Bless Online
Fantasy MMORPG with faction warfare and early access release.
Bless Online was a massively multiplayer online role-playing game from Neowiz Games. It launched on May 28, 2018, for those who bought a Founder's Pack, and entered Steam Early Access on May 30, 2018. The game initially used a buy-to-play model with Founder's Packs before later transitioning to free-to-play.
The fantasy setting revolves around a decade-long war between two factions: Hieron and Unión. The world is split into different climate zones. A player’s chosen race decides which faction they join, and they can also pick a class. Castle sieges let players fight for faction power; winning unlocks new quests and resources. There are also role-playing scenarios tied to faction and race that help advance a character.
For character creation, players pick from humanoid races. Hieron’s races include the Habichts, Sylvan Elves, wolf-like Lufus, Fedayin, and Mascu. Unión’s races are the Amistad, Aqua Elves, catlike Pantera, Iblis, and Sirens.
Development began with an announcement in 2011, using Unreal Engine 3. In 2017, publisher Aeria Games canceled the western version, so Neowiz decided to self-publish. That July, Neowiz announced a Rebuild Project to address game components. At TwitchCon 2017, they confirmed a 2018 release and that the game would launch on Steam Early Access, with English, German, and Russian localizations. Two mobile games based on the Bless IP were announced, one using Unreal Engine 4. As of October 2017, Neowiz was still figuring out in-game monetization. The last Korean server shut down on November 19, 2018.
Beta testing started with a closed beta in South Korea in 2014. An open beta ran on South Korean servers from August 2017. Japanese closed beta began in April and continued into October 2017. From December 2016 to May 2017, an open beta was hosted on Russian servers but was shut down after failing to gain traction.
The Steam Early Access version for the US and Europe launched on May 28, 2018 (Founder's Pack) and May 30, 2018 (general). It closed on September 9, 2019, with media outlets citing a struggling userbase as the main reason.
- business_model
- Buy-to-play (launch), later free-to-play
Quick Facts
- Title
- Bless Online
- Developer
- Neowiz Bless Studio
- Publisher
- Neowiz Games
- Director
- Jacob Han
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 3
- Platforms
- Microsoft Windows
- Released
- WW · 2018
- Genre
- MMORPG
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Bless Online was set in a fantasy world where a decade-long war raged between the nations of Hieron and Unión. Players chose a race and class, with race determining faction alignment. The game featured PvP castle sieges that granted new quests and resources, as well as faction- and race-dependent role-playing scenarios. The game world was divided by different climatic zones.
Bless was initially announced in 2011 and developed with Unreal Engine 3. Its western version was cancelled by publisher Aeria Games in 2017, prompting Neowiz to self-publish. In July 2017, Neowiz announced a Rebuild Project to address game components. At TwitchCon 2017, Neowiz confirmed a 2018 release on Steam Early Access, with localized versions for English, German, and Russian.
Two mobile games based on the Bless IP were announced, one using Unreal Engine 4. As of October 2017, Neowiz was still assessing in-game monetization options. The last remaining server in Korea was shut down on November 19, 2018.
In the western version, the Mascu race belonged to the Union faction, not Hieron.
Reader's Guide
Bless Online is notable as a Korean-developed MMORPG that attempted a Western launch via Steam Early Access but failed to sustain a player base. Its development was marked by a cancelled publisher deal, a rebuild project, and eventual server closures. The game's faction-based system, with races tied to Hieron or Unión, and its PvP castle sieges were central features. Despite initial interest, the Steam version closed on September 9, 2019, with media outlets citing a struggling userbase as the main reason. The game's legacy includes two announced mobile spin-offs and a cautionary example of the challenges in cross-region MMORPG launches.
Did You Know?
- Bless Online was initially announced in 2011.
- The game used Unreal Engine 3, developed by Epic Games.
- The last remaining server in Korea was shut down on November 19, 2018.
- Two mobile games based on the Bless IP were announced, one using Unreal Engine 4.
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