NCsoft announces Blade & Soul

Online games publisher NCsoft has announced the western release of martial arts-based MMO Blade & Soul.

The game, created by Korean developer Team Bloodlust, had already launched in Korea and China this year but the publisher has yet to announce a confirmed release window for its release in the west.

"Blade & Soul brings MMO and RPG gaming communities an online world rich in Asian martial arts, a theme that has traditionally been limited to fighting games," said the publisher.

"Once the game launches in the West, payers will have the ability to experience the flowing nature of action martial arts that they have come to love, but will experience it in a modern format blended together with deep story lines and an epic online world populated by millions."

The game features signature moves made popular by classic martial arts films House of Flying Daggers and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It alsofeatures character design by Hyung-tae Kim, who is known for his work on the Magna Carta and War of Genesis series.

Korea’s open beta test in 2011 saw 150,000 players jump in on the action for the 48 hour beta and after launch continues to rank highly in Korea’s PC cafs.