Bandai Namco’s anime-inspired MMORPG, BLUE PROTOCOL, has announced the end of its service in Japan. The game’s Executive Producer, Shimooka, revealed that the Japanese servers will shut down on January 18, 2025 and have ended plans to release the game in the West in collaboration with Amazon Games. This decision comes as a surprise to many fans who have supported the game since its initial reveal in 2019.

The development team announced the shutdown through official channels, expressing deep regret and apologizing for the sudden nature of this decision. BLUE PROTOCOL aimed to create an immersive anime-like world where players could experience adventures as protagonists. However, despite the team’s efforts and the expectations from the community, the project leaders concluded that continuing the service was beyond their capabilities to provide a satisfactory experience that meets player expectations.

To give players a proper send-off, the development team plans to update the game with new content, including additional story elements, until the final day of service. This gesture aims to ensure that players can enjoy their time in the world of BLUE PROTOCOL until the very end. The game’s official social media channels have also shared this information, confirming the service termination and directing players to the full announcement for more details on the upcoming update schedule.

In their statement, Bandai Namco Online addressed the cancelled Western release, saying, “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.”

The BLUE PROTOCOL team encourages players to make the most of their remaining time in the game as they prepare for this closure. We have yet to see how this shutdown will impact versions of the game in other regions, if at all.