Blade & Soul is live; here’s the launch roundup, gallery, and trailer

    
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NCsoft’s Blade & Soul formally launches in the west today, having spent the last few days in headstart. To celebrate how far it’s come in the last year since announcing its intent to launch on our shores, we’ve rounded up all of our best coverage of the game and plopped the launch gallery and trailer below too. Enjoy!

Battle Bards Episode 227: NCsounds - Syl and Syp return to the vast library of NCsoft’s MMO soundtracks, with games like Aion, Lineage, and Blade & Soul to keep our ears happy for decades now. With so much new music coming out…
End-of-Year Eleven: The top MMOs to watch in 2023 - You know how some people like to push this narrative that "MMOs are dying?" If that were actually true, then my job to round up all of the up-and-coming titles every year would be far simpler.…
Battle Bards Episode 218: Peace and quiet - If anyone’s ever told you to “take a chill pill,” then the Battle Bards have your full dosage in today’s episode. Exploring peaceful and serene tracks from MMORPGs, Syl and Syp find their inner calm —…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 396: Crowfalling - Justin and Bree discuss Crowfall, Blue Protocol, SWTOR, New World, Q3 2022 financials (for Blizzard, Pearl Abyss, Square Enix, NCsoft), and new patches (for DDO, Neverwinter, Blade and Soul, EVE Online, Guild Wars 2, Elder Scrolls…
Blade & Soul’s first-ever mounts are lockbox drops - Mounts are arriving to Blade & Soul once the Symphony of Destruction update goes live. That would probably be enough information for most, but NCsoft has provided some additional details about the feature that players will…
Blade & Soul’s Cursed Legacy update goes live - Ready for a new legendary dungeon, new accessories, and some returning events in Blade & Soul? Then you're ready for the Cursed Legacy update, which went live yesterday, bringing all of those things and other stuff…
Battle Bards Episode 207: Seeing Red - Have you ever gotten so mad that you literally saw red? Better yet, have you ever heard the color red when you’ve listened to an MMO’s soundtrack? In this episode, the Battle Bards explore the diversity…
Battle Bards Episode 197: A royal affair - Bow to your king and queens of MMO music royalty, for the Battle Bards have donned the crown, taking up the majestic scepter, and issued a proclamation that all sorts of royal music must be heard…
Blade & Soul teases Dual-Blades class in new trailer - Blade & Soul certainly isn't hurting for character classes that wield a sword, or even classes that dual-wield, but what if there's a class that dual-wields swords? That's what's coming when the game releases its UE4-powered…
Blade and Soul’s Slithering Shadows update is live - Yesterday was patch day for Blade and Soul, introducing the Slithering Shadows update to the game along with a set of patch notes to accompany the launch. As one might expect, the notes give some more…
Battle Bards Episode 185: Taking Flight - Flying has always been both beloved and controversial in MMORPGs, but no matter what your stance on it, at least you can agree that when you slip the surly bonds of earth, you need an amazing…
The Stream Team: Happy 5th birthday Blade & Soul - [AL:BaS]Turning five and feeling alive! That's Blade & Soul's motto today as the MMORPG celebrates its fifth birthday in the West. And Massively OP's MJ is crashing the party to earn some festival tokens for herself.…
Grim and glad tidings spread across Blade and Soul - Do you like your holiday season dour or delightful? If you venture into Blade and Soul this week, you can have both! [AL:BaS]This week's Grim Tidings update is named after the addition of a new Blade…
The Stream Team: Going all ghoul-ly in Blade & Soul - [AL:BaS]What? It's November you say? And Halloween is over? Pffft, nope! Not for Massively OP's MJ, and not for Blade & Soul. The holiday festivities continue with the Blade & Ghoul event, and MJ is just…
Blade & Soul Midnight Reborn update is now live - The update for Blade & Soul is happening now, but the real fun starts at midnight. Specifically, it starts in the revamped version of the Midnight Skypetal Plains, which is being made more challenging while also…
