Blue Protocol: Star Resonance attracted over 90,000 concurrent players shortly after its release, but most of the player base appears dissatisfied. Blue Protocol: Star Resonance could be seen as a revived and revamped version of Bandai Namco's online action game of the same name, which was shut down in January 2025.
The original Blue Protocol was shut down by Bandai Namco due to several issues, including financial concerns. After the server closure, Chinese developer Shanghai Bokura Network Technology announced it was creating a spiritual spin-off set in the same universe, featuring new characters and a standalone story. The new game uses many of the same assets and gameplay mechanics as the shelved project, which is why many refer to it as a Blue Protocol revival.
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance Had Nearly 95,000 Concurrent Players
Blue Protocol: Star Resonance launched on October 9 for PC and mobile devices. On Steam, the free-to-play MMORPG reached around 95,000 concurrent players in the first 24 hours, making it one of the most played games that day. However, the high player count doesn't necessarily indicate success, as the game has received about 55% negative reviews, leaving its average Steam rating at "Mixed" at the time of writing.
Many players argue that the game is heavily monetized, most missions and activities are time-gated, and the combat is so simplistic that it offers little challenge. They also claim the game lacks localized servers, reportedly forcing all players to connect to a North America-based server, which causes connectivity issues for those outside the US. Disappointed players believe that while Blue Protocol: Star Resonance has the potential to compete with popular anime-style games like Genshin Impact, its current state, with heavy monetization and slow progression, prevents it from becoming a worthy opponent.
Those who enjoy the game, on the other hand, praise its anime-style visuals and the variety of side activities in its open-world map. They say features like auto battle, often criticized for making the game too easy, are optional and can be turned off, so they shouldn't prompt complaints. To these players, the negative Steam comments appear to be a review-bomb attempt, ignoring that Blue Protocol: Star Resonance is a newly released free-to-play game and has the potential to fix its current issues in the near future.
In the coming months, it will be interesting to see whether Shanghai Bokura Network Technology can maintain its current player base and improve Blue Protocol: Star Resonance's reviews. For now, the Mixed average score on Steam reflects the community's divided opinion, with one group praising the game and the other dismissing it as "gacha slop."
- Released
- October 9, 2025
- Developer(s)
- Shanghai Bokura Network Technology
- Publisher(s)
- A Plus
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
WHERE TO PLAY
Source: SteamDB