Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Launches Next Month - It Might Flop, But I'm Stoked

Blue Protocol: Star Resonance launches globally on October 9, and I am very excited. Yet it seems I am in the minority. Most fans of the genre are skeptical, with online discourse full of people predicting the free-to-play MMORPG will flop. They point to its autoplay system, its monetization, and its rocky history as proof that this is just another mobile-style MMO destined to die within months.

Firstly: Autoplay. Many players are disgusted by the very idea that you can set your character to fight enemies automatically. They see it as a symptom of mobile design creeping into PC gaming. Some argue that if a game has content so trivial that it can be completed without player input, that content should not exist at all. Others go further, claiming that autoplay cheapens the entire experience and will drive players away from even giving the game a chance.

Secondly: Monetization. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance has multiple currencies and even a gacha system for powerful skills that can give players combat advantages. This is the main reason so many have already labeled the game pay-to-win before it has even launched. For them, the mere existence of paid progression shortcuts is enough to write the project off entirely. In their view, Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is guilty until proven innocent.

Thirdly: History. The original Blue Protocol launched in Japan in 2023, only to shut down at the start of this year. Many players assume Star Resonance is merely a stripped-down re-release designed to squeeze whatever money remains in the IP. Others dismiss it as just a mobile game despite its full PC release on Steam. To them, the game is already dead on arrival.

And yet, despite all this negativity, I cannot help but be excited. I participated in the closed beta not too long ago, and while Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is far from perfect, it is the first MMO in years that truly grabbed my attention. There are valid criticisms to level at the game, but I believe it deserves a chance to prove itself before being buried under waves of doomposting.

One of the most impressive things about Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is its sense of scale. Each channel supports hundreds of players at once, which is enough in my opinion to qualify as a “massively multiplayer” experience. The world feels bustling and alive. World bosses are chaotic, zone events attract dozens of players, and towns feel truly populated. For the first time in years, I felt like I was playing a proper MMORPG with other people.

The combat kept me engaged, too, even though I wish autoplay did not exist. It is fully action-based, with dodging, aiming, and careful timing of combos. Boss fights include mechanics that kept me and my party focused the entire time. Combat can feel spammy and repetitive at times, but that is par for the course in this genre.

Then there is the presentation. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is a true anime MMORPG. The art style is beautiful, the animations are smooth, and the zones are stunning. Gliding and jumping make exploration genuinely fun, and I often strayed from quest markers just to see what was out there. It is all visually striking.

So, yes, there is autoplay, a gacha system, and the original game shut down. Those are not good signs. Yet none of them stopped me from having fun. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance may have issues, but I remain optimistic. Besides, there is not exactly a surplus of anime MMORPGs right now. This is all we have.

As October 9 approaches, I am curious to see what the reception will be when the game launches. Perhaps it really will flop. Or perhaps Blue Protocol: Star Resonance will find its niche. Either way, I plan to be there on day one to see for myself.