Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is the anime MMORPG Blue Protocol brought back from the dead, only it’s from a completely different development team and, unlike the original Blue Protocol, will actually be receiving a Western release later this year.

You may remember Blue Protocol as a long-in-development MMO from Bandai Namco. The game was released in Japan in 2023, with a planned Western release in conjunction with Amazon Games planned for 2024. Unfortunately, the game struggled to find an audience, and Bandai Namco announced last year it would end service for Blue Protocol in January 2025, with its Western release also canceled.

Flash forward to now, and Chinese gaming giant Tencent has struck a deal with Bandai Namco to use Blue Protocol’s assets, and under a new studio called Shanghai Bokura Network Technology, has essentially rebuilt and will be rereleasing Blue Protocol with a new subtitle: Star Resonance. It’s slated to release this year on Steam, the Epic Games Store, and on mobile devices, with cross-play and cross-progression between platforms.

Though Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is now confirmed for a Western release, it still doesn’t have an exact release date. The original Blue Protocol was originally slated to release on Xbox Series X|S and PlayStation 5 as well as PC, but at least for now, Star Resonance appears to be on PC and mobile only.

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance has actually been playable in beta form in China, and playtesters have already reported quite a number of changes from Bandai Namco’s version. The game still features an anime-aesthetic, but its visuals are now closer to the look of something like Genshin Impact. Players have also reported significant combat changes and updates to Blue Protocol’s various progression systems, as well as new classes. While it will feature some of the gacha mechanics games like Genshin Impact are known for, they will be relegated to cosmetic items like costumes and weapon skins.