Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Launches West — But Fans Are Not Happy

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, the revived anime-style MMORPG from developer Bokura and publisher Tencent, finally launched worldwide this week. The free-to-play MMO reached a peak of over 94,000 concurrent players on Steam alone, surpassing the likes of Hollow Knight: Silksong, Marvel Rivals, and EA Sports FC 26 on the day of its debut.

At the time of writing, it still maintains over 63,000 active players, showing solid early interest (via SteamDB). However, that enthusiasm has been tempered by a wave of mixed Steam reviews, many of which criticize the game’s monetization and gameplay systems.

Blue Protocol Star Resonance (Credit: Bokura)

From Shutdown to Comeback

Blue Protocol originally launched in Japan in June 2023, developed and published by Bandai Namco Online. Amazon Games later planned a Western release. But in August 2024, the Japanese servers were abruptly shut down, and the global release was ultimately cancelled.

Fast forward to October 9, 2025, and the MMO has returned under a new name: Blue Protocol: Star Resonance. Funded and revived by Tencent-backed studio Bokura, it’s now available across Steam, Epic Games Store, and mobile platforms on iOS and Android.

The relaunch brings the same core systems as before, action combat, dungeon raids, and open-world exploration, but adds new storylines, smoother animations, and expanded social systems like fishing, housing, and crafting. Players can choose from eight classes, each branching into two specializations, covering traditional MMO roles like tank, DPS, and healer.

Was It Worth the Wait?

That depends on who you ask. According to early Steam reviews, many players are frustrated with what they describe as a “mobile MMO disguised as a PC game.” The game currently sits with a Mixed rating, and the complaints are consistent: excessive gacha mechanics, daily timegates, and limited freedom to grind.

One player summed it up bluntly:

“Just once I would love to get an anime MMO without 1000 currencies, gacha, and overloaded UI.”

Another added:

“This absolute slop represents the culmination of the cancer that has killed the MMO genre.”

Reports suggest that unlocking rare “Gold Imagine” gear can cost up to $125 in in-game currency, while a $400 pity system for high-tier gacha pulls has been widely criticized as exploitative. Players also dislike the timegated leveling, which prevents free grinding and locks rewards behind daily or weekly caps.

Critics also note that combat feels unresponsive, with clunky auto-pathing and unreliable auto-combat features. Some players even report issues where the game teleports characters during navigation due to poor pathing implementation.

Beyond mechanics, server performance has become a major pain point. With only one global server hosted in the U.S., players from Australia, Europe, and Latin America are struggling with severe lag and unstable connections.

That said, not everyone is unhappy. Some fans appreciate its vibrant art direction and anime-inspired visuals, describing it as a “chill MMO experience” if you ignore the monetization. Others hope future updates might rebalance progression and open up gameplay freedom.

What do you think about the game? Share your thoughts in the comments and follow Gaming Amigos on X and Bluesky!