Mmorpg Blade & Soul was launched in 2014 and attracted attention with a high level of combat dynamics and graphics, which at that time significantly exceeded many other projects. The new version called Blade & Soul Neo retained the basis of the combat system, but at the same time received significant improvements in visual terms, as well as large -scale changes in game mechanics, including the character development system.
Blade & Soul Neo was launched in South Korea in October 2024, and in March 2025 a global release took place. In honor of the speedy release in Japan, the 4GAMER portal talked with the main producer of the game Kim Hon Je from NCSoft and the producer of the Japanese version of Fukutomi Takeesi (better known under the nickname FS ふんこ) from NC Japan to learn more about the project, his key features and plans for the future. We have prepared for you an interview translation into Russian.
4GAMER: First of all, please introduce yourself.
Kim Hong Je (hereinafter – Kim): Hello, my name is Kim Hong Je. In Blade & Soul Neo, I hold the position of a product director and are responsible for the entire development of the project.
Fukutomi Takeshi (hereinafter – Fukutomi): My name is Fukutomi, I am the producer of Blade & Soul Neo in NC Japan. Under the nickname ふんこ I have been playing Blade & Soul since the time of open beta testing. From 2017 to 2022, I was a commentator in tournaments, and also participated in official broadcasts. In May 2022, I was invited to NC Japan, and since then I have been producing Blade & Soul Neo.
Fukutomi-san, since you were originally a player, is there any of your game experience that you managed to apply in work on the project?
Fukutomi: Yes, I think, the most important thing is not to repeat the mistakes that once caused discontent with me and other players who played with me at that time. In addition, I try to take into account the opinion of the Japanese community as much as possible and transfer the wishes of the players to the developer team.
Please tell us what is the concept of Blade & Soul Neo?
Kim: Blade & Soul Neo is a project designed to re -give the players impressions of the early versions of Blade & Soul. At the same time, we made changes to the classic elements so that they meet modern standards and significantly improve the graphics using Unreal Engine 4. We have worked on color reproduction, lighting and details to create a game that retained the spirit of the original, but at the same time became more accessible and attractive to a wide audience.
Fukutomi: The main advantage of Blade & Soul Neo is an improved graphics that allows you to feel the eastern fantasy world deeper. We also redesigned the effects of skills to make the combat system even more spectacular and dynamic.
Can Blade & Soul Neo be considered a full remake?
Kim: Yes. We not only updated graphics and animations, but also made changes to game mechanics. In particular, we made the economy more active and increased the role of game currency (gold). The development began in 2023, and our goal is to create a comfortable environment for both veterans and beginners.
Fukutomi: As a former player, I can say that this is not just an updated Blade & Soul, but his full evolution. In Blade & Soul Neo, we collected all the best elements of the original and brought them to perfection.
What other significant changes were made to the game system?
Fukutomi: The greatest changes affected the development systems. In the classic Blade & Soul, the pumping path was strictly set, and the players went along the same route. However, in Blade & Soul Neo, we have introduced a new martial art system that allows each player to choose their own style.
Another important change is the rejection of Pay-to-Win in favor of Play-to-Win. Now the success in the game depends on the skills and efforts of the player, and not on the invested funds. We removed dependence on donate equipment, which made the game more honest.
How did the players react to these changes?
Kim: When Blade & Soul Neo went out in Korea, the number of players was so high that the lines formed in the input of the game. In North America, there is also a high interest – this is evident in the number of pre -registrations and preliminary creatures of characters.
The Japanese version will receive updates at the same time as Korean and North American, while we will conduct special events oriented to Japanese players.
How will Blade & Soul Neo develop? Is it planned to support the original Blade & Soul?
Kim: Yes, both games will exist in parallel. We plan to support and develop them simultaneously so that players always have a choice.
Has the plot changed in Blade & Soul Neo?
Kim: The main plot and characters remained the same, but we made improvements to the mechanics of passage. Now, after creating the character, all light techniques (running, sliding, etc.) are immediately available, and it also became possible to instantly move to the place of completion of the tasks. This accelerates the pace of the game.
Why in the game now only 7 classes instead of 15?
Fukutomi: We decided to start with a set of classes, which was available in 2014. However, new classes will be added in the future.
Two of the seven classes are available only to the line of Lin. Is this due to their popularity?
Fukutomi: Yes, Lina is really very popular among players. So this choice is quite natural (laughs).
Due to the improved graphics, have the system requirements changed?
