Nexon Games Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha issued an apology today (the 28th) regarding the controversy surrounding sudden changes to the gacha system (BM), which began with a recent official broadcast for the Blue Archive JP server.

The issue arose during the 5.5th-anniversary live broadcast for the JP server, serviced by Yostar, on the 26th. The broadcast announced a shift from the existing mileage system—where recruitment points accumulate with every pull and 200 points can be exchanged for a rate-up character—to a 'half-pity' system, where a 3-star character is guaranteed at 100 pulls (with a 50% chance of it being the rate-up character) and the rate-up character is guaranteed at 200 pulls.

Because updates applied to the JP server are eventually implemented on the global server (serviced by Nexon) and the CN server (operated by Yostar), global users expressed various concerns via social media and community forums. Key points of contention included: the announcement being made by voice actors reading a script rather than the development or operations team; the producer's subsequent failure to address the issue directly, instead reposting content on a personal account, which damaged user trust; the short notice between the announcement on the 26th and the implementation on the 29th; and the fact that the new 'half-pity' system differs from how other games handle rate-up updates. Additionally, users pointed out that the information provided via the broadcast screen was too vague to fully grasp the details.

User backlash subsided slightly after Yostar provided a detailed explanation of the specifics and the bonus rewards based on recruitment counts on their official social media and website at 2:00 PM today. However, criticism persisted regarding the initial poor handling of critical information and the resulting erosion of trust.

In response to the situation, Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha posted an apology on his personal social media. As the update is scheduled for the JP server tomorrow (the 29th), the apology was written in Japanese. Kim first stated, "I apologize for disclosing information about this overhaul, which significantly impacts the player experience, only just before its implementation, and for causing distrust by carelessly reposting related content on my personal social media account."

He then explained the background of the decision. According to Kim, the development team had been seeking ways to alleviate the stress players feel when they fail to pull a rate-up character even after reaching the recruitment points required for a guaranteed exchange.

In this process, they sought to increase the chances of obtaining rate-up characters sooner by changing the recruitment method, while also introducing a 'Recruitment Charge' system and a feature to carry over points to future banners, as announced on the official website and social media at 2:00 PM today (the 28th). Furthermore, to help users feel the benefits of the change, they included limited-time 10-pull tickets as a recruitment milestone reward to reduce the burden on players.

However, he acknowledged that regardless of the intent, the lack of preparation and communication caused users to worry as they weighed the pros and cons of the changes, ultimately damaging the trust built over time. He concluded, "Moving forward, we will prioritize providing a stable game experience, exercise greater caution during the development process, and strive to provide sufficient notice. I take this matter very seriously and will work to rebuild trust with a more responsible attitude. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you."

The following is a translation of the full apology posted by Executive Producer Kim Yong-ha on social media.

I am Kim Yong-ha, Executive Producer of 'Blue Archive'.

I have caused great anxiety and confusion among our players regarding the recent changes to the student recruitment system.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.

I apologize for disclosing information about this overhaul, which significantly impacts the player experience, only just before its implementation, and for causing distrust by carelessly reposting related content on my personal social media account.

With the permission of the operations team, I would like to take this opportunity to explain the background of this matter.

The development team determined that the moment players feel the most stress during recruitment is when they reach the 'recruitment points' required for a guaranteed exchange without having pulled a single rate-up student. We have been continuously seeking ways to alleviate this issue.

The reason is that we believe enabling as many players as possible to meet the students they want is the foundation for 'Blue Archive' to be loved for a long time.

To reduce this stress, the method the development team prepared was to increase the possibility of meeting rate-up students more quickly.

The specific details are the 'Recruitment Charge' system and the feature to carry over points to future recruitment, which were announced via our official X account and other channels around 2:00 PM on July 28, 2026.

Additionally, to help you feel the benefits of the overhaul, we set 'limited-time 10-pull tickets' as a 'recruitment milestone reward,' designed to effectively reduce the burden of reaching a guaranteed recruitment.

However, regardless of our intentions, we forced players to weigh the pros and cons of these changes themselves, causing greater anxiety in the process. Above all, we have damaged the trust we have built together.

Hearing the voices of anxiety and confusion from many players after the announcement, I painfully realized that our preparation and communication process were insufficient.

Moving forward, we will prioritize providing a stable game experience, exercise greater caution during the development process, and strive to provide sufficient notice.

I take this matter very seriously and will work to rebuild trust, step by step, with a more responsible attitude.

I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience this has caused you.