The QandA was probably the most illuminating chunk of the press event; here are some of the key takeaways from the questions the developers addressed as well as the preview we saw: Parity with Blade and Soul NEO Classic Divine Gems Korea: The western devs are working closely with the Korean team and are at least aiming for future parity with the Korean NEO content-wise, with the goal being synchronous launches (after the global version is caught up). The devs say they will let each region’s needs dictate deviations, but right now, the game is not overly localized; the differences between the Korean and western NEO are minor (battlepass tweaks were mentioned).

Monetization: The devs managed to never utter the term “pay-to-win” during the discussion on monetization, but it seems very clear that they are not going down the pay-to-win route. The battlepass will not be a perfect copy of the original MMO’s subscription; instead, it will offer perks like consumables, buffs, remote warehouse access, and extra warehouse slots on the market. There won’t be a sub – just the pass, which is leveled through basic gameplay.

At release, the game will just be on NCsoft’s proprietary Purple platform, but the developers are also exploring a possible future Steam launch too. Other platforms may be a possibility in the future. Global players can expect one North American server (located in the US) and one European server (most likely located in Germany). There are still two teams for the western version of Blade and Soul one for live and one for NEO. The devs stressed that the original version of the game will still be getting updates; it’s not being abandoned. The 0-20 upgrade system from live will not be present on NEO; in NEO, gear upgrading is about finding a perfect base weapon and upgrading it slowly over time through normal gameplay. PvP is a major focus of NEO, and in fact, there’s a new free-for-all PvP zone that sounds like a last-man-standing battle royale for a loot chest, though they didn’t use the term. The devs believe that most of the game’s PvP should be fine on a lower-end PC, as long as players turn down effects.

NCsoft has been touting infinite windwalking as another major feature of cheap BnS NEO Classic Divine Gems, but it’s actually better than it sounded in earlier PR materials, as this version of the game basically dumps the stamina system that regulated sprinting and climbing too, not just gliding – which, the devs argue, “makes the whole experience of travel a lot more enjoyable.” Blade and Soul NEO officially launches February 25th, but downloading begins for preregistered players today, hence this press blitz. The special character customization period begins February 18th. While the game will of course be free-to-play, there’s a preorder bundle on offer too.