The MMORPG Bless Online did not succeed in Korea, which is why the servers will now be shut down. The development studio now wants to focus on the Western version.
The MMORPG Bless Online has failed in Korea. The servers are being shut down. Fans are now wondering what this means for the version in Europe and the USA.
A Failed MMORPG Closes Its Gates
What happened? After the MMORPG Bless Online was plagued by problems for a long time and simply could not reach enough players in Korea, the development studio Neowiz will shut down the servers on November 19. Last year, the Russian version was also taken offline. Even in this country, the MMORPG is struggling with criticism and poor reviews.
How are the players reacting? The shutdown of the Korean version naturally raises questions. Neowiz is a Korean development studio that primarily took care of the Korean version. Therefore, players are now wondering what will happen to Bless in Europe and the USA. The MMORPG has also not been well received here.
Developers Try to Soothe
This is what the developers say: Neowiz states in a statement that the shutdown of the servers in Korea will not affect the development of the Western version of the MMO. Neowiz will now focus on this version and continues to work on getting the online game out of early access by the end of the year. The Steam version of Bless Online is now the studio’s top priority.
Doubtful Future of Bless Online
What are the future prospects? According to Steamcharts, about 840 players are currently playing Bless Online concurrently. The reviews on Steam are currently at 46% and thus barely at “mixed”. However, the reviews from the last 30 days are “extremely negative”. This does not paint a rosy picture for a bright future for Bless Online.
How does Bless Unleashed fit into this? Bless Unleashed was recently announced as a console MMORPG that is supposed to coexist with Bless Online and offers different gameplay and a new story. This raises the thought that Bless Unleashed was developed as a replacement for Bless Online and Neowiz may have already known or suspected that the PC version would soon be discontinued.
