If you follow any anime-themed online communities, you may be very familiar with a certain light blue-haired girl with a lovely little bow atop her head and otherwise donned in a surrealistic long-sleeved digitised shirt and skirt—and she has a penchant to give lame old blue envelopes rather than the coveted pink ones. This intelligent little girl’s name is Arona and she is from a very popular mobile game known as ‘Blue Archive’, developed internally at NEXON Games and published globally by NEXON. And look, if it isn’t her you recognise straight away, you might know about the Prefect Team’s leader Hina, or the death metal-loving “Problem Solver 68” member Kayoko, or the “Big Sister” Rio. Maybe you know of the responsible Yuuka or that numbskull pink-haired cockroach Koyuki. Or what about the game’s beloved princess Mika, who means well but outmatches nearly everyone with her brute strength…
I could go on and on about Blue Archive’s massive, massive cast of characters. But the key point is that this is a mobile game that has taken the world by storm. Not necessarily in revenue, mind you, but this is a game that has the most powerful kind of magic in its hands—one that game developers, medium creators, artists would only dare dream of: a cultural zeitgeist. Everything and anything the game’s development team releases is picked up by fan artists across Asia and even the west. Discussions, fan content, memes, the whole works are created on the daily. Conventions across the globe have fans don the mask of a… flattering image of the game’s player character (that being you, Sensei) and bring joy to not only themselves but the many attendees around them locally and across the globe.
But it wasn’t this big success right off the bat. Back when the game first launched in Japan (published by Yostar in that region), Blue Archive slowly built up the reputation it has today, and some online commentators argued that things were a bit touch ‘n go for the auto-battling strategy title. But I think everyone can agree that once the game’s “Final” volume dropped, its popularity surged like no tomorrow. It was clear that Blue Archive’s setting, characters, and scenarios not only resonated with players but the combination of a stellar “finale” to the game’s first overarching arc blew fans and first-timers away.
But I am getting ahead of myself here; I’ve not even introduced the game yet! Blue Archive takes place in the fictional world of Kivotos, a place where animal people and girls with halos over their heads represent their schools, clubs, groups, you name it. Besides the wacky hijinks that occurs when you give these girls guns, rockets, and the like, a deeper story runs along in the background as the player character referred by in Kivotos as Sensei makes their way to the region at the behest of the General Student Council after the mysterious disappearance of its president.
Sensei is tasked with keeping the peace in his own way: helping the students of Kivotos (actively in school, truants, and the withdrawn) to be the best people they can be and to make the right choices. For the silly slice-of-life activities that happen in this military slash school life world, sinister motives and long-standing painful bits of history come to light as your students march towards the future and learn valuable lessons about life, friends, justice, et al.
This is a free-to-play auto-battling strategy game that is available on mobile devices (Android via Google Play and iOS devices) and, for the first time ever, on PC via Steam (launching back on the 3rd of July). And it was thanks to this new port that early on this summer, I got the opportunity to have a couple of questions answered by IO Division’s (part of NEXON Games) Executive Producer Yongha Kim and Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An regarding Blue Archive’s development, their thoughts on the game’s impact on anime and online culture, and the future of the franchise (including plans for the Western side of things!).
If you love anime, you’ll definitely love Blue Archive—either way, you’ll find our interview with both producers below!
Heads Up! This interview has had its format adjusted to improve readability, but otherwise its contents remain intact.
In addition, do note that this questionnaire was sent in prior to the game’s PC Steam launch and as such, related questions may be slightly out of date.
Hello! My name is Genghis Husameddin and I’m with the writing team over here at XboxEra. Thanks for taking the time to talk about Blue Archive, its past, future, and coming PC port via Steam!
Without further ado, let’s get started:
Could you tell us a bit about yourselves and the development team as a whole?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
We’re Executive Producer Yongha Kim and Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An. We’re part of the IO Division at NEXON Games, a development organization led by Executive Producer Yongha Kim.
The IO Division specializes in anime-style titles, with a mission to create a world that players want to ‘dive’ into.
Within the division, the MX Studio is the team behind Blue Archive, currently made up of around 160 members. Every day, we’re doing our best to deliver even more exciting and joyful experiences to our players.
In your own words, what is Blue Archive—how does it play, and could you tell us a bit about its setting?
Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
In Blue Archive, players can experience stories set in the bright and refreshing world of Kivotos, centered around three key themes: Youth x Academy x Military. Players take on the role of Sensei, solving incidents and adventures happening in Kivotos alongside a cast of charming students. I’d say the biggest appeal lies in both the captivating students themselves and the stories that bring out their unique charms.
Executive Producer Yongha Kim:
To add to what Studio Producer An explained, from a gameplay perspective, players command squads of students, which require using tactical skills and strategies tailored to each boss encounter.
How did Blue Archive come to be? Could you tell us a bit about what it was like during its inception and pre-production phases? Do you have any concept art and the like we could be made privy to?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
In the late 2010s, apocalyptic themes were quite trendy, so we chose to go the opposite direction by focusing on a bright, everyday school life setting. We envisioned a world where firearms are not portrayed as threatening. We believed that an anime-style visual would be enough to create a convincing world, and it seems this approach was well received in the end.
