The martial arts inspired MMO already has tens of million of players in Asia, where it has been available since 2012

May 21, 2015 08:54 GMT  ·  By

NCSoft has announced that its martial arts themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game Blade & Soul will be making its way to the west this winter.

The game is set in a beautiful mythological world inspired by Asian culture, drawing on fast-paced combat inspired by various martial arts.

Blade & Soul was initially released in mid-2012 in Asia, and managed to attract tens of millions of users, cementing its place as one of the most popular MMOs in the world.

"Blade & Soul is one of the most anticipated online games by Western consumers. This is a tremendous opportunity to bring one of the most successful and fun online games in Asia to our Western audience this winter and we can’t wait to deliver this extraordinary and distinct gaming experience to millions of new players across Europe and North America," commented John Burns, senior vice president of publishing at NCSoft West.

A fresh MMO experience

In Blade & Soul, players have to fight to avenge the death of their fallen master, following a classic Wuxia storyline, inspired by the Chinese fiction genre specialized in recounting the adventures of martial artist.

The game delivers a fusion of Asian cultural elements and stunning landscapes and vistas, and also offers a fresh take on MMO interactions, including an action-based system with ability combos and a flexible role system that enables players to be more flexible when creating parties.

Player characters also possess various wondrous abilities, being able to jump over mountains and soar through the skies, so it will definitely be an exciting and welcome experience.

The western version of Blade & Soul will be localized in English, German and French, complete with voiceover tracks, and NCSoft is planning to host a closed beta test in Europe and North America, sometime this fall.

You can learn more about the game and sign up for the upcoming beta test on the Blade & Soul website.

Blade & Soul screenshots (9 Images)

Blade & Soul screenshot
Blade & Soul has some gorgeous vistasBlade & Soul explores Asian cultural themes
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