On August 10, 2021 the Yostar team posted a live stream event on Youtube where they discussed the future of Azur Lane and thanked the fans for three years of support. While the event didn’t go by without a few hiccups, they continued through some issues to provide the fans with may surprises.
The presentation was divided into several segments featuring either the hosts, voice actors, or skits featuring characters from the game. In addition to that, there was the live stream chat that had some issues. The chat was filled with hundreds of fans all of whom posted so much it was difficult to have any kind of conversation. Even if people wanted to add other on their friends list or have a conversation it was impossible due to how fast the chat was moving. If that wasn’t enough of a problem, there were three prize drawings during the event and the chat would crash due to too many posts at the same time. While it might have been possible for winners to be chosen it is just as likely that no one was able to win due to the issues with the chat. While this is not the fault of Yostar, it was one of the failings of this event.
Most of the event went smoothly with some fun moments provided by the voice actors and the game characters. They brought in several voice actors to give their thanks to the players and read lines as their characters as well. Some of the featured actors were: Miyu Tomita (New Jersey), Marina Inoue (Jean Bart), and Misato Fukuen (Ibuki) were some of the highlights of the various voice actors featured in the event. Beyond that, there was a musical interlude featuring the Laffey Band and a skit with Dunkerque and Le Malin. It was nice having some of the characters entertain the players alongside the actors.
Beyond the characters and actors we also had several behind the scenes segments featuring game development staff discussing their work. These segments also featured shots of their office and a few jokes between staff members. There really appears to be a fun atmosphere at the Yostar office and it is obvious that many of the designers are also fans of various anime and game franchises. It was nice seeing behind the curtain at their studio because it gives you a better sense of who you are supporting when you buy gems in Azur Lane.
The hosts did more than just introduce segments of the show. They discussed various facts about the game including the fact that over 100 Billion units of oil were used in the last year of the game, as well as San Diego being the most drawn SR unit, and Z23 being the most oathed unit. They also talked about the staggering amount of Oath rings used, skill books used, and other silly facts about the game. They also revealed upcoming content such as a rerun of Microlayer Melody, new Old West furniture and mini-games, as well as new skins for several popular characters. While there was no major shipgirl or event announcements we did get a teaser at the end that showed off a new META unit for Ashen Showdown. Finally, they showed off several pieces of merchandise that are now up on their store. This included a Cheshire cup, a replica Oath Ring, and 3D mouse pads. Overall, they gave the players many reasons to break out that wallet and support their favorite game.
The event was a good mix of entertainment and game news with a fun bonus after the show was over. While it did have problems with the chat and learning about a rerun event is not the most exciting news, there was still plenty to enjoy. It would be nice to have gone to a live version of this show, like they had back in 2019, it is nice to know that Yostar cares enough about their game and player base that they did an event like this as many games don’t get this kind of anniversary treatment. For those who are Azur Lane fans it is good to know that the game is going strong. Another year of adventures with the best shipgirls is still ahead. This was a very fun event! Thank you, Yostar for always caring about your fanbase. This is Commander Jay signing out.
Written by Jared the Greek
Email: jaredjgriego@gmail.com
Twitter: @JaredTheGreek
Insta: @JaredTheGreek
PS: Vote for Dame Aznable’s “Lucky E” in the 3rd Anniversary Cosplay Contest