Blue Protocol’s western launch has been cancelled and its Japanese servers will shut down early subsequent 12 months

Blue Protocol is a Bandai Namco-developed anime MMO which launched in Japan final 12 months, and was meant to reach within the west in some unspecified time in the future this 12 months courtesy of Amazon Video Games. Alas, that is now not the case – and the sport can be shutting down in Japan early subsequent 12 months.

“Right now, Bandai Namco On-line introduced that they’ve made the tough resolution to finish service on Blue Protocol. They’ll shut down their Japanese Blue Protocol servers in January 2025, and have ended plans to launch the sport within the West in collaboration with Amazon Video games,” says the announcement from final week.

The Japanese servers might be shut down on January 18th, 2025. As of as we speak, the sport has been delisted from Steam.

Outwardly, Blue Protocol gave the impression to be following intently within the footsteps of Genshin Affect, with a world of blue skies, inexperienced grass, and Breath Of The Wild-style enemies to bash by means of action-RPG fight. Ed wasn’t positive there was something extra to it past that when he had an opportunity to play it final 12 months, calling it predictable, describing its world as “eh”, and fretting over the inevitable microtransactions.

Nonetheless, it is a disgrace we cannot get an opportunity at a correct play of it – and much more in order that it is shutting down for these gamers who had been already invested. Bandai Namco say that they are not providing refunds for gamers who already spent actual cash on in-game Rose Orbs forex, however they’re going to be handing out 5000 free Rose Orbs each month between now and January for gamers to spend on in-game cosmetics. That sucks.

There’s apparently nonetheless some new content material to return to the Japanese model of the sport earlier than it closes down, and its builders have put collectively a schedule for the remaining months right here.