One of the biggest mobile RPGs in Japan is changing hands. NEXON has announced that it will replace Yostar as the Japanese publisher of Blue Archive, ending a partnership that has run since the game launched in the region back in 2021.
The switch is planned for January 2027, and NEXON has already opened an FAQ page explaining how the move will work.
One Company For Development, Service And The IP
Blue Archive is made by NEXON Games, the Korean studio that is part of the NEXON group. Outside Japan, NEXON already handles publishing, which left Yostar's Japanese version as the only one run by an outside company.
According to NEXON's official press release, the goal is to bring development, live service and the broader IP under one roof. The announcement was made during a Blue Archive livestream, where it was explained that NEXON Games approached Yostar about ending the contract and both companies eventually agreed to the change.
Yostar is best known for publishing games like Azur Lane and Arknights, and it has handed off publishing duties on other titles before. Losing Blue Archive is still a big change, since the Japanese version has been one of its most visible games, with an anime adaptation, merchandise, concerts and a steady stream of social media content.
For anyone who has not played it, Blue Archive is a gacha RPG set in Kivotos, a sprawling academy city where nearly every student carries a gun. You play as Sensei, the advisor of a special federal club called Schale, and spend your time building a squad of students, sending them into short tactical battles and following a story that swings from slice-of-life comedy to some genuinely dramatic arcs. That mix, plus a cast of hundreds of collectible characters, has kept it near the top of the Japanese charts for years and made it a mainstay at events like Comiket.
Your Progress Is Safe
Players on the Japanese version will not have to start over. NEXON says the switch will not affect saved data, and after completing a transfer procedure that will be explained later, all account data will carry over. That includes progress, in-game items and Pyroxenes, the game's premium currency.
The current roadmap looks like this:
- November: The account transfer page goes live, along with a video featuring general producer Kim Yong-ha and Yostar CEO Li Hengda.
- January 2027: Maintenance to complete the publisher change.
- January 23 and 24, 2027: The Blue Archive Fes! live event takes place as planned.
A Few Tips For Japanese Server Players
- Link your account now if you have not already, so you are not stuck when the transfer page opens.
- Keep an eye on the official Japanese X account and the FAQ page in November for the transfer steps.
- Spend or hold your Pyroxenes as normal, since NEXON says they will continue to be usable.
- If you play on the global version, you do not need to do anything.
It is not the only mobile game news shaking things up lately in Japan, after Cygames canceled Umamusume's first US live show. NEXON is also showing it wants tighter control over its biggest IP, much like other companies have done as their games grew into full franchises.
The big unknown is what happens to the Japanese-exclusive extras Yostar produced, such as its YouTube shorts and streams. Neither company has addressed those yet, so we will have to wait for the November video for more answers.
Do you think NEXON taking over Blue Archive in Japan will change the game for better or worse?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.