Is Tower of Fantasy free-to-play? Answered

Freedom isn’t always free.

Image via Hotta Studios

Recommended Videos

As Tower of Fantasy is an MMORPG, you would be forgiven to think there is an upfront fee, month-to-month or annual subscription, or some other recurring cost. While there is monetization in Tower of Fantasy, it follows strategies more familiar to players on Android and iOS than those used by the likes of World of Warcraft or Guild Wars. That means gacha mechanics, premium currencies, and other systems that keep a game running but don’t require recurring payments.

Related: Is Tower of Fantasy down? How to check Tower of Fantasy’s server status

Can you play Tower of Fantasy for free?

Yes, Tower of Fantasy is a free-to-play MMORPG that follows the same payment structures as other anime-inspired titles like Genshin Impact. There is an in-depth gacha system that, while incentivizing paying for rolls, doesn’t require you to pay anything. It’s possible to gather all the currency you need to roll for new characters by exploring the world and completing its many challenges.

However, the odds aren’t particularly good of getting anything decent without spending real money. Each gacha roll is called a “Special Order.” After expending the first and only free one you get early in the game, you’ll be spending a currency called Nuclei to roll for additional characters, weapons, and equipment.

How you’ll pay in Tower of Fantasy

Nuclei come in both Black and Gold varieties and can be purchased with in-game materials you’ll be grinding for or with the premium currency called Tanium, which converts into Dark Crystals on a one-to-one basis.

Related: How to get Black and Gold Nuclei in Tower of Fantasy

A single Gold Nuclei costs 150 Dark Crystals, and while no Tanium pile comes in that value, you can spend $4.99 for 300 Tanium. Your chances at a good roll don’t increase if you pay real-world money or in-game materials. Still, there is a pity system for standard banner pulls, guaranteeing a single guaranteed SSR Weapon (the highest rarity). Getting past the bad luck protection will cost you 12,000 Dark Crystals, or $200. There is no such protection on the Prosperity of Ida gacha system, so if you want something from there, expect to spend a lot.

Tower of Fantasy might be free to play, but there are plenty of places where they really like you to spend.