We love a good MMO here at TSA, and NCSoft love them doubly so. As the team behind Guild Wars, Lineage and most recently Throne & Liberty, their next step is to draw on their MMO past, revisiting and revitalising the original Blade & Soul MMO in the shape of Blade & Soul NEO. In as timely a way as possible, they’ve fired up a brand-new trailer showcasing the game’s iconic combat and the remastered visuals that players can expect to see when it launches later this year for PC.
Blade & Soul remains one of the biggest Korean MMOs of all time, and despite the fact that the sequel arrived five years ago, it’s a beloved property that players continue to return to 12 years after its original release. Blade & Soul NEO will see players transported back to the Wuxia-themed fantastical world, so that they can experience the story and gameplay once more with modernised graphics and improved systems.
A free-to-play MMO set in a world of Asian mythology, combat has always been the star of Blade & Soul, and it looks to be carefully reinterpreted here in the updated Unreal Engine 4. There’s new combat techniques to learn, and the fighting system, which has more in common with fighting games than it does with most RPGs, has gained even more depth, which will be perfect for returning players. It certainly looks beautiful, and if you check out the new trailer you can see the side-by-side comparisons between the original and the NEO version.
One of the most requested features has been the inclusion of Infinite Windwalk, an ability that was originally limited by your character’s stamina meter. Now you can take to the skies, and you’ll be able to get around the world with your party of players in a much more efficient and enjoyable length of time.
The renewed character customisation options also take advantage of the enhanced visuals, with player characters now more visually impressive than ever before. You can even download and share your character template for other players to use, and this is a great feature if you see a design you simply must have.
Blade & Soul NEO is set to launch later in 2025. Players can sign up now and receive a special pre-registration package of in-game rewards, including unique skins and additional currency. We’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for the release date, and we’ll let you know as soon as we have it.
