Blade & Soul delivers an engaging story and vibrant world for players to explore. In the game, players must fight to avenge the death of their fallen master in a classic Wuxia storyline. Wuxia, which literally means "martial hero", is a broad genre of Chinese fiction concerning the adventures of martial artists in ancient China. As players explore the world in Blade & Soul, they will see a fusion of Asian cultures that delivers stunning landscapes and vistas.

Blade & Soul defies typical MMO conventions, delivering action-based combat with ability combos and a flexible party role system that does not require dedicated healers. It gives players unprecedented movement abilities around the world as their characters leap over mountains and fly through the air.

Ahead of the official launch, Name Reservation will be available for Disciple and Master Pack purchasers on January 11, and the Head Start period for all Founder’s Pack purchasers will begin on January 15.

“This is a big day for us, as we’re able to share the official launch date of Blade & Soul for all Western players,” said Tim Granich, senior director of Marketing at NCSOFT West. “We’ve already had tens of thousands of players in our first two closed beta weekends, and look forward to welcoming many more beginning with the next beta weekend on November 24th and all the way through launch.”

The free-to-play MMO, which recently completed its second closed beta weekend, will feature launch content including seven classes for players to choose from, 30 dungeons, a character level cap of 45, and the popular skill-based 1v1 Arena. 

The Arena is the highlight of the game’s burgeoning eSport’s presence, as NCSOFT recently hosted the 2015 World Championship for Blade & Soul in Busan, Korea with over 6,000 people in attendance over two days. NCSOFT plans to have North American and European representatives participate in the 2016 World Championship, following a competitive PvP tournament qualifier in the West. Pre-season rankings in North America and Europe will begin soon after launch, with additional details to be announced at a later date.

The next Closed Beta weekend for Blade & Soul begins on November 24 and runs until November 30.