After debuting in South Korea back in 2012, NCSoft West has finally launched the martial arts MMORPG Blade & Soul in the west as of January 19th 2016.
Quite a lot is already known about Blade & Soul’s western version already: staggered story updates, no fatigue system, seven classes, 30 dungeons, a level cap of 45, and a skill-based 1v1 Arena.
But Siliconera was able to catch up with Sean Corocran, Blade & Soul’s senior brand manager, to find out what else NCSoft has planned for the game’s launch period – it’s presented in the Q&A below.
Do you have any special events planned for during or soon after Blade & Soul’s launch this January?
Sean Corcoran, senior brand manager: We will have special events following launch including surrounding specific holidays and more, but we can’t announce anything at this time. There will be more news on this to come post launch!
Are there any changes in the western version that might surprise veteran players or that they’ll have to adjust to?
When developing the title for the west, we wanted to keep everything as true to the original as possible while also tweaking the game to meet western expectations of what a good MMO is. During our closed beta we solicited a lot of feedback from our players in terms of systems such as XP curve, monster difficulty, as well as the quality of our localization in English, French and German. Aside from some exclusive costumes, new character creation options, and an updated UI and skill patch, there aren’t any major changes to adjust to, but we are launching with the best version of the game for the west.
Are you looking to push Blade & Soul as a major eSport in the west as it is in Korea?
Blade & Soul has a significant eSports presence in Korea, and they recently held the 2015 World Championship event in November featuring players from Korea, Taiwan, China and Japan. We will support our community in the West in the early stages on the eSports front, and plan to start pre-seasons shortly after launch. The first official season will then begin after we (the US and Europe) have caught up in game in PvP content to the other regions. Once we do begin our seasons, they will last about a month long. We will also have more to share on this in the coming months.
Will the western version of Blade & Soul get 3v3 Arena?
Yes, the western version will have 3v3 arena and will be available at launch!
Do you have any idea when the Tower of Mushin will come to the western version? And will you be tweaking it in any way for when it does arrive?
Mushin’s Tower, Floors 1-8 will be coming to the game shortly after launch, sometime within the first few months. In that same timeframe, a slew of other content will be launching including epic dungeons – Bloodshade & Nightshade Harbor and Naryu Labyrinth - Silverfrost Mountain Expansion, and a new class, Warlock. We will be announcing more along with specific timing for these updates following launch, but all players can look forward to this content in the first few months post launch.
