes and anniversary rewards
The key difference between f2p players and spenders isn't access to content—it's the number of characters and constellations you can obtain. While the Welkin Moon ($5 monthly) effectively doubles your pulling power, it's entirely optional for enjoying the game.
Building the Best F2P Team
Creating effective teams without premium characters or weapons requires understanding core game mechanics. The best f2p team compositions typically revolve around:
-
Strong 4-star characters (many of whom are freely obtainable)
-
Craftable weapons
-
Elemental reactions and synergies
The National Team variants remain among the strongest f2p options in 2025, featuring characters like Xiangling (free from Spiral Abyss), Bennett, Xingqiu, and flexible fourth slots. These teams can clear even the most challenging content when properly built.
For newer characters, Arlecchino f2p builds have proven surprisingly effective. Despite being a 5-star, her kit functions well at C0 with craftable weapons, making her accessible for f2p players who save their primogems. F2p Arlecchino team compositions typically pair her with support characters that enhance her unique mechanics.
Resource Management: The True F2P Skill
The most successful Genshin f2p players understand that primogems are a limited resource requiring careful planning. Rather than pulling on every banner, they:
-
Save for characters they genuinely want
-
Skip weapon banners (generally)
-
Focus on versatile supports over hypercarries
-
Prioritize character enjoyment over meta relevance
It's worth noting that f2p players typically gain enough primogems to guarantee a 5-star character every 2-3 patches, assuming they lose the 50/50. This means you can reasonably obtain 4-5 limited 5-stars per year without spending.
Is the F2P Experience Enjoyable?
The question isn't just whether Genshin Impact is f2p friendly, but whether the f2p experience is enjoyable. In 2025, the answer is a resounding yes for several reasons:
-
All story content is accessible without spending
-
Events are designed to be completed by all player levels
-
The game regularly provides free characters through events
-
Exploration and puzzles—core gameplay elements—aren't paywalled
The primary limitation for f2p players is in the gacha system itself. You simply can't collect every character or weapon without spending. However, is obtaining every character necessary for enjoyment? Most long-term players would argue it isn't.
F2P vs. Low-Spender: Is Welkin Worth It?
While strictly f2p is viable, many players opt for the Welkin Moon pass ($5 monthly) as a middle ground. This effectively doubles your primogem income for a relatively small investment.
Is it worth it? That depends on your personal valuation. The Welkin Moon essentially gives you:
-
Double the 5-star characters over time
-
More flexibility in pulling decisions
-
Less fear of "wasting" primogems
For many, this represents the sweet spot of value, but it's entirely optional. The genshin f2p experience remains complete without it.
Conclusion: F2P in Perspective
When evaluating Genshin Impact f2p friendliness in 2025, it's important to understand what the game is and isn't. It's a gacha game with premium characters and weapons, but it's also an open-world adventure with hundreds of hours of free content.
The f2p experience isn't about having everything—it's about making strategic choices that maximize your enjoyment within the game's economic system. With proper planning, patience, and resource management, f2p players can experience everything Genshin Impact has to offer without spending a dime.
Whether you're building the best f2p team compositions, creating an f2p Arlecchino team, or simply exploring Teyvat at your own pace, Genshin Impact continues to offer one of the most generous f2p experiences in the gacha market.
For players interested in exploring strategies and team compositions across different games, resources like OverwatchTactics offer valuable insights into hero-based gameplay and tactical approaches, complementing the planning and resource management discussed for Genshin Impact f2p success.