Bless Online team discusses monetization, leaning to “buy-to-play” model

In a recent interview with Massively Op, Bless Online's Game Director Jae-hoon Jeon talked in some detail about the game. One of the topics discussed was the business model, which is still uncertain for this English release.

First of all, the Bless Online Early Access, which is planned for this year, is going to work as soft launch. This means that there won't be any data wipes, so you can play without any fear of losing your character or progress.

There is some discussion about the combat system – one of the most criticized aspects of Bless Online in other regions – and the revamp, but no real meat to it. Jeon just says that it is “fun” and that “the revamp has gone over quite well so far, and we think the western players will be very happy with it as well.”

Pay-to-Win is a recurring concern for Neowiz – or at least, it comes up in a lot of conversations about Bless Online -, and this is once again touched upon here. Neowiz says that they are “leaning more towards the B2P model, but a final decision hasn’t been made.” So, you should prepare yourselves to pay for another previously free game and still have all the usual micro-transactions in place, just as it happens with Black Desert Online.

But is Bless Online a true rival to Black Desert Online? Vote with your wallets when the time comes.