SHIFT UP announced plans to release a PC version of Stellar Blade in 2025, following the game's steady performance on PlayStation 5 since its April launch. The company anticipates the PC version to outperform the console version due to trends like Steam's influence in the AAA market. Additionally, SHIFT UP is considering revealing more about its cross-platform project, Project Witches, in early 2025.
PS5's Stellar Blade topped the sales charts in April 2024, outperforming major titles like Helldivers 2 and Modern Warfare 3. Its success is notable as it is a new IP from a young studio, SHIFT UP, with no multiplayer or microtransactions. The game's traditional single-player focus and quality have led to high sales and discussions of a sequel.
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up is considering a sequel to the PS5 exclusive and plans to add a photo mode and new outfits. While a PC version and sequel are being reviewed, no official announcements have been made yet.
Stellar Blade's latest update quietly introduced two new skimpy Midsummer outfits, possibly to address player outrage over perceived censorship of previous outfits. These new outfits can be bought and crafted from Roxanne at the R Shop. The update also added three more outfits and fixed various bugs.
Stellar Blade's first major patch introduces a Boss Rush Mode, quality of life improvements, and new Kunoichi outfits. Additionally, the patch addresses a controversy by releasing "uncensored" variants of two outfits, which some players had claimed were censored by Sony. The new outfits are available for purchase and crafting in the game.
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up overcame skepticism and production hurdles to create a full-fledged action RPG, a rarity in South Korea's mobile-dominated gaming market. The game, now known as Stellar Blade, has gone gold and is set to release as a PS5 exclusive on April 26. The team's ambition and determination, despite initial doubts, have driven the project forward, with the game's breakneck action and unique design garnering attention. The game's development was influenced by real-life events, including a taxi driver strike, and its release will determine if it can deliver substance to match its style.
The upcoming action title Stellar Blade for PS5 will only require 30.4GB of storage, a much smaller size compared to recent blockbusters, despite offering around 25 hours of gameplay, thanks to developer Shift Up's efforts to keep the file size in check. This news comes as a relief for players accustomed to dealing with larger downloads, and may not require them to make significant space adjustments on their SSD.
Ampere Analysis reports that the Stellar Blade demo has reached 690k daily active players, nearly double that of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, with projections of surpassing 4 million DAU upon release. Shift Up's success with the demo and its financial growth from its mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke has positioned the company for a strong entry into the console market with the upcoming release of Stellar Blade on April 26.
Hyung-Tae Kim, director of Stellar Blade and CEO of Shift Up studio, emphasizes the need for diversity in the gaming industry, advocating for the importance of console titles and single-player games with definitive endings. Kim rejects industry advice to prioritize higher operating margins and instead plans to continue developing console games. He believes there is a strong demand for games with conclusive endings and opposes the trend of live-service titles with endless updates. Shift Up's next game will be a "cross-platform next-gen" title, marking a departure from Stellar Blade's PS5 exclusivity.
Stellar Blade, a new action adventure game for PS5, is set in a post-apocalyptic world where players follow Eve's mission to reclaim Earth from malevolent creatures. The game's directors discuss the concept, theme, and design of the game, drawing inspiration from '80s and '90s sci-fi. They also highlight the stylish action and unique features leveraged by the PS5 hardware, such as adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, while offering different gameplay modes to suit players' preferences.
Shift Up CEO confirmed that Stellar Blade will receive free updates and a new game plus mode, with plans for new skins for Eve and around 30 outfits included in the base game. The game will not have microtransactions, except for possible outfit collaborations that may be sold for a fee. Stellar Blade is set to release on PlayStation 5 next month, and pre-orders come with early unlock bonuses for in-game items.
Developer Shift Up confirms that upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive game Stellar Blade will not include microtransactions, with CEO Kim Hyeong-tae emphasizing that the initial purchase price will cover all content. While potential paid expansions and collaborations with other IPs may lead to additional purchases in the future, the game is set to offer free updates such as additional costumes. This announcement stands out in an industry where microtransactions have become increasingly common, and it aligns with a trend of developers, including CD Projekt Red, expressing a commitment to avoiding microtransactions in single-player games.
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up plans to provide free updates for the PS5 exclusive game, including new costumes for protagonist Eve and a New Game+ option, with the possibility of future paid DLC. CEO Kim Hyeong-tae emphasized that the game will not feature microtransactions, except for potential collaborations with other studios for costume sales. The base game will offer 30 costumes, with more to come after the April 26, 2024 release date.
IGN's French branch insulted Stellar Blade director and Shift Up CEO Hyung-Tae Kim for portraying the game's protagonist, Eve, with a sexually attractive design. After backlash, IGN offered an official apology, retracted the offensive statement, and clarified that their editorial staff had no involvement in the incident. The game, Stellar Blade, is set to release exclusively on PlayStation 5 on April 26th.
Shift Up, the developer behind Stellar Blade, is working on a new AAA urban sci-fi action RPG that will not be a sequel to their PS5 debut and will be a cross-platform game for console, PC, and mobile. The game will feature monsters and creatures and is not expected to be a platform exclusive like its predecessor. The release of Stellar Blade 2 will depend on the commercial success and fan response to the upcoming game.
