In South Korea, the closed beta for Dragon Sword, a new MMORPG that should also be of interest to Western players, will start soon. With its anime graphics and gameplay, it strongly resembles Genshin Impact and Blue Protocol.
What kind of MMORPG is this? Dragon Sword is an upcoming MMORPG from the South Korean developer studio HOUND13. The game is being developed using the Unreal Engine 5, and its striking anime graphics and colorful effects directly remind one of games like Genshin Impact and Blue Protocol.
The game combines action-packed combat with a flexible character system, where players can switch between different characters during battle. This system is similar to that of Genshin Impact, where team composition and character switching also play a central role in combat.
Here you can watch the trailer for Dragon Sword:
Dragon Sword aims to be a hybrid MMORPG
How much MMORPG is in Dragon Sword? According to the developers, it is intended to be a hybrid MMORPG that combines single-player, co-op, and MMO elements. Players can expect a story campaign that can be played solo. However, other players will also be encountered in the open world. There will not be classical social hubs, like those known from Stormwind or Orgrimmar, where hundreds of players gather at the same time.
Group and guild activities will be possible, with a clear focus on PvE content. Most activities will take place in instanced dungeons. PvP is expected to be available only on a smaller scale – for example, in arenas.
Could Dragon Sword fill the gap left by Blue Protocol? Since the end of Blue Protocol, many players have been missing a new anime MMORPG to look forward to in the long term. Dragon Sword has the potential to fill exactly this gap. However, the planned hybrid MMORPG character of the game, as well as the simultaneous release on PC and mobile, could lead to divided opinions among Western players.
Positive aspects include the dynamic combat system and strong PvE orientation – two aspects that were also central to Blue Protocol. Here, Dragon Sword purposefully connects and offers many of the contents that players had originally looked forward to in Blue Protocol. The anime graphics are also technically well implemented and appeal to a similar target audience.
The closed beta of Dragon Sword is scheduled to take place in South Korea from May 28 to June 2, 2025. Then it will show whether the game can meet expectations – and whether it truly has the potential to become an alternative to Blue Protocol or develop more in the direction of a single-player experience akin to Genshin Impact. Whether the MMO will also come to the West is still unclear. The game based on one of the most popular animes has over 60 million players: The story of the most-watched anime is so interesting that 60 million people replay it