Fukutomi: No, they remained the same as that of the current version of Blade & Soul. We managed to combine the best elements of the Unreal Engine 3 engines (from the original version) and Unreal Engine 4 (from the update of 2021), providing a balance between quality and performance.
What do you mean?
Fukutomi: After the transition to Unreal Engine 4, the graphs really became better, but some players noted that the contrast of colors in the Unreal Engine 3 was better. In Blade & Soul Neo, we took into account these reviews and made appropriate adjustments.
I see … a rather subtle moment.
Fukutomi: Honestly, I myself was among those who were dissatisfied with the changes in the schedule (laughs). In the version on Unreal Engine 3, I always used gold outfits, but after the transition to Unreal Engine 4, some of them stopped correctly displayed in gold color, which greatly upset me. Therefore, we tried to eliminate such problems and realize a really perfect visual component.
Understood. Earlier you mentioned the martial arts system. Could you tell me more about her?
Kim: Previously, martial arts were a set of skills unique to each class. However, in Blade & Soul Neo, we changed this system by adding martial arts scrolls that can be applied to equipment, strengthening it. Thanks to this, players can freely combine martial arts, which allows even representatives of the same class to create their own unique style. I hope players will find interesting customization methods.
Fukutomi: For example, if you have a martial art associated with fists, and you will apply a flower of fire to it, your blows will become fiery. If you use the lightning scroll, the blows will acquire an electric effect. In total, there are six places to which you can attach scrolls, which opens up wide opportunities for individual combinations.
In addition to equipment, weapons are also subject to improvement, right?
Kim: Yes, to strengthen the weapons, special materials will be required, such as the stones of evolution and powder of the fighting spirit, as well as spiritual stones that endow the weapon with unique properties. These stones can be obtained by defeating bosses in dungeons, as well as other game methods. So you should not worry about the availability of these resources.
Fukutomi: In addition, the characteristics of the character can also be strengthened by equipment and weapons. The basic parameters are the same for all copies of the same weapons, but random additional effects create variability. This means that players will have to repeatedly participate in battles and explore the dungeons in order to collect the perfect set of equipment for themselves.
Will the dungeons be updated?
Kim: Yes. In addition to the existing dungeons in Blade & Soul Neo, completely new ones appear. We also reviewed the old dungeons, eliminating excess elements and improving the mechanics to make them more exciting.
Fukutomi: In addition, we plan to add world bosses, the battles with which will be required by many players, as well as new bosses for dungeons. We hope this will bring a lot of pleasure to the players.
Are there any other features that are worth paying attention to?
Kim: We completely updated the user interface. Now information about the development of the character is displayed more clearly, and the main characteristics and effects of equipment can be easily viewed in a convenient format.
Fukutomi: The interface has become much more convenient and understandable compared to the previous version. Improven the quick movement system for quests, as well as expanded the possibilities of storing objects, which makes the game process more comfortable.
At the start of Blade & Soul Neo, only some regions, such as emerald forest and the great desert, will be available. However, all the useful functions that have been added to the game over the past 10 years will remain that the gameplay will greatly simplify for new players. Those who are only familiar with the version on the Unreal Engine 3, the changes will seem simply colossal. I hope they will try the game and appreciate its innovations.
What are your plans for the future? What can be said about the long -term development of the game?
Kim: We plan to add regions such as snow -white mountains to the game, as well as a class of perfume master, familiar according to the original version of Blade & Soul. In addition, there will be unique innovations available only in Blade & Soul Neo.
Fukutomi: We want to create the most friendly and transparent game management system, focused on players. In particular, we will continue to conduct official broadcasts twice a month and online meetings with fans, as it was at the end of 2024. We want to stay as close to the community as possible, so we will continue to develop such events.
Finally, could you contact Japanese players with the final word?
Kim: The Blade & Soul has passed since the release of Blade & Soul, and soon we will celebrate the 11th anniversary. I sincerely thank everyone who supported us throughout this long journey.
And now we have a new adventure – Blade & Soul Neo. We will carefully listen to the opinion of the players and do everything possible so that you are satisfied with our service. We hope that you continue to play both Blade & Soul and Blade & Soul Neo.
Fukutomi: In recent years, news about the closure of the online game has been increasingly appearing, which, of course, upset their loyal players. However, NCSoft is proud that our games, such as the Lineage series, continue to exist for many years.
We strive to ensure that Blade & Soul Neo also become a game that will delight players for a long time. Our whole team will make maximum efforts for this, so we hope for your support.
