Let's get this out of the way: Blade & Soul Neo will not be launching on BnS NEO Classic Divine Gems Steam. Instead,NCSoft is releasing the game exclusively through its own launcher,Purple. While this decision makes sense from a business standpoint—keeping all microtransaction revenue in-house—it risks alienating a huge segment of the PC gaming community.

For many PC gamers,Steam is the platform. It's where their friends are,their libraries live,and where convenience and trust converge. Even giants like Ubisoft,EA,and Microsoft eventually gave in to the pull of Valve's ecosystem. Choosing to forgo Steam could significantly limit Blade & Soul Neo's initial reach,especially in a Western market already crowded with polished MMORPGs.

To be honest,I had forgotten Purple even existed until the press briefing. That alone should raise eyebrows. According to senior producer Andrew Long,NCSoft is investing in an awareness campaign to introduce players to Purple,hoping to ease the transition and make it easy for new players to jump in. Still,it feels like an unnecessary hurdle for a game trying to make a fresh impression.

Wuxia-Inspired Combat and Fluid Movement

Despite concerns over its launch platform,what's actually in the game looks quite exciting. As someone who never played the original release,Blade & Soul Neo appears to offer a modern reintroduction to the franchise. The remastered visuals bring the world to life,enhancing its distinctive Wuxia aesthetic. From fluid martial arts combat to high-flying traversal,the game wears its influences proudly.

Combat has always been Blade & Soul's main attraction,favoring action-oriented gameplay over traditional MMO tab-targeting. Players dodge,counter,and strike in real time,delivering a fast-paced experience that's more in line with action games than most MMORPGs. With Neo,this combat system returns with BnS NEO Divine Gems for sale some welcome upgrades,including improved responsiveness and new customization options via a skill book system.