Blade & Soul

Development

NCSoft first announced the project under the codename Project M, a new Unreal Engine 3-based MMORPG, weeks before NCmedia day. At E3 2007, Sony made an exclusive deal with NCSoft for PlayStation 3 titles, and Blade & Soul was initially developed for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 alongside Guild Wars 2, but the console versions were later cancelled. The first closed beta test was scheduled for April 27, 2011. In July 2011, Tencent obtained the Chinese publishing rights, and the game appeared at ChinaJoy.

The Chinese launch occurred on November 23, 2013, as an open beta that moved directly into official launch. The second closed beta ran from August 29 to September 10, 2011, introducing the Assassin class. After an open beta on June 21, 2012, with 150,000 players, the Korean launch began on June 30. In 2013, HTK acquired rights for an English version, initially planned for 2014.

The Blade & Soul Vision Update, an Unreal Engine 4 upgrade, launched as the Blade & Soul Revival expansion in June 2021 for South Korea and in Q3 2021 for NA and EU.

Media

An anime adaptation aired from April to June 2014 on TBS and other stations, directed by Hiroshi Hamasaki and Takeuchi Hiroshi at studio Gonzo, with scripts by Atsuhiro Tomioka. Eri Nagata adapted Hyung-Tae Kim's character designs for animation. The story follows a swordswoman named Alka seeking revenge for her murdered teacher. The opening theme is Sayonara Usotsuki by MimimemeMIMI, and the ending theme is RAINBOW by LEGO BIG MORL. Crunchyroll streamed the series in the West.

Sequels

At NC Media Day 2018, NCSoft announced three Blade & Soul IP games. Blade & Soul S, a chibi-style open-world hero-collection game, opened under the name Hoyeon in South Korea and is set to launch globally as Blade & Soul Heroes in September 2025. Blade & Soul M, a mobile port by Team Bloodlust, was halted and delayed due to the team focusing on the Unreal Engine 4 upgrade and console port, then cancelled in 2020, with its elements integrated into Blade & Soul 2. Blade & Soul 2, a direct sequel by Team B2, focuses on new PVE and PVP combat for mobile and PC, sharing little connection to the original. Powered by Unreal Engine 4, it launched on August 26, 2021, for Android, iOS, and Windows, with planned console release and cross-play. NC announced on December 17, 2025, that Blade & Soul 2 would shut down on June 30, 2026. Blade & Soul Heroes shut down on June 16, 2026.