Blue Protocol Stream Talks Cross Play, Monetization, Fishing, And How You Can Have A Camping Trip

The Game Awards saw the official announcement, finally, of a western release for Bandai Namco's upcoming MMORPG Blue Protocol. With Amazon Games picking up the publishing duties here in the US, it was nice to see gameplay and finally get official word that we would get the game stateside.

Hot on the heels of that confirmation, we were then treated to both an English trailer and almost 10 minutes of gameplay. The reveals haven't stopped there, though, as yesterday's Blue Protocol dev stream took a dive into a number of major topics including monetization, cross play, and more.

We already knew that Blue Protocol would be free-to-play, so many of us already suspected cosmetics and other monetization options would be on the table. The stream confirmed this by revealing 50-60 day season passes that work in tandem with the game's planned Gacha system and Rose Orb store.

Rose Orbs will be the game's cash shop currency that can be acquired in-game and through cash purchases. It's also the currency that will be used to purchase your preferred battle pass since there will be multiple options for the pass, too.

While cosmetics, outfits, and mounts will certainly be available by playing the game, plan on a great deal of these items being cash shop items, too. It should be noted here, though, that this reveal is based on the Japanese version of the game and Amazon Games could certainly change things a bit for a western audience, we'll have to wait and see.

The Japanese release is NOT thinking about selling inventory expansion items, though.

Another hot button topic for the MMORPG is cross play. We'll be seeing the game on PC and consoles (PC first upon release, console dates to be revealed later) and players are already eager for word on cross play. Yes, the team hears you and would like to implement both cross play and cross progression, but it appears that it won't be in the cards for release if the stream is anything to go by.

Other fun items of note from the stream include the ability to swim and fish, camp to regain health, easy systems that allow grouping up with players after similar objectives, and more. Check out the full stream below as we prep for release here in the US in the second half of 2023!

(Credit to multiple sources for helping with translations: Famitsu, Twinfinite, and SiliconEra.)