Blue Protocol lasts for less than two years and remains inaccessible to the global audience.
Blue Protocol, a free-to-play online action role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by Bandai Namco, announced that it will be ending their service on January 18, 2025. As a result, the global version, which was planned to launch in collaboration with Amazon Games, will also be canceled.
Bandai Namco's announcement
The news was first announced by Bandai Namco on Aug. 27 via an official press release published in Japanese and English.
We regret to inform you that the Japanese version of Blue Protocol will be discontinued on Saturday January 18, 2025.
As a result, we have also canceled our plans to release a Western version of the game in collaboration with Amazon Games. We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Amazon Games throughout the development of Blue Protocol, and both of our teams are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the game to players around the world.
We know there has been great anticipation for Blue Protocol since the first announcement of the game. We wanted to deliver an experience that is like stepping into the world of anime, and we have been challenging ourselves to create a world where each and every player can enjoy adventures as the main character of the anime.
We have worked hard to prepare for the release; however, we have come to the conclusion that it will not be possible to provide a service that satisfies all of you.
We deeply apologize for the sudden announcement.
Content will still be updated until mid-December
A YouTube video posted a day prior revealed that Bandai Namco will continue adding content to the game until December 2024, including event missions, costume banners, a new story chapter with a new map, and a maximum level cap increase.
Related articles
The game's controversy
Blue Protocol first launched in Japan for PC via Steam on June 14, 2023, followed by PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series on December 13, 2023. The game will remain exclusively in Japan until the end of its service.
The game initially gained interest from RPG enjoyers globally due to its dynamic combat, customizable characters, and epic storyline, with some also believing the game's potential as a "Genshin killer."
While the community didn't mind playing in Japanese until a global release, the game is strictly region-locked, unfortunately closing access to worldwide fans who are eager to try it.
Moreover, the community believes that there are too many games with similar genres, such as Wuthering Waves, Honkai: Star Rail, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, making Blue Protocol lose its momentum by only relying on Japanese audiences.
Stay tuned to esports.gg for more news and updates.
