Blade & Soul tells the story of your quest for vengeance and redemption against a backdrop of Asian fantasy. Gameplay prominently features martial arts inspired combat combined with Qing Gong "light body" movement, as made famous by films like House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

There are four races: the towering Gon, the versatile Jin, the female-only Kun, and the diminutive Lyn.

There are six classes in Blade & Soul: the stealthy Assassin, the deadly Blademaster, the axe-wielding Destroyer, the versatile Force Master, the mighty Kung Fu Master, and the elusive Summoner. For more information on these races and classes, see our Game Overview.

Team Bloodlust is developing Blade & Soul, under the supervision of Executive Producer James Bae and Art Director Hyung-Tae Kim.

Unlike other Asian fantasy MMOs which often imitate Western concepts of fantasy, Blade & Soul draws upon the deep and fascinating mythology of a myriad of Asian cultures, which promises to bring Western players a completely new experience rich with intrigue, mysticism, and high-flying martial arts.

In the words of Art Director Hyung-Tae Kim: "Blade & Soul goes much further to infuse users' experiences and growth--the people they meet and the situations they encounter while playing the game--which we feel ties in much closer to the genre."

Executive Producer James Bae said it best: "I assure you, Blade & Soul will never run out of content to keep players engaged in the game. This game will not be a repetitive grind fest."

The gameplay of Blade & Soul is initially "player-versus-environment" (PvE), but players can choose a faction, enabling them to participate in "player-versus-player" (PvP) combat.

NCSOFT's strength is the variety of gameplay features we are able to offer across numerous titles, and we strive to make sure that each game feels distinctive. That said, trend-setting MMOs like Guild Wars 2 and Blade & Soul both offer innovative features that will likely be seen throughout the industry. For example, both games offer a beautiful and distinctive art style not seen anywhere else in the genre. Both games also feature an innovative "Downed" mechanic that keeps the martial arts action fast-paced and brutal.

We are always looking at ways to extend the game experience beyond the PC. At this time, however, we are not ready to make any announcements regarding mobile and web-based supplements to the Blade & Soul experience.

Blade & Soul has been received extremely well in the Korean market and immediately jumped to the top of the game charts, upsetting powerhouse games like League of Legends and Diablo III. Since its Korean launch, Blade & Soul has achieved fantastic concurrency rates with more than 230,000 fans playing at a time.

NCSOFT has a team of game designers, localisation experts, community support managers, and producers dedicated to working closely with Team Bloodlust to deliver the Blade & Soul experience to Western audiences without compromising the game's artistic vision.

We feel that Team Bloodlust has created a world and story that already have universal appeal. The Blade & Soul story arc is amazing just as it is, and we intend to maintain the integrity of that story throughout the localisation process. NCSOFT wants Blade & Soul to allow fans to live the Asian fantasy story that until now they've only seen in movies.

Hyung-Tae Kim is a Korean artist famous for his work in videogames and manga comics. He is perhaps best known for the Magna Carta games. His distinctive visual style directly informs the setting and character designs of Blade & Soul, and he is not only the game's art director, but he is also responsible for key gameplay elements (such as character customisation).

It is very true that MMO fans have countless choices today. This is exactly why NCSOFT and Team Bloodlust are investing so much into Blade & Soul to ensure the game can stand out among other options gamers may have. With Art Director Hyung-Tae Kim's beautiful art style, we believe Blade & Soul will truly stand out as more than just a great MMO ... but also as an amazing visual experience.

Blade & Soul, like other NCSOFT titles, is a completely unique experience. For gaming fans looking for brutal martial arts, a refreshing and unique mythology, and art that is dripping with style, Blade & Soul delivers on all these fronts.