Former Blue Archive Developers Cancel Project KV Amidst Plagiarism Accusations
Dynamis One, a studio founded by ex-Blue Archive developers, has pulled the plug on its highly anticipated visual novel, Project KV. The swift cancellation follows a significant backlash over the game's striking resemblance to its predecessor, Blue Archive.
Dynamis One issued an apology on X (formerly Twitter) on September 9th, acknowledging the controversy surrounding Project KV's similarities to Nexon's popular mobile gacha game. The studio stated its commitment to avoiding future conflicts and confirmed the project's termination, promising to remove all online materials related to Project KV. They expressed regret to fans and vowed to improve future endeavors to meet expectations.
Initially unveiled on August 18th with a voiced prologue, Project KV generated buzz with its subsequent teaser showcasing characters and storyline. However, this positive momentum quickly reversed, leading to the game's cancellation just a week after the second trailer's release. While the developers may be disappointed, online reaction to the cancellation has been largely positive.
The "Red Archive" Controversy
The formation of Dynamis One in April by former Blue Archive developers, including Park Byeong-Lim, initially raised eyebrows within the Blue Archive community. The subsequent reveal of Project KV ignited a firestorm of criticism. Fans quickly pointed out numerous similarities, from the art style and music to the core concept: a Japanese-style city populated by female students wielding weapons.
The presence of a "Master" character, echoing Blue Archive's "Sensei," and the use of halo-like adornments—a key visual element in Blue Archive with narrative significance—further fueled the controversy. Many felt these similarities constituted plagiarism, with some dubbing Project KV "Red Archive," suggesting it was a derivative work capitalizing on Blue Archive's success.
While Blue Archive's general producer, Kim Yong-ha, indirectly addressed the situation by sharing a fan clarification on X emphasizing Project KV's lack of official connection to Blue Archive, the negative response proved insurmountable.
The cancellation of Project KV, while potentially disappointing to some, is seen by many as a consequence of the perceived plagiarism. Whether Dynamis One will learn from this experience and develop a more original vision for future projects remains to be seen.
