Is the game heavily catered towards heavy spenders or am I overreacting?

Let me start by saying I have nothing against spending money on games, I've certainly done my fair share across various titles.

I recently returned to Solo Leveling Arise after playing briefly before and after the global launch, and I was taken aback by how heavily monetized the game seems now.

From what I can see, there are three monthly passes as well as three purchasable battle passes, which is unlike most other games I’ve played. Even more surprising, the common wisdom I keep hearing is that if you can’t pull a character to A5, you’re better off not pulling at all. That can require anywhere from 500 to 600 pulls on average (and up to 960 at worst), which feels pretty extreme.

I’m genuinely curious about how others feel - does this level of monetization discourage you from spending? Because it’s certainly discouraging me. For anyone who’s been playing for a while, have you found a balance between having fun and not feeling pressured to overspend and still be able to clear even newly added content? I’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences.