Blue Archive

Nexon Games

Industry	Video game development and publishing
Predecessor	NAT Games
Headquarters	South Korea
Area served	Global (except Benelux, Vietnam, Germany, and territories managed by Yostar)
Key people	Kim Yong Ha (head director, producer)
Products	Blue Archive
Parent	Nexon

Blue Archive is a 2021 real-time strategy role-playing game created by MX Studio under Nexon Games (previously NAT Games) and IO Division. Players take on the role of a Sensei, summoned to the academic city-state of Kivotos by the General Student Council president. Following her sudden disappearance, escalating criminal incidents compel the player to support the council in managing disputes and searching for the missing leader.

The game initially launched in Japan on Android and iOS platforms in February 2021 through Yostar. A global release, self-published by Nexon, followed in November 2021. In July 2025, the title became available on Microsoft Windows via Steam, except in Benelux, Vietnam, Germany, and territories managed by Yostar. Blue Archive features a free-to-play framework with gacha elements for recruiting characters and assembling tactical teams.

Between July and November 2022, two short original net anime series were broadcast. Subsequently, a full-length anime adaptation titled Blue Archive The Animation, produced by Yostar Pictures and Candy Box, aired from April to June 2024.

Gameplay

Blue Archive is a tactical role-playing game where players assemble squads consisting of up to six members—comprising two "Specials" and four "Strikers"—to undertake combat missions. Characters' capabilities can be improved through leveling up and enhancing weapons, armor, and skills. Additional students are obtained via a gacha mechanism utilizing in-game currency, which can also be purchased through microtransactions.

Movement occurs on a turn-based hex map, with battles triggered upon encountering enemies. During fights, Strikers advance along linear paths, performing automatic attacks while using cover to mitigate damage. Specials provide supportive effects from the rear lines by enhancing Strikers' attributes without engaging directly in combat.

Players primarily affect battles by activating student skills that draw from a regenerating synergy meter. Combat mechanics incorporate a rock-paper-scissors system that influences attack and defense outcomes. Should students lose all health points, they are extracted via helicopter and become unavailable for future engagements.

Setting

The narrative of Blue Archive unfolds within Kivotos, an academic city-state composed of multiple educational institutions. Its inhabitants belong to three distinct races: Humanoids—which include humans, angels, demons, elves, bioroids, and kemonomimi; intelligent werebeasts; and sophisticated robots possessing human-level cognition. Humanoids wield Halos that grant protection against fatal wounds; destroying these Halos is necessary to defeat them. Consequently, students are equipped with firearms and explosives, resulting in frequent armed clashes across campuses.

Kivotos is overseen by the General Student Council (GSC), headquartered in Sanctum Tower under the leadership of a President who has access to all student data. The city-state consists of largely independent school districts. Among the most prominent are Millennium Science School, Trinity General School, and Gehenna Academy.

Prior to the main storyline, the GSC President appoints the player character—a teacher known as Sensei—to serve as an advisor to SCHALE, an extrajudicial group she established. After her disappearance, Kivotos experiences a surge in crime and military operations. As Sensei supports various students and schools through diverse challenges, they encounter school rivalries, criminal enterprises, corrupt corporations, rogue artificial intelligences, supernatural phenomena, enigmatic factions, and cults. Guidance is provided by an advanced smart-tablet called "Shittim Chest" along with its AI assistant Arona.

Volumes and narrative structure

The central storyline is segmented into multiple Volumes, each highlighting particular groups or individual members within their respective schools. Every volume is composed of chapters that deliver fairly self-contained narratives. To date, there are six primary story volumes following the prologue, with the initial four volumes building up to the pivotal "Volume F," which wraps up the first major story arc and lays groundwork for upcoming plotlines.

Distinct from many gacha titles, Blue Archive primarily unfolds its main narrative through a visual novel format. The game employs characters with elevated levels and automated combat mechanics to enhance storytelling rather than restricting access to story content based on character progression. Supplementary event stories enrich the main narrative, frequently utilizing visual novel styles or interactive fiction components such as minigames. New chapters and episodes are released every three to six months, while fresh and rerun events appear almost monthly. Event stories older than two years are permanently archived in the Event Recap section.

Characters

This compilation features key characters appearing both in the game and the TV anime adaptation, excluding those exclusive to the game or only making cameo appearances in the anime.

All character names follow cultural conventions by listing family names first, consistent with official English representations. Differences in native pronunciations are provided using romaja transliterations.

Character(s)	Korean Voice Actor	Japanese Voice Actor
SCHALE
Sensei (Template:Korean)	N/A	Shogo Sakata (Unvoiced and gender-neutral in-game)
Arona (Template:Korean)	Kim Ha-ru	Konomi Kohara
Abydos High School
Takanashi Hoshino (Template:Korean)	Jo Kyeong-i	Yumiri Hanamori
Sunaōkami Shiroko (Template:Korean)	Lee Da-eun	Yui Ogura
Kuromi Serika (Template:Korean)	Kim Bo-na	Ayaka Ōhashi
Izayoi Nonomi (Template:Korean)	Lee Bo-hee	Chiyuki Miura
Okusora Ayane (Template:Korean)	Bang Si-woo	Sayaka Harada
Gehenna Academy
Sorasaki Hina (Template:Korean)	Park Shin-hee	Ryō Hirohashi
Amau Ako (Template:Korean)	Kim Yea-lim	Marika Kōno
Shiromi Iori (Template:Korean)	Kang Gyu-ri	Ayane Sakura
Hinomiya Chinatsu (Template:Korean)	Kim Hyeon-ji	Haruka Kōzuki
Rikuhachima Aru (Template:Korean)	Kwon Ji-ae	Reina Kondo
Onikata Kayoko (Template:Korean)	Kim I-an	Yukiyo Fujii
Asagi Mutsuki (Template:Korean)	Jang Mi	Rumi Okubo
Igusa Haruka (Template:Korean)	Jung Hye-won	Erika Ishitobi
Trinity General School
Ajitani Hifumi (Template:Korean)	Park Shin-hee	Kaede Hondo

Development and production

Initially unveiled as Project MX by Nexon Games (previously NAT Games) in collaboration with Yostar, the game’s first promotional video and artwork were released in February 2020. Yostar later officially announced the mobile title under the name Blue Archive and conducted closed beta testing for Android devices in July 2020. Although the game was originally planned to launch in 2020, its release was delayed until February 4, 2021.

In August 2021, a global edition was revealed, which achieved over one million pre-registrations prior to its launch on November 8, published by Nexon. This international version offers language options including English, Korean, Traditional Chinese, and Thai. On November 11, 2022, Nexon adjusted the global rating to "Mature," while simultaneously issuing a "Teen"-rated variant exclusively for Korea with slight content modifications to comply with local regulations.

A version tailored for the Chinese market using Simplified Chinese was announced in March 2023 after receiving regulatory clearance. Yostar published an open beta for this edition on August 3, 2023, featuring comprehensive Chinese voice acting for the main storyline. Later, in November 2024, Yostar adapted Blue Archive for Huawei’s HarmonyOS NEXT platform targeting Mainland China.

Expanding its reach further, Nexon introduced the global version to Samsung devices via the Galaxy Store in October 2023.

During a Taiwan interview in December 2023, producer Kim Yong Ha outlined a development roadmap extending at least 15 years, with current efforts concentrated on resolving technical challenges posed by increasingly intricate 3D models. He also confirmed that there are no intentions to develop a PC version.

In 2024, significant changes occurred within the development team: co-director Byeong-lim Park departed to head a new project alongside original members Cha Min-seo and Im Jong-gyu. Creative leadership transitioned from Isakusan and Hwangsang to Oh Hyun-seok as main scenario writer and 9ml as art director. After serving as supervisor, Kim Yong Ha resumed his role as head director and reassured stakeholders that these personnel shifts will not drastically alter the game’s direction.

Starting July 23, 2024, coinciding with Blue Archive’s third anniversary, Nexon incorporated Korean original voiceovers into the global version. Full Korean voice acting for all primary story scenes is planned for summer 2025, with Volume 1 updates having been released on July 8 and additional content expansions forthcoming.

Original net animations

Two short original net animations were produced by Yostar Pictures as promotional content for the game and made available on their official YouTube channels.

The 1.5th Anniversary Short Animation, released on July 16, 2022, is a nine-minute special showcasing students from Abydos High, Allied Hyakkiyako, Trinity General, and Gehenna Academy preparing for summer festivities.

Beautiful Day Dreamer, which premiered on November 22, 2022, focuses on Millenium Science School’s Game Development Department (GDD). This nine-minute animation follows club member Saiba Momoi as she finds inspiration for a new video game following dramatic events involving her twin sister and friends.

The planned 2.5th Anniversary Short Animation, originally scheduled for July 23, 2023, was cancelled due to concerns about quality, as announced during a livestream on December 24.

Blue Archive the Animation

On January 22, 2023, an anime TV adaptation titled Blue Archive The Animation was revealed. The production is handled by Yostar Pictures alongside Candy Box. Direction is led by Daigo Yamagishi, who also collaborates with Hiroshi Ōnogi on the scriptwriting. Shunji Maki serves as assistant director, while Hiromitsu Hagiwara fulfills the roles of chief animation director and character designer.

The storyline adapts the initial episodes of the "Countermeasures Committee/Foreclosure Task Force" arc, featuring characters from the original game. It was broadcast from April 7 through June 23, 2024, on TV Tokyo as part of a newly established Sunday midnight anime segment, as well as on other channels. Medialink acquired licensing rights for the Asia-Pacific region excluding Australia and New Zealand, streaming it via Ani-One Asia’s YouTube channel. For North American audiences, the series was made available through the official English YouTube channel. Blu-ray editions include subtitles in English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese.

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Print media

Various official print publications related to the game have been released, encompassing anthology comics, spin-off manga series, and collections of official artwork.

Blue Archive Official Artworks

The Blue Archive Official Artworks volumes are collections of artwork published by Ichijinsha under their DNA Media Comics imprint. The inaugural volume was issued on October 5, 2022, presenting character designs, profiles, event illustrations from the first year, guest contributions, and interviews with staff members. The second volume, covering content from the game's second year, became available on December 19, 2023.

These art books have also been translated and published in Traditional Chinese and Korean by Nexon.

Anthology comics

Announced on July 24, 2021, the Blue Archive Anthology Comic series compiles short stories created by multiple artists. Ichijinsha published its first volume on July 26, 2021. As of December 2024, six volumes have been released.

Another anthology series titled Blue Archive Dengeki Anthology Comic was launched by Kadokawa Corporation under their Dengeki Comics EX label on February 3, 2023.

Problem Solver 68 Business Diary

The spin-off manga Blue Archive: Problem Solver 68 Business Diary () focuses on the Problem Solver 68 team. It has been serialized monthly on Bushiroad’s Comic Growl website since October 14, 2022, featuring illustrations by Kaede Nogiwa. The first volume was published on June 8, 2023. To date, four volumes have been released. English licensing for this series is held by Kaiten Books.

The Grand Adventure of the Game Development Department!

A spin-off manga titled Blue Archive: The Grand Adventure of the Game Development Department! () was announced during a live stream on October 20, 2023. This series highlights characters from the Game Development Department and is illustrated by Asato Mizu. Serialization began on December 31, 2023, via Square Enix’s Gangan Online manga platform. Chapters are compiled into tankōbon volumes; the initial volume was released on June 12, 2024. As of now, four volumes have been published. The series is also accessible in English through Square Enix’s Manga Up! Global service.

Theme songs

The game features multiple theme songs across its various versions. The Japanese edition's main theme is "Clear Morning" by Yui Ogura, which was released as a single on March 31, 2021. For the global audience, "Target for love" by Lee Jin-ah serves as the official theme, available in both Korean and English versions. The Chinese release incorporates "Blue Canvas" by ClariS as its theme song.

Other notable tracks include "Kagayaki Summer Days" and "Our Quest," which appear in short animated segments and are performed by several of the game’s voice actors. The ending theme for Volume F, titled "Memories of Kindness," is sung by Kano in Japanese and Younha in Korean and English. Additionally, Younha performs "Thanks to," a special song created for the 1.5 anniversary celebration in South Korea.

Original soundtracks

Primary composition duties for the game's soundtrack have been handled by Mitsukiyo, Karut, and Nor, with guest contributions from artists such as Aiobahn during crossover events like that with A Certain Scientific Railgun. The official soundtrack series, known as Blue Archive Original Soundtrack, began releasing on March 24, 2022, with the fifth volume arriving on January 21, 2024.

Popularity

Though initially facing criticism due to limited content and technical issues, the game’s popularity surged after significant improvements, especially across the Asia–Pacific region including Southeast Asia, Japan, and South Korea.

At Comiket Summer 2023 (C102), it dominated social games with 894 circles producing related doujinshi—more than twice the 446 circles recorded at Winter 2022 (C101). This expansion led to the establishment of a dedicated section for the game starting Winter 2023 (C103), where circle participation increased to 1,718 at C103 and further to 1,922 at C104. Prominent figures such as chief developer PD Kim Yong Ha and composer Mitsukiyo have actively interacted with fans during these gatherings. A December 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Business Publications revealed that the average age of Japanese fans is 24 years old, with a gender distribution of approximately 80% male to 20% female.

The title has attracted notable manga artists and animators among its fanbase. For instance, Aki Hamazi, creator of Bocchi the Rock!, participated at C101 with her own doujinshi circle, drawing large attendance partly due to her anime adaptation’s recent success. She has continued engaging in subsequent Comikets and contributed official promotional illustrations.

Within the gacha and anime RPG genres, reception has been favorable. The game's release on Steam broadened its reach alongside other popular titles such as Cygames' Uma Musume Pretty Derby. However, Nexon discontinued a Steam review incentive program after discovering it conflicted with Steam’s policies against review manipulation. Despite this setback, the game retains a strong positive user rating.

Awards

Blue Archive earned Sensor Tower’s accolade for best storytelling, outperforming competitors including Fate/Grand Order and Honkai: Star Rail.

Revenue

By October 2023, total revenue from Blue Archive exceeded $400 million, with approximately 75% derived from the Japanese market. In August 2023 alone, earnings reached $19 million within Japan and $4 million internationally, totaling $24 million. Nexon’s Q2 2023 financial results highlighted Blue Archive as one of its leading revenue-generating titles, particularly in Japan.

Controversies

According to chief developer PD Kim Yong Ha, the international edition experienced content modifications compared to the Japanese release to align with external marketing standards. This adjustment resulted in an apology and subsequently led to the launch of two distinct editions: a "Teen" version available exclusively in Korea and an uncensored Global version offering multiple language options.

In October 2022, South Korea's Game Rating and Administration Committee (GRAC) increased Blue Archive’s age classification from 15+ to 18+. However, in June 2023, GRAC was implicated in the misappropriation of KR₩700 million (approximately US$500,000) in public funds. This inquiry was partly initiated by player-driven petitions contesting the rating change, which drew political attention and instigated a nationwide audit.