On May 15, 2025, fans got the surprise they’d been waiting for: Blue Protocol: Star Resonance, the long-anticipated anime MMORPG from Shanghai Bokura Network Technology, is officially coming to the West via publisher A Plus in 2025. The news followed hot on the heels of the game’s Chinese beta, and the hype hasn’t stopped building since.
To keep the momentum going — and true to its community-driven development ethos — Bokura extended a rare opportunity to the game’s largest English-speaking fan hub, Star Resonance Database. Through a series of curated questions sourced from the Discord server, players got the chance to directly engage with the team behind the game.
Roy, Bokura’s founder and seasoned game producer — who’s been a driving force behind MMO titles like Dragon Nest Mobile and Ragnarok Origin: Love at First Sight — answered the community’s most burning questions, and didn’t hold back.
Q1: MMOs nowadays try to cater to every type of player (PvE, PvP, roleplayers, casuals, hardcore, etc.), but this often leads to a lack of proper direction and focus, resulting in none of the content reaching its full potential. In the case of Star Resonance, who is the main target audience, and which content areas will you primarily focus on?
A: Many members of our team, including myself, are anime enthusiasts. Combined with my years of experience as an MMO producer, I’ve always dreamed of creating an MMO with a distinct anime aesthetic. We know this is an ambitious vision because today’s market lacks games that truly cater to both anime enthusiasts and traditional MMO players. That’s exactly who we’re building this game for: players who, like us, love deep MMO experiences and vibrant anime-style worlds.
The game’s core gameplay will focus on a PvE battle and casual gameplay hybrid model. That said, as we continue updating the game and gathering player feedback, we may expand into other areas in the future.
Q2: Monetization is one of the biggest concerns for Western players compared to the Eastern player base. Generally, players don’t want others to gain an unreasonable progression advantage by spending money. Specifically, the Chinese beta test revealed that the game has a premium to in-game currency conversion system without any daily or weekly restrictions, similar to many recently criticized MMOs in the West. Are you planning to adjust this for the Western community? If so, what is your current approach?
A: As mentioned earlier, our game focuses on a PvE battle and casual gameplay hybrid model, so we certainly don't want a P2W environment here. While we do offer pay-for-convenience options (like currency conversion), none of these provide exclusive advantages. All progression items can be earned through gameplay, and the Trading Center ensures that even paid boosts indirectly benefit the broader community by circulating resources.
These systems are designed to help players with limited playtime or those joining later to catch up, rather than creating an imbalanced situation. We believe this approach will create a relatively balanced gameplay experience, fostering a fair ecosystem and a healthier in-game economy. We also recognize that players may want to support the development team through these optional purchases, allowing us to continue creating more high-quality content for everyone.
Q3: Content is another critical factor in MMOs. What kind of vertical progression-related content can casual and hardcore players currently expect to engage in Blue Protocol: Star Resonance?
A: We believe combat and progression are the heart of the MMO experience, so we’ve designed these systems to cater to all types of players. Through extensive iteration, we’ve created a battle system that’s easy to pick up for newcomers but deep enough to challenge veterans.
For hardcore players, we’ve built a robust PvE ecosystem — from class customization to dungeons and open-world encounters. As players grow stronger, they’ll test their skills in high-stakes battles, including five-player dungeons and 20-player raids, all while earning exciting rewards. Each season will introduce fresh content like new classes, dungeons, and PvE modes to keep the experience dynamic.
For casual players, we’re crafting a relaxed, social playground with features like house-building, life skills, fishing, etc. And we are also planning seasonal events for social play. Over time, we’ll add more social mini-games, aiming to create a vibrant world that feels like a shared amusement park for everyone.
Our goal is to create a playground where every player, whether competitive or casual, can find their own adventure.
Q4: Many MMOs tend to introduce more and more systems over time. This often leads to a high barrier of entry to the game and overwhelms the active player base. To avoid this, it is much simpler to expand the currently existing systems (e.g., adding skills, expanding talent trees, etc.) instead of adding new ones. What is your design philosophy when considering the future development of the game?
