Blade & Soul is a fantasy martial-arts massively multiplayer online role-playing game

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game

Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....

 (MMORPG) in development by Korean game developer NCsoft

NCsoft

NCsoft is a South Korea-based online video game company, which has published massively multiplayer online role-playing games including Lineage, City of Heroes, Wildstar, Exteel, Guild Wars and Aion.-History:...

 and its Team Bloodlust division.

History

Weeks before NCmedia day, NCsoft announced a new game only known for its codename Project [M]. For the next two weeks, a teaser website was updated revealing more information about the project.

During E3 2007, Sony revealed that they had entered into an exclusive deal with NCsoft

NCsoft

NCsoft is a South Korea-based online video game company, which has published massively multiplayer online role-playing games including Lineage, City of Heroes, Wildstar, Exteel, Guild Wars and Aion.-History:...

 to produce new titles exclusively for the PlayStation 3

PlayStation 3

The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...

. This contract included titles from both existing intellectual properties owned by NCsoft

NCsoft

NCsoft is a South Korea-based online video game company, which has published massively multiplayer online role-playing games including Lineage, City of Heroes, Wildstar, Exteel, Guild Wars and Aion.-History:...

.

The first Korean beta test was scheduled for 27 April 2011 while the open beta test and commercial release is still to be determined but will be held within the year.

The second closed beta test is scheduled from August 29 to September 10, 2011. During this event the Assassin class will be playable for the first time.

Gameplay

The game consists of four playable races, humanoid species called the Jin, the Gon, the Lyn, and an exclusively female race called the Kun. The game features eight playable classes, but only the Blade Master, Assassin, Kung-Fu Master, Force Master, Summoner, and Destroyer have been unveiled, though it has been hinted marksman is likely to be in the final release.

External links

• The Official English Blade & Soul Website