Amazon’s Blue Protocol MMO is closing down before Western launch
Blue Protocol is closing down, cancelling Amazon’s planned Western launch
Bandai Namco has announced that their anime MMO Blue Protocol will be closing down in 2025. Currently, the MMO is only available in Japan, though Amazon Games were preparing to launch the MMO in Western markets. Now, those western release plans have been cancelled.
Bandai Namco has stated that they have “come to the conclusion that it will not be possible to provide a service that satisfies all of you” when announcing the game’s closure. On January 28th, the game’s services will be closed in Japan. This will bring an end to the short-lived MMO.
Sadly, western audiences will never get to see this anime-inspired MMO. Currently, the game is still listed on Steam, with the latest news post on the page being about the game’s planned closure.
We regret to inform you that the Japanese version of Blue Protocol will be discontinued on Saturday January 18, 2025.
As a result, we have also cancelled our plans to release a Western version of the game in collaboration with Amazon Games. We have enjoyed a strong relationship with Amazon Games throughout the development of Blue Protocol, and both of our teams are disappointed that we will not be able to deliver the game to players around the world.
We know there has been great anticipation for Blue Protocol since the first announcement of the game. We wanted to deliver an experience that is like stepping into the world of anime, and we have been challenging ourselves to create a world where each and every player can enjoy adventures as the main character of the anime. We have worked hard to prepare for the release; however, we have come to the conclusion that it will not be possible to provide a service that satisfies all of you.
We deeply apologize for the sudden announcement.
– Blue Protocol Management Team
Bandai Namco’s end of support for their anime MMO is not surprising. There has long been reports that the game was in trouble, though there was hope that Amazon Games and Bandai Namco could turn things around.
Blue Protocol isn’t the first live service game to run into issues this year. PlayStation’s Concord launched last week with a tiny playerbase, failing to reach a concurrent player count of 700 on Steam. Rockstar Games’ Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is another example of a failed live service game.
You can join the discussion on Blue Protocol getting cancelled on the OC3D Forums.
