RPGFan News - Bandai Namco Reveals Bless Unleashed for Xbox One

Bandai Namco Reveals Bless Unleashed for Xbox One
The House of Pac to bring the gorgeous MMORPG to console in 2019.
08.23.18 - 9:00 AM

Alternate (terrible) headline I could have gone with: "Bandai Namco Unleashes Its Blessing for Xbox One X"

Thankfully for everyone, I didn't use that. So hey, let's talk about this! In a collaborative effort with Bless Online studio Neowiz Games, Bandai Namco has announced Bless Unleashed, the publisher's first console MMORPG. Specifically developed by Neowiz's Round 8 Studio, the the title will come "first" to Xbox One (with Xbox One X support), which clearly leaves the door open for a PlayStation 4 version, but none is mentioned at this point.

As with most MMORPGs that aren't World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV, Bless Unleashed will employ a free-to-play model. Unleashed is to have five character classes, with Mage and Berserker specified. While we don't know if this console version is simply a controller/couch-optimized version of Bless Online yet, if Unleashed matches its source game, we expect the other classes to be Guardian, Berserker, Ranger, and Paladin. And I'm not only making this educated guess based on the source material, but, you know, here's a screenshot of Bless Unleashed showing a Ranger:

Bless Online is known for its robust character creation and combo-based gameplay, which remains intact in the console version. The other expected MMO fare will be there too: Both PVE and PVP combat, a persistent world, and lovely visuals. Namco Bandai describes it as such via their press release this morning:

"Bless Unleashed is a game that takes the gameplay depth and community of an MMORPG and sets itself apart to create a new console RPG experience featuring fast-paced combat and beautifully rendered graphics," said In Joon Hwang, Sr. Director, Online Publishing at BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. "Every aspect, from the story to the combat, to the skill progression has been carefully crafted to portray a new console MMORPG experience."

Bless Unleashed is coming to Xbox One sometime in 2019. In the meantime, we have two tasks for you:

Check out our new Bless Unleashed gallery for more screenshots.
If you're attending PAX West in Seattle next weekend, Bandai Namco will be hosting hands-on demos of Bless Unleashed in booths #2323 & 2335 throughout the show, so head over there and tell 'em RPGFan sent you. (You won't get a prize or anything from them, I just want you to talk to people about us.)