A: We’re intentional about keeping progression systems streamlined. Our philosophy is simple: Whether you’re a new player just starting out or a veteran returning after a break, we want you to jump back in effortlessly, without cramming a ton of new mechanics. That’s why we focus on expanding existing systems — adding depth, new goals, and fresh twists — rather than piling on entirely new mechanics. Long-term, this keeps the experience fresh but familiar, ensuring that players always have meaningful ways to grow without feeling overwhelmed.
Q5: MMOs often face the issue of mandatory progression-related content being too grindy, difficult, or time-consuming for the majority of the player base. Easing the difficulty for progression-related content, adding social-focused content for after progression, and including optional but challenging content for those seeking a challenge seem to be effective solutions. What is your current stance on this, and how do you plan to address it?
A: Making core progression both enjoyable and accessible has always been one of our top priorities. We’re adopting a seasonal approach. Not only to introduce fresh content but also to revitalize existing activities with thematic updates, ensuring even veteran players find new excitement in familiar gameplay. We’re also deeply committed to enhancing social experiences. Social interaction is the heart of our game, and every piece of content is designed to bring players together. After all, the most memorable moments often emerge from player-driven interactions. To foster this, we’re building a more diverse game ecosystem that caters to different playstyles — whether it’s PvE, casual gameplay, or relaxed social activities. For example, we’ve invested significant effort into developing the housing system. While it was not available in the test server yet, we’ll continue expanding it through seasonal updates, enriching its depth, variety, and overall appeal to strengthen player connections. By consistently refining and expanding content this way, we aim to create a vibrant, inclusive world where every player finds their place.
Q6: The community would love to see the game include content that enriches exploration, similar to timed or dynamic events present in other MMOs. These are unscheduled events that randomly appear throughout the world while bringing the community together. Are there any plans for such content?
A: As fellow MMO players, we absolutely love dynamic events like these. They’re a fantastic way to encourage exploration and spontaneous player interaction. However, with our current development resources, we’re prioritizing refining the game’s core experience first. That said, we’re actively evaluating the potential for unscheduled world events and similar content in future updates. Stay tuned for more details as we expand the game’s horizons!
Q7: Undoubtedly, the game’s player base will include many anime enthusiasts. Can we expect collaborations with anime franchises in the future?
A: Absolutely! As an anime-inspired MMO, our game naturally aligns with anime and manga IPs. We are also excited about future collaborations and are confident about the BPSR’s potential in this aspect. The real question is: Which IP should we team up with first? Our community team will soon launch surveys to gather your voices and preferences because we want these partnerships to reflect what you truly love. Stay tuned, your dream crossover might be closer than you think!
Q8: Currently, direct player-to-player trading is not possible, and gear cannot be traded in the auction house. However, the shared warehouse system allows players to have a shared space with a limited number of friends for trading, which is especially beneficial for the life skill profession aspect of the game. Unfortunately, only a limited number of life skill materials can be placed in the shared warehouse. Do you plan to address this limitation?
A: At the current stage, we’re not planning to lift these restrictions. Past experience showed that allowing ability-enhancing items in shared storage led to players feeling forced to create multiple alternate accounts. That's why we've limited such items while still maintaining a system where friends can share resources. We want to encourage cooperation without creating pressure to grind on alts.
Q9: The current life skill system heavily favors players who have the time to create and play alternate characters, as life skill energy is character-specific. Most casual players don’t have the time or interest in creating alternate characters. How do you plan to address this and similar issues related to this in the future?
A: We actually do not encourage multi-character gameplay — our shared storage system is intentionally designed this way to avoid grinding on alts. We hope the players create alternate characters to experience different character body types and genders, not optimization for the main character.
