In January 2025, Blue Protocol, the anime MMORPG from Bandai Namco, will go offline in Japan. However, the universe of the game is set to live on in a spinoff.
What kind of spinoff is this? Since August 2024, it has been clear, that Bandai Namco’s ambitious anime MMORPG will never be released in the West. In January 2025, the servers of Blue Protocol are also expected to go offline in Japan.
But did you know that alongside the PC version, a PC/Mobile offshoot named Blue Protocol Mobile was also in development? It was supposed to be created in collaboration with the Chinese company Tencent and recently underwent a closed beta test in the domestic market (via massivelyop.com).
Blue Protocol looks like a playable anime in the trailers:
New name, new luck?
What else is known? New sign-ups for upcoming tests are taking place this December. Meanwhile, the developers have changed the title of the game (via bpm.bkrgame.com). Star Resonance, as the new name is, is still supposed to take place in the world of Regnas from Blue Protocol and become an MMO spinoff for PC as well as mobile devices (with crossplay).
On the YouTube channel Chan, a trailer for Star Resonance went live a few days ago, which in terms of anime style could also belong to Blue Protocol. However, there are supposed to be significant differences in gameplay and story compared to the PC MMORPG.
Also clear: Tencent, one of the largest corporations in the world, is behind the project. The company owns League of Legends, dominates the mobile market in China, has a super app with WeChat, and is involved with many Western gaming firms such as Epic Games, Funcom, or Larian.
Whether Star Resonance will only be released in China or if a global launch will follow at a later date is currently unclear. In either case, Tencent’s mobile spinoff is unlikely to be what many fans had hoped for: Fans mourn the new MMORPG Blue Protocol, holding onto a hope
