Genshin Impact: Genesis Crystals, Pity and Planning Your Next Banner

Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG where combat revolves around the elements and how you combine your characters. Its economy runs on two layers at once: resources you earn by playing, and resources you buy. Understanding how those two layers feed the same banner is what separates a planned pull from an impulsive one.

Genesis Crystals and the pity counter

Genesis Crystals are the game's premium currency, and they are converted into Fate inside the banners. The exchange rate is fixed: one Genesis Crystal equals one Fate. Fate is what the character banner and the weapon banner actually spend, and that fixed rate is what makes the arithmetic of a pull possible before you commit.

• Character banner: Fate to invite five-star characters.
• Weapon banner: Fate to obtain five-star weapons, tracked separately from the character banner.
• Resin and events: the free side of the same economy, which also hands out Fate over time.

Because the rate never moves, the only question worth asking is how many Fate a banner still needs — not how many Crystals you happen to hold.

How pity really works

Pity is a guaranteed ceiling: a set number of pulls on one banner guarantees a five-star result. Two numbers must be kept apart.

• Soft pity: from a certain point onward, the chance of a five-star climbs steadily with every pull.
• Hard pity: the number at which a five-star is certain.

Before buying anything, read your current pull counter in the banner history. Buying without knowing that number is how players end up with half-spent Fate and an unfinished banner.

Planning for the next banner

• Pick one goal. Chasing a character and a weapon at the same time splits the same budget in two.
• Keep a safety margin. If pity is already close to the ceiling, waiting for the next banner is usually better than spending in a hurry.
• Spend the free resources first. Events and exploration cover a large share of Fate without a purchase — use them before the paid ones.

Frequently asked questions

Does pity carry over between banners?

The character banner and the weapon banner keep separate counters, and limited banners do not share pity with the standard banner. Check the exact banner before you decide to pull.

What is the difference between Genesis Crystals and Fate?

Genesis Crystals are the stored currency; Fate is the unit you spend. The conversion is one to one, so the difference is where the value sits, not what it is worth.

Should a new player pull for a character or a weapon first?

For most players a character comes first: it builds the team, and many strong weapons are still reachable through other routes.

Genshin Impact rewards patience. Spend Genesis Crystals when both your pity counter and your banner goal are clear — then every Fate is a calculated one.