Blade & Soul’s Steel Bonds update is now live - The first part of the Steelbreaker raid in Blade & Soul lies broken behind you. It doesn't lie lifeless behind you, or at least, not much more so than before; it was stuffed with a whole…
Blade and Soul hammers out a Steel Uprising patch - You know what would go down really nice right about now? A huge, hefty MMO content update. Or a shamrock milkshake from McDonald's. But we'll take the content update if it is all that is available.[AL:BaS]…
Valentine’s Day 2020 across the MMO universe - Per tradition, we've been covering the launch of Valentine's Day events in MMOs and MMORPGs over the last couple of weeks, but tomorrow is the big day and we can finally stick a pin in that…
Battle Bards Episode 156: Feeling blue - Is blue a color? An emotion? A song? An overused alien skin tone? One thing is for certain: Blue shows up an awful lot in MMORPG soundtracks, which is why the Battle Bards have mined their…
Blade and Soul’s Golden Harvest Festival is live - Let's all go win some plates covered in food and then shove them into our filthy knapsacks so that we can turn them in for rewards! That's the central gameplay loop of Blade and Soul's Golden Harvest…
Battle Bards Episode 150: The great plains - It may not be the most sexy or exotic of biomes, but plains tend to pop up in pretty much every MMORPG — and they always have music to adventure by! In this episode of the…
Blade & Soul’s Scarlet Tears update is now live - The latest update to NCSoft's free-to-play martial-arts MMORPG Blade & Soul has just gone live, bringing with it a fistful of new content for players to punch and kick their way through. The update, titled Scarlet…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 214: No fools we - Justin and Bree discus MMO April Fools' Day, Jumpgate's sequel, Funcom's new Secret World project, EverQuest 3, Rend's abrupt launch, Star Citizen's ladies, and Neverwinter and DDO's expansion dates, with adventures in Guild Wars 2, DDO,…
Battle Bards Episode 140: Piano piano! - It’s one of the most powerful and versatile of musical instruments, and now the piano is getting its own featured show here on Battle Bards! The crew re-assembles, not to avenge, but to uplift beautiful, striking,…
Blade & Soul loses Producer Jonathan Lien - Rabbit Man is sad today because Rabbit Man heard the news that Jonathan Lien is leaving his post as producer for Blade and Soul. "I wanted to let you know that this is my last week…
Perfect Ten: Mobile MMOs to watch in 2018 - Love it or hate it, MMOs are going mobile in ever-increasing numbers. Last year saw a crop of acclaimed titles making their way to tablets and smartphones, including Old School RuneScape and Villagers and Heroes. While…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 196: Shire consequences - Justin and Bree discuss LOTRO's progression server, Funcom's and NCsoft's next big things, Gamigo's plans for Trion's games, and updates for Warframe, DCUO, and Neverwinter, plus discussion on favorite playstyles, legacy server ideas, and the future…
MassivelyOP’s guide to MMO Halloween 2018 - Whether or not you consider yourself too old to put on that Hulk or Sparkle Twilight costume and prance ("HULK PRANCE") around the neighborhood for free candy, MMOs make it easy for us to regress into…
Perfect Ten: Best MMO debuts by year, 2007-2017 - Continuing from my previous column that went back to 1997, I'm going to be running through the second decade of graphical MMORPG launches and picking the best title to debut in any given year. From doing…
Battle Bards Episode 122: Happy town - In peaceful villages and bubbly burgs, you just know that there’s bound to be an abundance of happy music! Whenever the Battle Bards regroup to lick their wounds and drink the terrors away, they often find…
Blade & Soul Korea teases pair of new classes - [AL:BaS]Late last week, NCsoft's Korean-language website for Blade & Soul began popping a "new update" tease for players: a silhouette of a fighter-type character wielding one hell of a sword emblazoned with a dragon. The English-language…
Blade & Soul patches in a fight against a robot - [AL:BaS]A new Blade & Soul patch has arrived, and it is indisputably the best patch the game has seen because it allows you to fight a giant robot. Don't waste your time complaining that a giant…
Fire and blood rains down on Blade & Soul - [AL:BaS]The only thing worse than one overpowering force hellbent on revenge... is two. This is the threat coming to Blade and Soul with its Fire and Blood content update on March 21st. Players can choose which…
