After planning to release in 2023, Bandai Namco's upcoming action MMORPG Blue Protocol has been delayed. Having been revealed at The Game Awards 2022, Blue Protocol marks a collaboration between the Japanese gaming giant Bandai Namco and the budding AAA publisher Amazon Games.

Bandai Namco Studios is responsible for recent titles such as the vampiric Soulslike Code Vein, the psychic sci-fi action game Scarlet Nexus, and the fantasy RPG Tales of Arise. Fans of these games have been looking forward to the studio's next RPG in Blue Protocol, an online multiplayer experience that will see players team up to take on quests, bosses, and even raids. A departure from the studio's previous lineup of story-focused, single-player RPGs, fans of the studio wouldn't be unwise to remain faithful in Bandai Namco Studios' narrative prowess. Blue Protocol could still feature compelling storytelling and characters despite these types of games tending to fall flat when it comes to high-quality narratives.

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On Twitter, Blue Protocol announced its Japanese release date of June 14 while also revealing that the game's Western release is being pushed to 2024. Furthermore, in a post on its website, Blue Protocol cited localization efforts as one of the reasons for the unfortunate delay. On a more positive note, that very same post confirmed that the PC closed beta test is still set for later this year.

Alongside Blue Protocol, Bandai Namco Studios is also hard at work on the upcoming Tekken 8, one of the most anticipated fighting games in development. With NetherRealm's Mortal Kombat 1 and Capcom's Street Fighter 6 both landing this year, there's some pressure on Bandai Namco to keep up with the competition and deliver an excellent mainline Tekken experience. One might argue that the focus on Tekken 8 could be a cause of Blue Protocol's western delay. However, with over 1,200 employees and the support of Bandai Namco Online, it's unlikely that Tekken 8 is hogging development resources away from Blue Protocol.

Blue Protocol's publisher, Amazon Games, has been struggling to find consistent success after its lackluster launch of New World and the cancelation of a Lord of the Rings MMO a few years ago. Now, with the more recent success of Lost Ark and a freshly announced new Lord of the Rings MMO, Blue Protocol could be another step in the right direction for Amazon Games' publishing efforts if successful. Unfortunately, Bandai Namco fans in the West will have to wait another year to dive into the MMO world of Blue Protocol.

Blue Protocol is in coming to PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S in 2024.

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