We've reworked the Life Skill system to optimize the experience for casual players and players who are dedicated to Life Skills. Here’s what we’ve done so far:
- Make energy only affect trade
- Allow free gathering/crafting without energy cost
- Add more recipes so dedicated Life Skill players won't hit progression walls
Q10: The auto-combo system currently allows players to stand in place and attack nearby monsters with skills in random order. This does not include auto-pathing or full auto-combat, which is great. However, the MMO audience in the West strongly dislikes automated combat systems and is concerned about this feature being expanded, potentially trivializing combat and breaking immersion if many players are seen AFK-farming simple monsters. Do you plan to adjust this system for the Western audience to avoid these issues?
A: Our vision is to create a fun world for players to explore, so we've implemented auto-combat and auto-pathfinding in a very careful way. We want the auto function to solely reduce meaningless grind time in low-difficulty areas without compromising core gameplay. For a long-term MMO, some convenience features are necessary for players to handle relatively repetitive and low-difficulty features. Additionally, we've strictly controlled the rewards from monster grinding, which will minimize the impact of players' AFK farming.
Q11: Regarding the Western server structure, will it be split into regions, or can we expect a single mega-server where everyone can play together?
A: We’ve heard much feedback on this matter, and we completely agree that players should play together. While physical distance creates technical challenges, we're actively working toward a mega-server solution and hope to deliver satisfying results.
Q12: Which languages will be supported at the game’s release, and do you intend to support more languages in the future?
A: At launch, we'll support English localization with Japanese VO. We're currently working hard on localization QA to ensure Western players get the best first impression. Additional languages may come based on player feedback — we welcome your suggestions!
Q13: Will a housing system be available at the game’s release? If so, what features can players expect?
A: We have good news for those who love to decorate their places: the housing system will be available at launch! Players can claim their own homestead at no additional cost, which consists of two parts: an island and a house, both exclusively for the player's use. Players can invite up to four friends to cohabitate (five people total) and manage the house together. The system offers high freedom of customization. Things like building partition walls, arranging furnishings, and more will be possible. The house also includes farming features where grown crops can be sold to merchants for housing currency to be exchanged for furniture and other items. Additionally, some furniture can be crafted through life skills.
Q14: The website already shows the silhouette of a class using a guitar, which might be available at release. Do you plan to add more classes to the game? If so, at what intervals?
A: Correct! The Guitarist class will also be available at launch. They also come with two styles: One has more DPS abilities that make it easier to play solo in the open world. The other one specializes in support with strong healing and buffing abilities.
As for future classes, we surely have plans to add more classes post-launch. Stay tuned for updates!
Q15: You recently revealed that the game will have controller support. Does this mean there are plans to release the game on consoles in the future? Will it be playable on the Steam Deck?
A: We're implementing controller support starting with mainstream models, with plans to expand compatibility. Regarding consoles and Steam Deck, while we have nothing certain to announce yet, I’ll say we are open to all possibilities!
Q16: Based on the Chinese beta test, it seemed that character customization options, as well as the variety of costumes and accessories in the game, were very limited. Can we expect more options in these areas for the Western release? If so, what additional options can players look forward to?
A: We'll continuously add more outfits and cosmetics, including mix-and-match pieces, to allow players to express themselves as they want. While the core customization categories will remain the same, we will add more options for players to choose from: more eye shapes, hairstyles, etc.
Q17: Are there any plans to make a character creator available before the game’s release, allowing players to take their time creating a character in advance?
A: We also believe this is a good idea, and a character creation code system on the client side has been developed. The function needs to be tested, but I’ll say it is very possible that players can see it at launch.
Q18: The community is eager to test and play the game in the West as soon as possible. Can you provide any hints/teasers about future tests or the release date?
A: We're preparing the beta for global now. Having seen CN players enjoy two tests, we know fans all over the world are excited to try BPSR. While I can't share exact dates yet, the wait won't be much longer.
Q19: Can we expect more regular opportunities like this, both before and after the game’s release, for the community to provide feedback and ask questions? Additionally, will there be future developer live streams for the Western audience in English or with subtitles?
A: Yes. We have developer talks for English fans planned. Other programs, like developer live streams, are also possible. Stay tuned for more!
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance launches in 2025 for iOS, Android, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store.
Wesley is Director, News at IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
