Blade & Soul FAQ — Ping, Servers, Network

Yes. PingAim uses a kernel-level WFP driver to route BNSR.exe through your chosen network interface. This operates below EasyAntiCheat's detection layer — PingAim does not modify game files, inject code, or create a VPN tunnel. Multiple third-party network optimizers work openly with BNS NEO without bans, and PingAim uses the same routing approach.

The most common causes are: playing on the wrong region (check the launcher region selector), a congested WiFi connection, or background apps consuming bandwidth. If your region is correct and you're on wired Ethernet, the issue may be suboptimal ISP routing to NCSoft's servers — this is where PingAim's second connection routing helps. Enable 'Show Server Delay Period' in Settings > Interface to see your live ping.

The original Western version of Blade & Soul shut down on February 29, 2024. NCSoft relaunched the game as Blade & Soul NEO on February 25, 2025 — a rebuilt version running on Unreal Engine 4. NA and EU servers for NEO are active as of April 2026 (server merges completed mid-2025). Japanese servers for BNS and BNS NEO shut down in March 2026.

Yes, but expect 150-250ms ping from most of Asia to NA/EU servers. There is no cross-region matchmaking — you must manually select NA or EU in the launcher. Players from SEA, Oceania, and East Asia commonly use network optimizers to reduce routing overhead. Korea and Taiwan have their own separate NCSoft-operated servers for lower latency.

Blade & Soul NEO uses EasyAntiCheat (EAC). EAC does not block VPNs, network routing tools, or packet-level optimizers — it targets in-process cheating and memory manipulation. Multiple game booster services openly advertise BNS NEO support without any reported bans from EAC.