Bandai Namco has announced the cancellation of Blue Protocol's global release and the closure of its Japanese servers in 2025. This decision follows the game's underperformance and inability to meet player expectations. Let's delve into the details.
Blue Protocol: Global Release Cancelled, Japanese Servers Shutting Down
Player Compensation and Final Updates
Bandai Namco's announcement confirms the termination of Blue Protocol's Japanese service on January 18, 2025, effectively canceling the planned global launch with Amazon Games. The company cited its inability to deliver a consistently satisfying service as the reason behind this difficult decision. In an official statement, Bandai expressed regret and disappointment at the outcome.
To compensate players, Bandai will provide 5,000 Rose Orbs monthly (September 2024 - January 2025) plus 250 daily. Rose Orb purchases and refunds will cease. Furthermore, Season Passes, starting with Season 9, will be free, and the final update (Chapter 7) is slated for December 18, 2024.
The game's Japanese launch in June 2023 initially saw high concurrent player counts (over 200,000), but launch-day server issues and subsequent player decline led to dwindling numbers and dissatisfaction. The game's underperformance, as previously reported in Bandai Namco's March 31, 2024 financial report, ultimately contributed to the decision to end service.
Despite a promising start, Blue Protocol failed to meet expectations, resulting in the unfortunate cancellation of both the Japanese servers and the planned global release.