Blade & Soul Heroes is shaping up to be a charming addition to the gacha MMO genre, distinguished by its adorable art style and careful localization efforts. During a recent preview hosted by NC America, project lead Scott Choi and associate producer Evan Hill provided an in-depth look at the game, offering insights into its features and mechanics. This event marked our first opportunity to examine the western version since its surprise reveal at Summer Game Fest.

The game originally launched in Korea as Hoyeon last year and will soon debut globally with servers spanning North America, Europe, and Asia. Notably, there won't be a dedicated South American server, as developers believe latency issues in Brazil won't significantly impact gameplay—especially once players experience the high-energy combat firsthand. The initial release will target platforms including Purple, Steam Deck, iOS, and Android, with full cross-platform play and progression. While console ports are a possibility in the future, they are not part of the launch plan, which is scheduled for September 2nd.

Narratively, players find themselves amid a story set three years before the events of Blade & Soul Neo, focusing on rebuilding a clan. The gameplay revolves around completing quests, battling mobs, gathering resources, and upgrading gear, all while recruiting diverse characters with unique strengths and weaknesses. This allows players to customize their teams for different combat scenarios, enhancing both offensive and defensive strategies. The game features a mix of solo and multiplayer activities, including instanced dungeons and open-world exploration across familiar zones from the Blade & Soul universe—though with a more stylized, chibi-inspired aesthetic.

Progression mainly involves collecting new characters and farming materials to enhance gear through upgrades, reinforcement, and runes, boosting overall stats. Combat mechanics are diverse: the game employs a dynamic real-time action system, where characters execute flashy skills and dodge or parry attacks in response to boss threats. This system includes a "joint attack" feature that enables team responses to prevent bosses from unleashing their most devastating moves. Boss encounters increase in difficulty gradually, encouraging players to adapt their tactics and team composition. Additionally, a turn-based combat mode offers a different strategic experience, reminiscent of fighting games rather than traditional MMORPGs, yet equally engaging. Overall, Blade & Soul Heroes promises a lively and strategic combat experience, infused with its signature cute charm.

NC America has unveiled a variety of combat modes designed to engage players on multiple fronts. One highlight is the boss trial feature, which caters to both solo adventurers and groups. Players select a specific boss and assemble a party optimized with counters tailored to that foe, testing their skills and strategies. While the game provides recommended hero compositions, experimentation remains encouraged to discover new tactics.

Another mode involves time-limited instanced dungeons, reminiscent of classic speedrun challenges. These dungeons require players to swiftly clear floors filled with trash mobs to gather upgrade materials and cosmetic gear, promoting fast-paced gameplay reminiscent of classic raid runs.

The Hall of Challenge introduces an arena-like PvE experience, where groups face off against three successive bosses within a set time frame. This mode emphasizes quick coordination and strategic execution under pressure, offering a competitive edge within cooperative play.

Unique to this game are turn-based battles, a departure from traditional real-time combat. Inspired by modes seen in titles like Honkai Star Rail, players form a party to confront NPC enemies in sequential battles, which can be automated for convenience. This feature introduces a strategic layer that appeals to players who enjoy tactical gameplay.

Perhaps the most anticipated aspect for MMORPG fans is the open-world field boss encounters. These events attract large groups, sometimes numbering up to a hundred players, fostering community interaction beyond NPC parties. Additionally, upcoming guild content and turn-based guild boss fights are planned to deepen multiplayer engagement. The game will also feature a turn-based PvP mode, providing a dedicated arena for competitive battles, although it remains the only PvP mode available.

Significant efforts have been made by NC America to adapt the game for a global audience. Developers reworked the storyline to enhance engagement for Western players, incorporating elements from the broader Blade & Soul universe through systems like the Chronicles, which offer backstory content for characters imported from previous titles. Content balancing and progression systems have been refined to reduce grind and improve flow. The initial experience has been enhanced with additional heroes, a clearer user interface, and a streamlined tutorial process, all aimed at easing new players into the game and ensuring a more enjoyable onboarding experience.

Although NCsoft's representatives didn't explicitly label their new title as a gacha game during the initial announcements, subsequent press discussions clarified that it indeed features gacha mechanics. The developers describe it as a “free-to-play collectible action MMORPG,” emphasizing that the game is designed to avoid pay-to-win elements. Paid options are primarily aimed at enhancing convenience and saving time rather than accelerating growth or gaining unfair advantages. In fact, NCsoft revealed that the localization team actively removed growth-related pay-to-win features for the global release, ensuring that dedicated free-to-play players can enjoy the full experience without spending money—something the project lead, Hill, has personally confirmed.

A seasonal battlepass system will be part of the game, offering tickets that grant access to additional content. The developers state that this battlepass aims to improve quality of life, allowing players to unlock more heroes and mini-pets more quickly, but it does not restrict gameplay for free players. All character upgrades are earned through gameplay, with no direct purchase options available for boosting character stats or power.

Regarding gacha probabilities, NCsoft assures players will have multiple chances to obtain heroes, complemented by a “favor system” that allows accumulating “portions” of a hero to gradually unlock or recruit specific characters. While the game positions itself as a “player-friendly” gacha experience, standard gacha limitations still apply.

The gameplay structure bears some resemblance to classic NCsoft titles like Guild Wars, especially in team composition and skill management, though the monetization strategies are notably different. The developers also hinted at upcoming raid battles slated for the first free update, with plans for a busy content schedule over the next year. This roadmap includes regular updates every 3 to 4 weeks, featuring new regions, storylines, heroes, events, and rotating banners.

Additional details include potential collaborations with anime franchises, which are “on the table,” and options for players to adjust visual effects, such as particle effects, if they prefer a less flashy experience. The game’s design ensures all heroes retain utility and balance across various content types, with some banner heroes returning after their rotation and others cycling back in later.

For Western players, gear customization is more flexible, allowing sharing gear setups across up to 20 heroes—a significant upgrade from Korea’s four due to concerns over grind. The game also offers turn-based gameplay modes that enable autobattler-like experiences, with a unique picture-in-picture feature allowing players to monitor PvP matches while engaging with other content simultaneously.

Thanks to NCsoft for providing this early look. Interested players can follow the game’s development and updates through Steam.

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