Netmarble has just started the global launch of its new mobile MMORPG, Blade & Soul Revolution, with anticipation for the game at an all-time high. During this busy period, we managed to have a quick interview with Netmarble focusing on the game, including its inspiration and differences from the source material. Read on!
Q: Hello! Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
A: Hi everyone! I am Hyun Jin Jang – Development Lead of Blade & Soul Revolution. Nice to meet you all.
Q: To kick things off, how did the idea for Blade & Soul Revolution first came about?
A: One of the key characteristics of the original IP is its high quality combat compared to other action games. We focused our research and development to provide fascinating and fast-paced combat action that can be easily made on mobile platforms. Ultimately, we enabled easy controls and increased the depth of combat play by optimizing Blade & Soul for mobile platforms. We anticipated that if the original Blade & Soul’s open-world and fascinating graphic actions were added to the accessibility – which is the strength of the mobile platform, the game would be highly competitive in the market.
Q: Can you tell us more about the game’s story? How different is Blade & Soul Revolution when compared to the source material?
A: The story takes out on a background that the school is wiped out by Jinsoyun, who was after The Twilight’s Edge, and you go on a long adventure to get revenge on Jinsoyun. There are gripping tales of revenge in Blade & Soul Revolution that stay true to the original story. Players can play detailed Story Quests to enjoy Blade & Soul Revolution easily. With over 140 high-quality cinematics and the player’s character becoming the main focus of the cinematics, players will easily stay engaged in the mobile environment. On the official version, there will be Story Quests from Acts 1 – Act 4.5; more Story Quests will be added later through continuous updates.
Q: What role does the players assume in Blade & Soul Revolution?
A: There are 4 races in Blade & Soul Revolution: Jin, Yun, Gon, Lyn; each race has different classes and genders you can choose from. Blade Master, Destroyer, Kung Fu Master, Force Master, and Summoner will be released on the day of the official launch and more classes will be added after the update.
Q: What were some of the difficulties or restrictions met when trying to re-tell the Blade & Soul story on the mobile platform?
A: One of the key characteristics of the original IP is its high quality combat compared to other action games. We focused our research and development to provide fascinating and fast-paced combat action that can be easily made on mobile platforms. Ultimately, we enabled easy controls and increased the depth of combat play by optimizing core features of MMORPG Blade & Soul for mobile platforms.
Q: Are there any unique features found on just Blade & Soul Revolution when compared to the original PC version?
A: Blade & Soul Revolution shares the same storyline as the PC version until the 4th Act after the fall of Hongmoon school. After that, the original story of Blade & Soul Revolution will proceed. When players experience the story, it will feel highly immersive, like if they were watching a movie. We will continue to add our own story and attractive characters in the future, so please look forward to that.
Q: Obviously, Blade & Soul Revolution has been launched in English last year in some regions. How will this global service differ?
A: We have significantly improved the part that requires a lot of time to play mobile MMORPG. First of all, we reduced the long field hunting hours, which are essential for growth. And the contents have been supplemented so that players can feel the experience of growing enough even if players invest only a short period of time. In addition, we focused on correcting the balance so that the gap in growth among players is not too different so that players can feel the fun of competition.
Q: It is quite common these days to see cross-over events with other game franchises, something which Netmarble has worked on in previous games. Will players be able to see these campaigns in Blade & Soul Revolution as well?
A: Yes we can’t share future update projects right now, but we are always seeking for opportunity to have meaningful cross-over events with other game franchises.
Q: Netmarble previously developed Lineage 2 Revolution as well. Is it fair to say that all games in the “Revolution” series share the same development ideals?
A: I think for Netmarble, “Revolution” is the name given to a game with a degree of completion that created a new game by reinterpreting the existing game IP. Since we used “Revolution” in the game, we tried our best to contribute to the reputation of Revolution game series.
Q: Has the current COVID-19 pandemic affected any launch or development plans for Blade & Soul Revolution?
A: COVID-19 did not directly affect the launch or development plans.
Q: What kind of post-launch content and updates can players expect for the rest of 2021?
A: Updates are carried out every 1-2 weeks after launch, and in the first update a week after launch, Faction War content will be added, where players belonging to the faction can participate as a large number of people and have fun competing. From then on, new fields and dungeons, growth content, and new professions will be updated sequentially.
