The MMO Blue Protocol, revived by Tencent, is off to a remarkable start on Steam in terms of player numbers. However, user reviews are less than enthusiastic.
The name Blue Protocol is likely to mean very little to most players in this country. No wonder, since development of this anime-style MMO was officially discontinued in late summer 2024.
Now, however, the game has been released on Steam under a new title and attracted almost 100,000 players simultaneously in its first few days. But the online game doesn’t seem to be really convincing. We explain what’s behind it.
What is Blue Protocol?
Blue Protocol was originally an anime MMO conceived by Japanese publisher and developer Bandai Namco. The game launched in Japan in 2023 and was supposed to launch in the West this year with the participation of publisher Amazon Games.
But in the summer of 2024, Amazon suddenly withdrew. Blue Protocol had to throw in the towel and was discontinued in January 2025. At the time, the developers gave the following brief explanation: We have been working hard on preparations for release, but have come to the conclusion that it will not be possible to offer a service that satisfies all players.
In total, the game had already been in development for over eight years at that point.
However, Chinese publisher Tencent saw potential in the game and acquired the rights to Blue Protocol. Under the leadership of Shanghai-based developer Bokura Network Technology, work on the game has continued over the past few months, and the result has now been released under the new name Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, free of charge on Steam and in the Epic Games Store.
According to the publisher, the game allows you to create your own hero, form teams, raid dungeons, fish, craft, and explore. Classic MMO activities, in other words. The combination of these mechanics with Japanese anime visuals was enough to drive a peak of around 95,000 players to the Blue Protocol: Star Resonance servers on the release weekend (via SteamDB).
However, their feedback is less than enthusiastic; only 48 percent of the approximately 11,000 player reviews on Steam are positive. Players mainly criticize the opaque and, above all, seemingly endless number of in-game currencies. Although the basic game is free, Star Resonance charges you separately for almost everything else. But to understand the different currencies, you almost need an Excel spreadsheet, according to Steam users. AddAmmo.
The pacing is also criticized, as many players feel that the MMO currently offers too little content. The unlocking of new quests and content is linked to real-time progress. This means that you can only advance in the story after a day has passed. For many players, this is a clear reason not to recommend the game.
While the MMO is likely to be well received on the Asian market with this mix, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance will probably quickly disappear from the scene in the West. This is not only due to the anime art style. Even its great role model, Genshin, enjoys significantly greater popularity in Asia than it does here.
