The announcement of Bless Unleashed has caused some confusion. Players of the PC MMORPG Bless Online believe it is a port of the PC MMORPG. But that is not the case, says developer Neowiz.
Bless Unleashed looks similar to Bless Online and also uses the name. So is it just a port of the MMORPG for the Xbox One? The developers are now providing an answer.
Bless Online and Bless Unleashed are two independent MMORPGs
Bless Unleashed is a standalone game: Even though Bless Online and Bless Unleashed share the same brand name, they are two completely independent games, developed by two separate teams. Even the story is different, although both titles share the game world. Neowiz states this in a statement about Bless Unleashed:
- Bless Unleashed has a different skill system
- There is a new story
- The combat will be different than in Bless Online
- The Unreal Engine 4 is being used
A true console MMORPG: Neowiz further states that Bless Unleashed is being developed directly for the Xbox One from the ground up. It aims to create a player experience that feels like a console title and not like a port of a PC game.
Bless Unleashed is said to play and feel different from Bless Online. However, the team behind Bless Online will share its experiences to help the console MMO at launch.
Art assets are shared: In the first screenshots, Bless Unleashed does look similar to the PC MMORPG. This is because the games share art assets. The developers aim to create a unified look for the Bless brand.
Bless Unleashed does not affect the release of Bless Online: Bless Unleashed is set to be released at an unspecified date in the first half of 2019 for the Xbox One.
Bless Online is currently in the early access phase on Steam and is expected to be officially released in 2018. A date has yet to be announced. Since two separate teams are working on the games, the development of one game does not impact the other.