Speaking of art, Blue Archive has some incredibly scenic and eye-catching art—be it its environments, school + military themes, and characters. How did the game’s art style and direction evolve into the way it is today?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
Bringing together individuals with distinct personalities to develop a game is never easy. However, the game needs to maintain unity and follow a consistent standard.
In the early stages, there were slight variations in art style and direction, and we went through a process to establish a clear vision. Now, that consistency is well defined and maintained, thanks largely to our Art Director Kukki Kim, who ensures the art direction remains cohesive. His efforts are a tremendous support to us.
What were the biggest challenges in bringing Blue Archive to life? Any cut content you could potentially share with us?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
One of our biggest challenges was balancing our creative vision with what was technically feasible. Take the schedule system, for example, we originally wanted to craft something deeper and more personal, but due to development constraints, we had to adapt it into its current form.
Music in Blue Archive is an integral part of its impression and fans are always happy to laud it for the catchy, fast-paced house and techno beats that permeate every bit of the game. Could we get a bit of insight into how the development team works with composers like Nor and Mitsukiyo in bringing the exact “vibe” they’re looking for?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
Sound is a crucial element that deeply immerses players in the game. It plays a major role in setting the mood of the story, heightening emotions, and leaving a lasting impression. Once the direction of the scenario is somewhat established, we collaborate closely with Music Director Mitsukiyo to create the desired musical pieces.
Since Director Mitsukiyo has already composed much of Blue Archive’s music, he understands our vision well and produces exactly what we need with little explanation. We are truly grateful for his contributions.
Blue Archive is finally headed to PC via Steam this summer! Will there be any features unique to the version of the game, such as high-resolution artworks and higher framerate support? Could a separate, non-Steam client be introduced in the future?
Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
We developed the PC build to meet players’ expectations by supporting higher resolutions and smoother gameplay with higher frame rates.
Executive Producer Yongha Kim:
For the global version, we do not plan to offer a separate client outside of Steam.
What does the future of Blue Archive look like? How is the team planning to expand on the world of Kivotos and could we potentially see more from beyond the region?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
There are still many more students and stories waiting to meet you in Blue Archive. Beyond that, we’re continually working on improvements and updates to ensure that teachers can enjoy the game more comfortably and engagingly.
Blue Archive is also growing beyond just a game. As an IP, we aim to reach you in new and diverse ways, and we hope you’ll continue to follow and look forward to what’s next in the future of Blue Archive.
Blue Archive has amassed an incredible fan following over the years, more recently the game has often taken up plenty of space at biyearly events like COMIKET. How has the team reacted to this success, and why do you think the game has captured its own zeitgeist?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
The development team is constantly amazed by the momentum that Blue Archive has created. Every time we see how much love so many players have for the game, it brings us joy.
We believe that Blue Archive has become a cultural moment because the development team constantly considers how to make the students and stories more beloved, and many players actively enjoy and expand on those stories. It’s this combination that has brought us this far, and we plan to continue creating many new things to continue moving forward.
The AX2025 Dev Talk was an incredible experience. Meeting and greeting players directly in North America was truly a joy. The passion of the North American players was remarkable, and we have taken that energy to heart as motivation to pour even more passion into development.
The game has seen many collaborations with restaurants and other brands over in South Korea and Japan. Will western countries ever see something similar?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
One of our division’s goals is to bring Isekai to life. We are positive about pursuing a variety of collaborations and are especially eager to explore opportunities in Western markets. When choosing collaboration partners, we carefully consider how well they understand and respect the title and whether there is potential for strong mutual synergy.
What is your favourite moment from Blue Archive’s story and do you have any favourite students?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
Though we’ve kept it under wraps until now, we won’t hide it any longer. Our favorite is Arona holding the pink envelope.
Could we see Blue Archive get other games in the future? An anime movie, perhaps?
Executive Producer Yongha Kim & Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
We believe the possibilities are always open, and we continue to consider expanding into other media. However, there’s always a balance between what we want to do and the practical challenges involved. Our focus is on figuring out how to overcome those challenges and make our vision a reality.
What games are you guys currently playing and is there a favourite game amongst the team?
Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
I’m still playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. With major updates to manage, I don’t always have as much time to play as I’d like, but I jump in whenever I can. At the studio, our team enjoys a wide variety of games across mobile, PC, and console. Just the other day, I saw someone deeply immersed in Death Stranding 2.
Executive Producer Yongha Kim:
A game that left a strong impression on me recently was Blue Prince, which I finished not long ago. It was a beautiful and uniquely crafted experience, and it had been a while since a game made my heart race like that.
Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers about Blue Archive and its future?
Studio Producer Gyeong Seop An:
We are always grateful, but no matter how often we say it, it never feels enough. The love and support that Blue Archive receives is beyond what words can express, and our entire development team feels that love deeply, which makes us genuinely happy as we create the game. We will continue doing our best to deliver stories featuring even more charming students. We are always thankful and truly love our fans.
Executive Producer Yongha Kim:
We want to share the charm of Blue Archive’s world, story, and characters with even more people. We will continue to provide steady updates, so please look forward to the game’s future growth.
Arona must be protected at all costs.
Visit the game’s official website thisaway to learn more about Blue Archive and to download the game. You can also check out the game’s official Discord server right this way.
Images found in this article have been provided by NEXON, sourced from the game, and its official YouTube channel.
