Canceled Bandai Namco MMORPG Making a Comeback

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home December 10, 2024 12 Views 5 Min Read
Canceled Bandai Namco MMORPG Making a Comeback



Key Takeaways

  • After being canceled due to a lack of players, Blue Protocol will be revived as Star Resonance.
  • The game will be set in the same world as Blue Protocol but will feature new characters and an original story.
  • The Chinese developer Bokura is working on the game in collaboration with Bandai Namco.



Blue Protocol, Bandai Namco’s canceled MMORPG, is coming back to life as Star Resonance. Despite a positive reception, the original MMO struggled to gain the player base necessary to justify its continued development and support. While that was disappointing for many fans, Blue Protocol won’t disappear forever, as a spinoff-turned-spiritual successor is taking its place soon.

Bandai Namco announced it was shutting down Blue Protocol in August 2024, giving players until January 2025 to enjoy the title before servers go offline. The MMO had yet to see a release outside of Japan before the news came, but now players who didn’t get the chance to try the original may have another shot at exploring the world of Regnas. Star Resonance, which started as a mobile spinoff of Blue Protocol, is still in the works and is nearing an initial release.


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Bokura, a Chinese developer, had previously announced a collaboration with Bandai Namco, saying it was working on another story set in Blue Protocol‘s world of Regnas. Now, that project has started to take shape with the unveiling of Star Resonance. As the initial announcement stated, the game is set in the same world as Blue Protocol but follows new characters and an original story. While it’s not the original game, it’s still a promising update for fans, some of whom believed Blue Protocol could be Amazon’s first big gaming success, especially since many didn’t get to experience Regnas in the first place.


Star Resonance Could Succeed Where Blue Protocol Failed

It’s unclear when Star Resonance will launch, but Bokura is currently running a closed beta test in China, which will end in late December 2024. Some original team members from Blue Protocol are also working on the project, which could help it become a truer spiritual successor to Bandai Namco’s ill-fated MMO. While it’s still in development, early signs are promising. The pivot to include mobile support could help the game reach a bigger audience. Other MMOs have seen considerable success in going that route, with Genshin Impact being one of the best free PC games available today.


It’s also worth noting that Bokura is a Tencent-backed studio. Tencent is a massive conglomerate with deep ties to the video game industry. There are rumors that Ubisoft is considering a buyout to Tencent if that’s any indication of the kind of resources at the company’s disposal. Having the support of such a major industry powerhouse could help Star Resonance weather its initial release where Blue Protocol failed to manage the costs. For now, fans will have to wait and see what becomes of the game and its eventual release.

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