Choose My Adventure: Farewell to Project Gorgon - Out of all the titles that I've played for Choose My Adventure, Project Gorgon is probably the earliest in its development cycle. It's also, by a sizable margin, the best in show. If you're looking for…
The Stream Team: Happy birthday, Blade & Soul! - [AL:BaS]Another year, another birthday! Crazy how that happens, right? Massively OP's MJ is all set to re-immerse herself in the world of Blade & Soul as TestSubject and her trusty furball sidekick, Sleepyhead. Now if there…
Massively OP’s Winter Holiday 2017 guide! - It's that time of year again where the airwaves of certain radio stations are clogged with the same songs from the 1950s, television broadcasts are filled with specials about the nature of giving, and dozens of…
Netmarble announces Blade & Soul Revolution mobile MMO - If Lineage Revolution didn't get you fired up for mobile MMORPGs, maybe Blade & Soul Revolution has a better chance. Netmarble, again licensing one of NCsoft's popular MMORPG IPs, announced ahead of G-Star that it will…
NCsoft announces Blade & Soul 2 for mobile - Among the flurry of NCsoft reveals this week was word that the company is working on a follow-up to Blade and Soul for 2018. The teaser for Blade and Soul II was shown at NCsoft's Media…
Halloween events across the MMORPG verse, 2017 edition - Hey, you. Yeah, you, dude leeching candy from the bucket you bought "for the neighborhood kids." And you, lady still trying to decide between "Princess Leia" and "lazy zombie" for your costume (go Leia, duh). Put…
Battle Bards Episode 107: Blade and Soul expansions - After 50 episodes, the Battle Bards have made the brave decision to revisit the hallowed lands of Blade and Soul to look at two of the soundtrack expansions. The team combs through The World and Silverfrost…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 129: Treasure Trove - Justin and Bree discuss Guild Wars 2, LOTRO, Secret World Legends, Trove, ArcheAge, Blade & Soul, Star Citizen, Chronicles of Elyria, Crowfall, and DCUO, with mailbag questions on non-fantasy MMOs and soloing in MMOs: %SURL%
Battle Bards Episode 100: Centennial spectacular! - After four years and over 700 MMORPG music tracks, the Battle Bards have arrived at their 100th show! For this centennial spectacular, Syl, Steff, and Syp reminisce about the most notable shows, their best soundtrack discoveries,…
Blade and Soul doubles its firepower with the Maestro - [AL:BaS]Asian MMOs can't exist for long without succumbing to the temptation to introduce some sort of gun-toting fanatic, and Blade and Soul is proving to be no exception in this department. Next month, the fantasy title…
Battle Bards Episode 91: Forest Tales - Take a stroll through the trees and become totally lost in the foliage, drinking in the sounds of the forest with today’s show, as the Battle Bards go hiking through the woods to hear the music…
The Stream Team: Happy birthday Blade & Soul! - Massively OP's MJ hasn't been in Blade & Soul in quite a while, so what better time to bounce back in than on its birthday? The game turns one year old today, and everyone is invited…
Perfect Ten: All the MMORPGs coming in 2017 - Right now we are in a strange place in MMORPG history. Following the backlash of WoW clones and several high-profile titles that underperformed, major studios are becoming extremely risk-averse to creating big-budget titles the way that…
Blade and Soul turns into Blade and Ghoul for the season - Blade and Soul has rebranded itself as Blade and Ghoul for the Halloween season, celebrating the debut of All Hallow's Eve yesterday. The game's event mainly revolves around completing daily and dynamic quests in eight of…
Massively OP’s guide to MMO Halloween 2016 - "Two things I did on Hallows Night: / Made my house April-clear / Left open wide my door / to the ghosts of the year."  ~ "All Hollows Night" by Lizette Woodworth Reese Is your door open…
Blade & Soul’s Ebondrake Citadel dungeon launches October 5 - Hack-n-slashers, ready your swords: Blade & Soul's Ebondrake Citadel launches October 5th, which is great timing for Halloween since the update is spooky indeed. NCsoft describes Ebondrake Citadel as a "formidable prison of evil," an endgame…
