NCSoft Confirm Global 2022 Launch for Blade & Soul S

This.. is Blade & Soul in the first quarter of 2021. Followed by Blade & Soul in the fourth quarter of 2021. I don’t think I need to spell out exactly how bad that is for the game. Here’s another graphic to further drive the importance of this reveal.

In light of this.. and the imminent and impending closure of Blade & Soul on PC, a new Blade & Soul MMO is already on its way and poised to make up the financial loss of the franchise on PC. Yup, let that sink in for a moment.
Blade & Soul – an MMO with what is arguably one of the best combat systems currently present within the genre. An MMO that has a larger world, better customization options and generally a more stunning graphical style than almost any of its competition.
This game is getting a sequel. A remake. A complete overhaul in the form of a brand new game. You’d think this would be cause for celebration. But it isn’t.

Today, I want to talk about a game that should not exist: Blade & Soul S – a brand new Blade & Soul MMO.
Blade & Soul S was announced all the way back in 2018. Yes, this MMO has been in active development for over 4 years now. And all we have to show for it is a single trailer – the very trailer you’re watching in the background.
This game was announced simultaneously with Aion 2, Blade & Soul 2, Blade & Soul M, Lineage 2M, and Project TL. All of which have either already launched, or have planned launches this year.
After seeing the horrendous decline in terms of active players and revenue, it’s evident why NCSoft are trying to push out a new Blade & Soul title. But what exactly is it, and is it going to effectively replace what we all know and love on PC?
Honestly? No. The only way this successfully replaces Blade & Soul on PC is if NCSoft opt to shut Blade & Soul down. Which at least as of the first quarter of 2022, is not looking to happen.

Blade & Soul S is the – and I know this is going to shock some of you.. THIRD mobile game based on the Blade & Soul intellectual property. Yes, there are already several mobile Blade & Soul titles currently available, including Blade & Soul 2 which I have a review of for those of you interested.
And where Blade & Soul 2 actually looks good – visually there’s no denying the sequel to Blade & Soul looks anything other than stunning – Blade & Soul S has taken a completely different approach.
Blade & Soul S is.. chibi. Distorted. Cute-ified. They turned what was once a video game aimed at teens or adults into what seems to be a childrens game. The kinda game my little nephew would play. And it looks absolutely horrible.
If I didn’t know who the characters were in the trailer, I’d think this was a game specifically targeted at children. Yes, it looks and feels that bad.
However, much like its predecessor on PC, Blade & Soul S is going to feature a completely dynamic open-world that is going to supposedly change in real-time.
Something that isn’t done in MMOs – due to the nature of large-scale multiplayer functionality. Will NPCs walk around? Move from their pre-designated areas? Will monsters spawn in different locations? Will villages be established, and vanish just as fast?
Unfortunately nobody knows, but having a “dynamic world” means a world that never becomes repetitious – never grows stagnant. That is always changing. And I just don’t see how that’s at all possible for an MMO.

This game is going to take place 3 years before the events of Blade & Soul, which means… we already know the outcome of the story. Unless they plan on taking the story in another direction.
If not, we’ll quickly arrive at the same point in the story we’re at in the PC iteration of the game, and will be essentially playing out a game we’ve already played, but with chibi graphics and worse combat.
And given this is going to be a prequel, it’s highly likely they plan on retconning events, which will end up ultimately angering players. Where Blade & Soul was an MMO – and presented players with a single character that they could create, level and customize, Blade & Soul S is going the Gacha route.
While still an MMO, you’re going to be able to recruit – and subsequently purchase via the cash shop different characters found within the franchise. Meaning you’ll buy someone like Jinsoyun and send her into battle alongside you.
I get it – they’re desperate for money, but if this isn’t the dumbest thing I’ve heard all year… and what’s worse? They plan on adding new characters into the game. I get it’s a prequel, but these characters are going to have an impact on the story – and will likely be present throughout the game, altering the course of the game even further.
What’s weird, is that the game, once more, is entirely open-world. Which means these characters you’ll be capable of deploying.. will be fighting alongside you out in the world. With other players using their own selection of characters as well.

I dunno, man. This all sounds kinda ridiculous to me.
We don’t need a new Blade & Soul MMO – least of all on mobile devices. Rather, we need NCSoft to realize that they need to fix the already existing game. That’s much more important.
Blade & Soul S looks horrible. The cheap looking graphics, the potentially retconned story, the likely auto-play, dumbed down game overall is not the logical next stage of the game we need. It’s a step in the complete wrong direction, and will hurt the franchise more than it’ll help it.
How many people do you hear positively, and actively speaking about any of the other Blade & Soul mobile games? Go ahead, I’ll wait. Exactly.
This is not the future Blade & Soul deserves, but crappy Korean developers like NCSoft are going to take every IP they hold and flush it down the toilet. Because it’s what they do. All they care about is money, and they don’t realize that players will spend money on a game they enjoy – that is handled well. Like Final Fantasy XIV.