Bandai Namco has announced that Blue Protocol servers will be shut down in Japan next year, and the planned worldwide release by Amazon Games has been canceled as a result. Read on to learn more about the announcement and the game.
Blue Protocol Global Release Canceled as Japan Servers Close DownFinal Updates and Compensation for Players
Blue Protocol will be ending its service in Japan on January 18, 2025, as announced by Bandai Namco. In line with the announcement of the shut down, Blue Protocol's worldwide release, in partnership with Amazon Games, also got canceled altogether. The decision to shut down Blue Protocol, as explained by Bandai, was due to the company's inability to provide a service that will meet fans' expectations down the line.
In an official statement, Bandai expressed their regret over the cancelation of the game: "We have decided that it is beyond our capabilities to continue providing a service that satisfies everyone." The company also noted their disappointment in not being able to continue development for the global release with Amazon Games.
As the game approaches its termination, Bandai said it plans to continue supporting Blue Protocol with updates and new content until its final day. Though, it should be noted that players will no longer be able to purchase, nor request to refund, the in-game currency, Rose Orbs, but Bandai will distribute 5,000 Rose Orbs to players on the first day of each month from September 2024 until January 2025, along with 250 Rose Orbs daily. Additionally, players can also get the season pass for free starting with the recently released Season 9 pass, and the final update, Chapter 7, is scheduled for release on December 18, 2024.
The game launched in Japan in June 2023 and initially generated strong interest, garnering over 200,000 concurrent players immediately upon its release in the region. However, it was reported that the game's Japan launch was plagued with issues affecting its servers, pushing Bandai to launch emergency maintenance operations during release day. The game quickly faced declining numbers and growing dissatisfaction among its player base.
Despite its promising start, Blue Protocol struggled to maintain its player base and fell short of the company’s financial expectations. Bandai Namco had indicated that the game underperformed, several months ago in its financial report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2024, which contributed to the decision to end services.
