Blade & Soul Articles

Previews

• Classes, Content & Expansions All Coming Soon

  Teased as far back as 2016 in Korea, where it was labeled the Maestro, the arrival of the Gunslinger has been anticipated by Blade and Soul fans for some time now. We got some hands on time with the Gunslinger during Gamescom 2017, where NCSoft introduced their latest update, the opening salvo in a barrage of updates planned for the rest of this year.

  Posted on 09/06/2017 by Ed Orr

• E3 2017 - What's In Store for the Balance of 2017?

  Blade and Soul has been out in the US for a little over a year now and players have been responding quite well to the Kung-Fu inspired action of the MMO. While at E3 I got a chance to see what it has in store for players in the second half of the year and beyond. It turns out there’s new characters, new missions and some brand new countries in their eSports finals.

  Posted on 06/21/2017 by Blake Morse

• Soulfighter Incoming & Much More in the Future

  Since launch, Blade and Soul has maintained a steady cadence of updates and classes to play, and next week NCsoft will be launching the soul fighter. Available to the Jin, Gon, and Yun races, this hybrid blends the martial styles of the force master and kung fu master to create a flexible class capable of dishing out pain at both range and in melee.

  Posted on 06/17/2016 by Steven Messner

• Silverfrost Mountains - The Biggest Update Yet

  These past few months Blade & Soul has kept up a very fast paced schedule of content. Their goal is to bring North America up to speed with the other regions of the world and get players on an equal timeline globally. To do this there have been some big updates that have come just after launch. The Rising Waters expansion as well as the release of the Warlock class continued this drive. Now we are hot on the heels of the Silverfrost Mountains update with lots more to come.

  Posted on 03/21/2016 by Garrett Fuller

• First Impressions of the Warlock

  March 2nd marked the arrival of Unchained update to the European and North American versions of Blade and Soul. Among other things it introduced a new playable class - the Warlock. NCSoft is working to catch up western players to the other localized versions in Asia. This leaves only one class that has yet to be introduced in the West, Soul Fighter, which will be implemented at a later date.

  Posted on 03/09/2016 by Catherine Daro

• The Content Update Plans for 2016

  This past week we got a solid look at Blade & Soul from NC Soft. The game launches on January 19th, 2016 here is North America and many of you may have been playing in the betas. Blade & Soul has had great success in Korea, China, and Japan over the last few years and continues to draw fans with its heavy action combat style of play. The team also has a very aggressive post launch schedule for 2016 which we will go into below.

  Posted on 01/19/2016 by Garrett Fuller

• Is the UI a Problem?

  As I play in each of the closed beta weekends for NCSOFT’s upcoming Blade & Soul, trying hard not to go too far beyond level 20 or so as to not spoil the game when head start begins on January 15th, a few issues poke their noses into my consciousness. The first, which we’ll talk about here, is that the UI for Team Bloodsport’s game is so informative that it’s bearing on the verge of overkill.

  Posted on 12/22/2015 by William Murphy

• Will PVP Be the Game’s Savior?

  As I play in the beta tests for NCSOFT’s Blade & Soul western release, I notice a few things. One, the game’s still gorgeous despite being three years old. Two, the PVE questing is pretty rote and unmemorable. Three, the combat is probably the best combat in any MMO since TERA. And four… its PVP flagging system seems to make for a game that PVP and PVE fans can get behind.

  Posted on 12/14/2015 by William Murphy

• Does It Have What It Takes to be the Next Big eSport?

  As part of my trip to South Korea, where I spent tons of time with Blade and Soul, learning about NCsoft, and a brief demo of a new NCsoft game that will be making the jump to the West, the big focus was undoubtedly on the healthy eSports scene that Blade and Soul has carved out for itself since it launched in the East four years prior. And now, after four years of building momentum, that scene is about to crack wide open as western audiences are allowed to compete.

  Posted on 11/19/2015 by Steven Messner

• Launching in January and Primed to Invade the West

  Come this January, Blade & Soul will finally be available for North American and European audiences—a painfully long wait for those craving the masterful approach to combat in this far-eastern MMORPG. As part of a week-long event culminating in the Blade and Soul 2015 World Championships, NCsoft invited me to get an inside peek at the development of Blade and Soul, experiencing both how it intends to conquer eSports and provide an engaging online world to explore.

  Posted on 11/19/2015 by Steven Messner

• Being an Ass…assin in the Technical Alpha

  This weekend I spent some time gallivanting around the Blade & Soul technical alpha. It’s the first time outside of trade shows and the like that I’ve been able to spend some real time with NCSOFT’s official version. Frankly, I see why people adore this game in Korea. It’s still a traditional quest-driven theme park, but I’ll be damned if it’s not fun.

  Posted on 10/19/2015 by William Murphy

• E3 2015: Free-to-Play Wuxia Action - The Business Model Revealed

  The Chinese Wuxia genre is one of the most celebrated martial traditions in modern films and video games, and Blade & Soul, a new free-to-play MMORPG from NCSOFT, looks to put that genre on center stage. Blade & Soul, which will launch with a fully realized, three-act story at launch, will feature high-level, competitive PvP, with hardcore features like a 1v1 arena in which gear will be equalized to promote player skill.

  Posted on 06/23/2015 by Som Pourfarzaneh

• Hands On with Blademaster, Force Master and Summoner

  As we announced elsewhere on the site, Blade & Soul is finally coming to Europe and North America this winter, with a closed beta beginning this fall. The Free to Play MMORPG from Team Bloodsport and NCSOFT has a lot of pent up demand behind it, and we got our hands on the Force Master, Blademaster, and Summoner classes to give you our first impressions.

  Posted on 05/20/2015 by William Murphy

• Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting

  During last month's Gamescom, NCSoft was ready to show off its upcoming Asian fantasy MMO, Blade & Soul. We have a full report about what we saw and heard about B&S. Keep reading and then let us know what you think in the comments.

  Posted on 09/13/2012 by Cassandra Khaw