Ed Nightingale
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Bandai Namco will shut down the servers of its anime MMORPG Blue Protocol in Japan and has cancelled its release in the West.
Blue Protocol was released in Japan in June 2023, with the forthcoming western release managed by Amazon Games.
However, in a new statement from the developers on the game’s website, the “difficult decision” has been made to end service as “it will not be possible to provide a service that satisfies all of you”.
“We know this is disappointing news, and we share your disappointment. We love the world and characters of Blue Protocol, and we were excited to welcome players around the world into Regnas. We join Bandai Namco Online in expressing deep gratitude to the passionate fans who followed Blue Protocol development and participated in the Closed Technical Test.”
Further, a statement from Bandai Namco reads: “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 apologise for the sudden announcement.”
The Japanese servers will remain online until Saturday 18th January 2025.
I went hands-on with Blue Protocol last year, which was set to follow the likes of Lost Ark and New World as Amazon Games’ next big MMO. However, I had concerns of whether the game could differentiate itself from its key competitors.
The game didn’t receive a particularly positive response from Japanese players, but it’s a shame the game has been cancelled before it really got started with a global audience.