Blade and Soul is making it easier to upgrade weapons - For those who are frustrated with Blade and Soul's sometimes-contentious weapon upgrade system, fret not: NCsoft has heard your wailing and gnashing of teeth. The studio announced yesterday that it has grand plans to make upgrading…
NCsoft Q2 2016: WildStar up, Guild Wars 2 down - NCsoft's second quarter financials are in, and it's pretty good news for MMORPGs on the whole. Operating profit and net income are up quarter-over-quarter and year-over year, while sales were flat since Q1. As usual, the Lineage…
Master X Master highlights Poharan and Kromede - There's more to Master X Master than just bringing in characters from several NCsoft games under the same roof, but that is still part of the game's purpose. The two latest heroes to be revealed are…
Blade and Soul wades into a summertime patch - Shadows of the Innocents, Blade and Soul's 2.4 patch, hit the live servers yesterday, giving max level players more content to consume. There are two new dungeons that arrived as well as the Twisted Grimhon Wilds,…
There’s a Blade and Soul prequel in the works - Blade and Soul was one of the big western imports this year, but it's about to get some competition of its own making. NCsoft just announced that it is developing a prequel called Blade and Soul:…
Blade & Soul’s Soul Fighter update is live today - The Soul Fighter does not actually fight souls in Blade & Soul. No more than any other class, anyhow. It mostly fights with soul, and that's "soul" in the "glowing spiritual energy" sense rather than "deeply…
Blade & Soul announces Vengeance Breaks update for June 1 - It's a day that ends in Y, so that means it's time for another massive Blade & Soul announcement. NCsoft has revealed today the June 1st update, what it's calling Vengeance Breaks. The patch "brings new content including…
Blade & Soul’s Shattered Empire is live today - Blade & Soul's 2.1 update, Shattered Empire, has gone live today as planned. The patch introduces two new floors for Mushin's Tower plus two dungeons (Sogun’s Lament and Cold Storage) and a 6v6 PvP mode called Whirlwind…
Blade & Soul launches Shattered Empire hub - Blade & Soul's just gone live with the website for its next big update -- that'd be 2.1, more colorfully known as The Shattered Empire. The patch totes along new floors for Mushin's Tower (nine through…
Blade & Soul offers its own endgame content overview - So what do you do in Blade & Soul once you've levelcapped? Well, you could go do all the patched-in content coming along at break-neck speed. Silverfrost Mountains? Unchained? Rising Waters? That's more content in two months than…
Blade & Soul releases mobile card battler - Can't get enough of a Blade & Soul fix lately? Why not add a mobile app to your gaming diet, then? Yes indeed: There is now a Blade & Soul mobile game. It's not an MMO,…
Massively OP’s MMORPG Valentine’s Day 2016 roundup - If you're one of those gamers who needs goofy real-world holidays in your MMOs, then this weekend is for you, as sappy pink hearts, chocolate candy crappies, and excessively revealing cosmetic lingerie is about to invade…
The Stream Team: Blade & Soul’s buddy system - MassivelyOP's MJ is a firm believer in the buddy system; everything is just plain better with a friend. (And no, it's not just to have someone else to blame things on!) That's why she's even more…
Choose My Adventure: Entering the fray in Blade & Soul - Hello, friends, and welcome to a spankin' new series of Choose My Adventure. This month, I'm going to be diving into NCSoft's wuxia-inspired Blade & Soul. I know many MMO fans have been anxiously awaiting the Western…
Blade & Soul plagued by chat bugs after maintenance - NCsoft's Blade & Soul is having a rough maintenance day. Players are reporting numerous issues since the game's latest update, most relating to chat. Earlier today, the company acknowledged that it was aware of a bug preventing characters under level…
Blade & Soul hits one million players in the west - A week after its launch in North America and Europe, Blade & Soul claims to have surpassed one million players in the game worldwide in the west. The game launched in South Korea in 2012 and…
Blade & Soul teases upcoming content - As if Blade & Soul players didn't have enough to keep them occupied this week, what with the launch and all, NCsoft has released a new sneak preview of what's coming to the game over the next…
