Blade & Souls Heroes arrives in September with turn-based or real-time combat

Blade & Souls Heroes, NCSoft's new game, already has a confirmed release date for the West: September 2. It will be available on Steam, Steam Deck, Purple (NCSoft's launcher), and mobile devices. This title aims to offer an experience tailored for Western players, with changes in gameplay, reduced tutorials, and no pay-to-win system, a rarity in the competitive world of gacha MMOs.

During a digital presentation we attended, Scott Choi (Project Lead) and Evan Hill (Associate Producer) revealed key details about this spin-off of the Blade & Soul saga, which in this installment serves as a narrative prequel, focusing on the character Yusol and his quest to rebuild his clan.

A gacha adapted to Western tastes

With a clear anime aesthetic influence and titles like Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, Blade & Souls Heroes targets an audience familiar with the gacha format, but who value less invasive experiences in terms of monetization and excessive grinding. To achieve this:

• A large number of tutorials was removed.
• Progression was simplified.
• There will be no pay-to-win elements.
• The combat system offers two modes: real-time or turn-based.

This last duality is one of the most notable aspects: it will be possible to play with an active approach, controlling the team leader while the other characters act as support, or with a strategic, paused, and tactical approach, ideal for those who prefer to analyze every move.

What to expect from the game at launch

Blade & Souls Heroes will offer a roster of 40 unique heroes, each with their own abilities and specializations. The goal will be to complete missions, defeat bosses, improve the team, and participate in PvE and PvP events. Some important elements of the game:

• Open world with exploration zones.
• Dungeons and special challenges.
• Community bosses that appear in the world and can be defeated alongside other players.
• Teams of up to five heroes, with complementary roles.

Although there will be no dedicated servers for South America, NCSoft clarified that tests conducted with connections to North American servers, especially from Brazil, yielded positive results. The experience is expected to be smooth from other parts of the continent as well.

Competition for Genshin Impact?

The Western market is difficult to conquer in the gacha MMO segment, but Blade & Souls Heroes has some elements that work in its favor:

• Recognized brand in the East.
• Prequel experience with no need to know the original game.
• Flexible combat system for different types of players.
• Aesthetic proposal in line with HoYoverse's success.
• Elimination of entry barriers such as excessive tutorials.

It will be necessary to wait until its release to see if it manages to position itself as a true alternative within the genre.