Today, Bandai Namco hosted a massive livestream dedicated to its upcoming MMORPG Blue Protocol, and it came heavy with content and reveals.
First of all, we get the details of the previously teased network test, which will be hosted between Jan. 14, 2023, and Jan. 16, 2023. 50,000 applicants will be selected via lottery, and they will be recruited until Dec. 13 at 11:00 Japan time.
Those who have a Bandai Namco ID can apply here. Living in Japan is a requirement, but usually, there are ways around that, so you can expect many to apply from the west as it happened for previous betas.
We also learn that the planned release date is early 2023 (shortly after the network test), but we don’t know whether this also applies for the Western release, or if that territory will have to wait a little longer.
While no news for the West was announced today, it was shared that news will be provided at The Game Awards on Dec. 8.
Interestingly, the theme song will be composed by famous composer Hiroyuki Sawano, known for the soundtracks of popular anime series, including Attack on Titan, The Seven Deadly Sins, Blue Exorcist, Kill la Kill, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn, Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway’s Flash, and many more.
A new trailer presenting the cast of characters who will appear in the story has also been shared. You can check it out below.
On top of the trailer, the livestream showcased a ton of new gameplay and information about the game’s evolution from the previous beta.
Below you can see gameplay from the playable classes of the game, Aegis Fighter, Twin Striker, Blast Archer, Spell Caster, and a brand new class that will be available in the Network Test, the Heavy Smasher.
New presets and options have been showcased for character creation, which will add further ways to customize your avatar in the game, including a fully new body type.
New accessories were also presented, as you can see in the screenshots below.
More footage showcased during the livestream included a brand-new character progression menu, alongside your character UI. Both have been radically overhauled following feedback from the beta.
New training dummies that let you test your damage output have been added, alongside new mounts.
Changes have also been made to the UI, with the ability to move elements of the user interface around the screen and personalize details of your HUD.
The game will have an advanced photo mode, including plenty of options you can expect from this kind of features like filters, camera angles, and more. You can use it to customize your Adventurer Card, which is basically your in-game profile.
The chat system has also been updated, which may address feedback regarding how clunky it felt in the betas.
The developers also tweaked the way you interact with crafting stations or NPCs so that they’re prioritized over selecting other players. This was required due to the fact that people were unable to actually select the crafting stations or quest givers in crowded spaces.
The inventory and storage system also received significant changes, and items can be stacked in your storage up to 999 units.
Achievement hunters will be happy to know that they’ll have plenty to unlock in Blue Protocol, and you can see a screenshot of the menu below.
Finally, a new livestream was announced and will take place in December. Outside of details on Blue Protocol’s fishing mechanics, little else has been shared on what to expect from the livestream.
If you’re unfamiliar with Blue Protocol, it’s an up-and-coming MMORPG for PC that was announced all the way back in 2019 and is developed by a team named Project Blue Sky, which is a joint initiative of Bandai Namco Online and Bandai Namco Studios. The game has previously held two beta tests, but little else was heard from the developers after the second had finished.
We’ll be continuing to cover Blue Protocol at Twinfinite, so be sure to check back soon.
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