Blue Protocol is a new anime MMORPG that many players have been eagerly anticipating. The reason for this is the strong PvE focus and action-packed battles. However, for a long time, there has been no news about the game. Where does the MMORPG stand in April 2022?
What kind of game is it? Blue Protocol will be a theme park MMORPG from Bandai Namco. It focuses on PvE content and a story revolving around time travel. You flee 1,000 years into the past to prevent a catastrophe and save the world.
- During character creation, you can choose from five different classes. The Heavy Smasher was announced as the newest class in June 2021.
- The game world is divided into hubs and cities for up to 200 players simultaneously and instanced areas for about 30 players. The system is reminiscent of Guild Wars 2, where there is a loading screen for each area.
- You can expect many quests and a strong focus on the story.
- The combat system of Blue Protocol is very action-oriented. You must actively target enemies, dodge hostile attacks, and have only a few special moves.
- Monsters in the game do not drop equipment. You have to craft your own.
- In PvE, there will be solo instances and dungeons for up to 6 players. Raids are also planned.
- The game does not feature direct PvP but allows you to compete in leaderboards in PvE.
You can find a complete overview of the MMORPG here:
When will Blue Protocol be released? The game entered beta in Japan in 2020, but it was closed again in December. A release was initially planned for 2021 in Japan and was later expected to happen worldwide. However, since then, it has been suspiciously quiet about the game. There is currently no official release date.
YouTuber TheLazyPeon took a look at Blue Protocol in beta:
It was quiet about Blue Protocol for a long time, but there is hope again
How did Blue Protocol develop after the beta? At the end of 2020, the developers revealed that they want to significantly revamp the combat system of Blue Protocol. The animations, dynamics, dodging, and hit feedback were to be improved. Many hoped that Blue Protocol could be released in 2021 in Japan and possibly even worldwide.
However, the conclusion of the beta at the end of 2020 is still the last news that Bandai Namco has published on the official Japanese website of Blue Protocol.
In 2021, there was a statement from Smilegate, the developer of Lost Ark, that they will distribute Blue Protocol in Korea (via BlueProtocolDB). That, along with a job posting from August 25, 2021, for new developers for Blue Protocol, was pretty much all that happened throughout that year regarding the MMORPG.
There were speculations that the developers of Blue Protocol were overwhelmed, had taken on too much, or that the game could even be canceled. However, it doesn’t seem to look like that anymore.
What is new now? For April/May 2022, new job interviews for the development of Blue Protocol and the shooter Gundam Evolution from Bandai Namco have been announced. It is noticeable that new people are being sought for pretty much every area, including programmers, designers, artists, and game planners (via YouTube).
The development of Blue Protocol seems to be continuing, but it is unclear how long players will have to wait for a release. No statements have been made regarding this so far.
There is also no new gameplay or insights into the development.
Global release is likely but not confirmed
Will Blue Protocol come to us at all? Officially, there is still no statement regarding a global release. Blue Protocol is said to be aimed at the Japanese market according to official statements.
However, in the past, localization managers for the English language have been sought, and a deal was made with Smilegate for the Korean market. This suggests that Bandai Namco wants to make their game accessible to a larger market.
What do you think about Blue Protocol? Does this anime MMORPG appeal to you?
If you cannot wait for the release of Blue Protocol, you can look forward to the new MMORPG Tower of Fantasy in 2022. We have already played it in beta:
Tower of Fantasy is the MMORPG that Genshin Impact should have been
