In August 2024, Bandai Namco announced that it was shuttering service and cancelling Europe and US launch plans for Blue Protocol, its anime action MMO that had been playable in Japan since 2023. Players grieved. They wept. In January, they danced in their virtual world's final moments as Blue Protocol went offline forever.
You can imagine my confusion, then, when I received a press release saying that an anime MMO called Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is launching later this year.
After a bit of forensic work, I've pieced together an explanation. Prior to Blue Protocol's shutdown in 2024, Chinese developer Shanghai Bokura Network published a press release announcing that it was developing a new mobile game set in the Blue Protocol universe. Following the closing of Blue Protocol, that mobile game's development was expanded, eventually becoming Blue Protocol: Star Resonance.
In other words, Star Resonance isn't a Blue Protocol relaunch—it's an entirely different game. Like the original, it's a class-based, anime action MMO, and it's actually already been playable in beta playtests in China for months. Its reveal trailer above shows a mix of flashy, fast-paced combat and laidback gathering. It also shows a parade of players riding around on hovering orbs. Videogames!
On the official site, you can see the current character class selection. We got tanky frontline fighters like the Shield Knight and glaive-wielding Heavy guardians, damage dealers like the Frost Mages and lightning-charged Stormblades, and—to complete the trinity—a healer in the Verdanct Oracle.
Judging from reports of playtesters on YouTube, I'm hesitant about Star Resonance's monetization scheme. Progression seems like it's tied to talent tree advancement and gear upgrades, both of which require materials that can be purchased with real money through premium currency. Even if you can grind out those materials, it's easy to imagine a world in which those drop rates and requirements intensify in such a way that paying to save yourself some time becomes more and more appealing.
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance doesn't have a release date, but it's scheduled to launch sometime this year.
