‘Blade & Soul’ Launches On January 19, 2016 In North America, Europe

Embark on a Wuxia adventure full of sorcery and action-oriented combat set to a backdrop of betrayal in the upcoming Blade & Soul martial arts MMO. Western players will soon have their chance, specifically players in North American and Europe where the game is soon to launch with localized English, French, and German versions of the game. Publisher NCSoft and NCSoft’s developer Team Bloodlust confirmed today that Blade & Soul will launch on January 19, 2016.

When Blade & Soul releases, players will have access to seven playable classes, the maximum level of 45, the one-versus-one arena, and two brand new dungeons. Players can choose between four races and those seven classes to create some truly heroic characters. Some classes are restricted to certain races, however. For example, only the Gon can harness the grappling might of the Destroyer class. The Destroyer can even grab staggered enemies and toss fallen enemies around the battlefield.

Another iconic class from Blade & Soul that is also locked to one race is the Summoner. Only Lyn can be Summoners, but the class is perfect for players looking for a permanent partner in their adventures. A summoner in Blade & Soul fights alongside a chosen feline Familiar that will often draw the attention of enemies. The Lyn will support the Familiar with a number of ranged spells, and the two can revive each other should one fall in battle.

Finally, the Assassin class is restricted to the Jin while the Blade Dancer is only for Lyn. The remaining classes including the Blade Dancer, the Force Master, and the Kung Fu Master are available to multiple races. No class is available to all four races. The Force Master and the Kung Fu Master classes are available to three races each, though. Gon, Yun, and Lyn can be Force Masters while Gon, Yun, and Jin can be Kung Fu Masters.

As the Inquisitr reported, Blade & Soul Founder’s Packs are available now for players willing to support the game right away. Three different tiers of Founder’s Packs are currently purchasable ranging from $25 to $125, each with different levels of contents. All three Founder’s Packs grant access to the beta tests, including the one scheduled for November 24, while also providing access to a three-day head start, at least two character titles, and a number of Premium Points. The two larger tiers also include subscription time, name reservation slots, booster packs, extra character slots, and NCoin. Unique item skins are also included in the $125 Master’s Pack. View all of the Founder’s Packs, or even pick one up today, on the Blade & Soul website.

Premium Points increase the benefit of the optional subscription when it is active. They are permanent, and the more you spend on the game, the more Points you will earn making the subscription even better. Subscribing to Blade & Soul by purchasing a Premium Membership gives the player a number of bonuses that non-Premium players will not have access to. Currently, there are 10 ranks to the Premium Membership with each rank increasing the bonus value of the subscription’s many benefits. The subscription includes but is not limited to increased experience, increased gold, faster Chi recovery, and more Marketplace slots. For the full list of benefits by rank, visit the official Blade & Soul website for more information.

Founder’s Packs owners will be able to play early with a start date of January 15 while those that purchased Founder’s Packs with name reservations will be able to choose their names on January 11. Blade & Soul creators will provide more details about these processes as they grow nearer.

Will you be trying the free-to-play Blade & Soul MMO in January?

[Image via NCSoft]