Despite my love for colorful, fantasy anime aesthetics, I’ve never quite gotten on with the likes of Genshin Impact. Perhaps its the gacha, or having to keep up with what feels like volumes worth of bizarre terminology – I’ve just never been able to really commit to any of HoYoverse’s long-running games. That’s why Blue Protocol was so exciting to me – to quote Amazon at the time, the MMO was supposed to be about undertaking a “fantastical journey,” where the story was at the core of the gameplay. But, that simply wasn’t to be; back in August 2024 Amazon cancelled the Western release of Blue Protocol, with Bandai Namco Online confirming that service would also end in Japan in January of 2025.
And then, Blue Protocol seemingly came back from the dead. While Bandai and Amazon were busying themselves preparing for the MMO’s initial launch, Chinese deveoper Shanghai Bokura Network Technology was also developing a spinoff game, codenamed ‘Project Sky Blue.’ An action-focused version of Bandai’s original IP, Project Sky Blue turned out to be Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, which has had several test betas across the tail end of 2024 and 2025. So, in short, Blue Protocol is back, but it’s not what you remember.
Set in Regnas, the same universe as Blue Protocol, but with a reworked storyline, you’ll be zipping around a gorgeous anime-inspired universe, taking on colossal bosses as a squad and upgrading your gear MMO-style. Star Resonance promises a sprawling open world filled with dungeons and raids, all of which are designed to be enjoyed as a group experience, akin to Final Fantasy 14.
You’ll be able to fully customize your characters’ appearance, as well as their combat style and battle traits. While it’s unclear whether or not we’ll see the old Blue Protocol classes make a reappearance (Twin Striker looked amazing), you’ll be able to choose from the Heavy Guardian, Stormblade, Wind Knight, Marksman, Frost Mage, Verdant Oracle, and Shield Knight, each of which have their own unique playstyles and armor sets. More classes are on the way, too, so perhaps I’ll finally get my hands on the monk-like Twin Blades – all of my fingers are crossed.
If, like me, most of your hours in FF14 are spent chilling in Limsa or perfecting your character’s Glamours, Star Resonance is angling itself as a community-centric experience, with in-game trading, guilds, and special events all focused on bringing people together. There’s a cute moment in the trailer where everyone’s gathered around a little bonfire and, quite honestly, I know for a fact that that’s where I’ll be investing my time.
While we don’t know much about Blue Protocol: Star Resonance at the moment, Shanghai Bokura Network Technology has confirmed that it will launch sometime in 2025. If you, like me, can’t wait to see what comes next, you can wishlist it here.
In the meantime, however, check out our list of the best anime games if you’re looking for some similarly styled adventures. Alternatively, we have a rundown of all the best free MMORPGs is you’re looking for a new forever game.
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