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The <\/span>Blade & Soul<\/span><\/i> series from Korean developer NCSOFT continues to evolve with its latest free-to-play collectible action MMORPG, <\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes<\/span><\/i>. It may go back in time in terms of the story, but in all other ways it\u2019s a leap forward. Set three years before the events of <\/span>Blade & Soul<\/span><\/i> und <\/span>Blade & Soul Neo<\/span><\/i>, the game begins as sword-wielding heroine Yusol still reels from the attack that laid waste to her clan. Getting the band (of heroes) back together is the first order of business\u2014your playable team is the result\u2014and then the glorious PvE and PvP, wuxia-flavored action can begin. Intel Gaming Access caught up with Jungwon Kang, the producer and creative director for the <\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes<\/span><\/i> development team at NCSOFT, to talk trials, raids, and rewards.<\/span><\/p>\n “<\/span>Heroes<\/span><\/i> provides a new experience which combines the strategic gameplay of turn-based combat with field-based action gameplay, all while maintaining the core IP identity,\u201d Kang tells us. “<\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes<\/span><\/i> introduces a real-time strategic combat system based on collection RPGs. While the original game provided an immersive, story-oriented experience set in an open world, <\/span>Heroes<\/span><\/i> has a greater emphasis on strategic depth, such as skill timing, hero combination, and synergy between characters. In addition, we structured the game to include various timelines and characters from the <\/span>Blade & Soul<\/span><\/i> universe, so that the fans can experience a reimagined version of the familiar world and characters.”<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span>The series is less than a decade old, but for those who have yet to unsheathe a sword in its open world, here\u2019s a handy summary: “<\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes<\/span><\/i> is an MMORPG that combines character collection, strategic battle, and <\/span>Blade & Soul<\/span><\/i>\u2019s unique martial arts fantasy universe,” Kang enthuses. “This game is for both casual and hardcore MMORPG gamers who prefer short, intense, match-based battles, as well as long-time fans who love the IP. The game will especially appeal to players who enjoy the in-depth growth system and competitive PvE content provided every season.”<\/span><\/p>\n Heroes<\/span><\/i> allows players to collect and grow more than 50 <\/span>Blade &<\/span><\/i> Soul<\/span><\/i> heroes. As Kang explains, players can “combine them to participate in various PvE scenarios, such as solo Boss Trials, massive Boss Raids, and collaborative Guild content. With the players\u2019 ability to form parties, use skills in real time, and control the flow of battle, the appeal of combat is in taking direct control of the action and strategy, instead of relying on auto-battle. Additionally, the game is designed to incite lasting interest through new stories, balanced changes, additional heroes, and rewards provided with each update. Many people expect the game\u2019s focus to be on <\/span>Blade & Soul<\/span><\/i>\u2019s existing characters and weapons, but <\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes<\/span><\/i> aims to introduce new, compelling original characters.”<\/span> These include a boxing cat, a mouse-eared poppet, and a raccoon armed with a lethal\u2026 well, we\u2019re not sure what it\u2019s called, but we want one. “Players can expect a lot of narrative twists with this setup,” Kang continues, “such as being able to play characters who were only mentioned in the past, or a known villain becoming an ally in an alternate timeline. In addition, the ‘Guardian’ system can be used to add significant strategic depth, offering Buff, Debuff, or Status Effect combos in combat, and other benefits outside of combat.”<\/span><\/p>\n Pushing the envelope can create new challenges, as Kang and team discovered. “The biggest challenge we faced during early development was how to incorporate <\/span>Blade & Soul<\/span><\/i>\u2019s unique action into the collection MMORPG framework. Through several prototype tests and internal playtesting sessions, we decided to incorporate action elements, such as joint attacks that can disrupt enemy skills by combining <\/span>Heroes<\/span><\/i>\u2019 unique skills with a parry mechanic triggered by dashing at the right time. Another challenge we faced was graphics optimization. To ensure that <\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes\u2019<\/span><\/i> visual quality is maintained while operating smoothly across various devices, we\u2019ve come to make good use of Intel X<\/span>e<\/span> Super-Sampling 2 (X<\/span>e<\/span>SS 2) technology along with a Unity-based custom rendering pipeline. The application of X<\/span>e<\/span>SS 2 to <\/span>Blade & Soul Heroes<\/span><\/i> significantly improved the image quality even at low rendering resolutions, especially in fast-moving scenes with complex character details. These improvements will provide a much more immersive visual<\/span> experience for the players. And with the help of X<\/span>e<\/span>SS Inspector, we were able to track and fix interworking issues quickly, which enabled us to implement many features in a short period of time.”<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/game.intel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/blade-soul-heroes-newsletter02-1920x1080-1.jpg\")
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