Arknights Soft Pity Explained
If you've ever wondered why 5★ characters seem to "always" come at pull 50-300, that's soft pity working exactly as designed. Here's the precise math.
What is soft pity?
Soft pity is the range of pulls where the base rate ramps up dramatically. In Arknights, the base rate is 2%, but starting at pull 50 it rises by +2% per pull — every single pull until hard pity.
The math
- Pulls 1-: flat 2% per pull
- Pulls 50-: 2% + +2% per pull × (pull number past the threshold)
- Pull 300: 100%
By pull , your per-pull chance is around {int(100 0.006 + 0.06 ({"wuwa": 14, "genshin": 16, "hsr": 16, "zzz": 16}[game] - 1)):.0f}% — nearly 1 in {int(100 / (100 0.006 + 0.06 ({"wuwa": 14, "genshin": 16, "hsr": 16, "zzz": 16}[game] - 1))):.0f}.
Why the design?
Soft pity smooths out the worst-case spending while keeping the average cost of a 5★ reasonable. Without it, players could hit hard pity every single time — the 100% guarantee exists but soft pity makes it rare to actually need it.
What the odds really look like
Across 300 pulls from zero pity, the cumulative chance of pulling at least one 5★ is well over 99%. Most players see their 5★ in the 50+ range, which is why budget planners should assume 50-300 pulls per 5★ rather than the theoretical average.
Plan around it
- Assume **300 pulls per 5★** for budget planning (worst case)
- Assume **300 × 2 pulls** to guarantee a featured character (no 50/50 (300-pull spark) loss + second pity)
- The **Arknights Pity Calculator** computes exact cumulative odds for your current pity — use it before deciding to pull
Related
- Arknights Pity System Explained — full breakdown
- How Many Orundum Per Month — income planning
- Arknights Pull Planner — project your savings before a banner ends