The Stream Team: Back for more killer kitties in Blade & Soul - Instead of going through that introduction again on a new class, MassivelyOP's MJ is continuing her Blade & Soul adventures on TestSubject the Summoner and her trusty sidekick, Sleepyhead. Will gameplay actually become more prevalent than…
Leaderboard: Are you playing Blade & Soul? - Blade & Soul formally launches in the west next week, with its headstart period for preorder buyers opening up today. MMORPG players talk a lot about holding out past the inevitable launch week messes, but many…
The Stream Team: Blade & Soul’s headstart - Although Blade & Soul doesn't officially launch until the 19th, the headstart begins today. And that means MassivelyOP's MJ gets to jump in and play. Well, she can play after she creates a character, that is!…
Perfect Ten: The MMORPGs to watch in 2016 - A long time ago on another website far, far away, I held a tradition of kicking off the new year by listing the top 10 MMOs that deserved attention and were likely to launch that year.…
Perfect Ten: The biggest MMORPG news stories of 2015 - For as long as Massively Overpowered exists, this will be one of the most memorable years in our site's history. It was the year that, after seven year of operation, old Massively got abruptly shuttered by…
Massively OP’s Best of 2015 Awards: Most Likely to Flop - Massively OP's end-of-the-year awards continue today with our most likely to flop in 2016 and beyond award. Last year, Star Citizen took home this dishonor, leading to much discord in the comments. Star Citizen has yet to actually…
Blade and Soul starts testing the Soul Fighter in Korea - Blade and Soul's roster is ever-growing even as the title's western launch grows near. Steparu is reporting that the title is currently testing a new class called the Soul Fighter (although he suspects that this name…
Massively OP Podcast Episode 39: Giving thanks - Justin and Bree discuss Black Desert, Blade & Soul, SWTOR nerfs, Funcom, and gratitude, plus mailbag questions on other podcasts, the quest for sandboxes, F2P restrictions, and custom races.
Blade & Soul makes Western debut on January 19th - If you've been waiting for the localized launch of Blade & Soul for what feels like an eternity, your wait is nearly over. The game is officially launching on January 19th in North America and Europe…
It’s Kung Fu Master week in Blade & Soul - Do you know kung fu? The Blade & Soul Kung Fu Master does, clearly, and today NCsoft decided to kick off Kung Fu Master class week with a wall of text, a video, and a listing…
Blade & Soul dedicates a week to the Summoner - Would you consider a cat to be a faithful battle companion? If not, you probably haven't played a Summoner in Blade & Soul, the class in the spotlight this week. Summoners are the sole pet class…
Blade & Soul’s chi and pet systems teased - Want to know even more about Blade & Soul's Chi? There's a new update on the fantasy title's website that offers a few cryptic hints at how the mechanic will work. Chi isn't just for warriors,…
What is Blade & Soul’s chi about, anyway? - Chi is vitally important to Blade & Soul's lore and gameplay, but it's perfectly OK to not completely understand what it's about. That's why the devs have penned a new lore blog to explain what chi…
Massively OP Podcast: Episode 15 - Justin and Bree talk about Blade & Soul's western approach, WoW's war on flying, The Repopulation's launch date, EverQuest's progression server, Age of Conan's anniversary, and Guild Wars 2's Lion's Arch rebuild, plus mailbag questions on…
Blade & Soul hits western shores this winter - Remember when comic books had little call-outs on the front cover proudly proclaiming that something happened because the readers requested it? I always thought those were kind of hilarious. "Because you demanded it, here's the latest issue…
Migrate your NCsoft master account or face deletion - Are you still using an old NCsoft master account? If you are, then you're going to want to migrate to the new system before May 1st lest your account be deleted forever. To encourage long-time players…
NCsoft’s games are going free-to-play in Japan - [AL:Aion]NCsoft games are shedding their subscription requirements -- at least in Japan. MMO Culture is reporting that between March and April, NCsoft will be transitioning its Japanese titles to a free-to-play model, leaving Korea as the…
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