Shift Up has officially confirmed that development of Stellar Blade 2 is still progressing smoothly according to the studio’s internal plans. The announcement came alongside the company’s latest financial report, which also revealed a major shift in how the sequel will be published.
Unlike the original Stellar Blade, the sequel will reportedly be self-published directly by Shift Up without relying on an external publishing partner. The first game was previously released in partnership with Sony Interactive Entertainment and the PlayStation ecosystem.
According to the report, Shift Up remains in a very strong financial position. During the first quarter of 2026, the company recorded approximately 47.3 billion KRW in revenue, around 21.5 billion KRW in operating profit, and 37.8 billion KRW in net profit.
Although quarterly revenue slightly declined compared to the previous quarter, the company explained that earlier results had been heavily boosted by the initial momentum surrounding Stellar Blade sales.
Interestingly, the game itself continues generating significant revenue even long after launch. Stellar Blade reportedly earned around 12.9 billion KRW during Q1 2026 alone, representing an 84% increase compared to the previous year.
Shift Up stated that the growth was driven by:
- promotional campaigns for the PC version
- discounts through the PlayStation Store
- and extremely positive reception from Steam players
The game also continues maintaining an “Overwhelmingly Positive” rating on Steam, further strengthening its long-term performance.
Because of this success, Shift Up now considers Stellar Blade a “steady-seller IP,” meaning the studio views the franchise as a long-term pillar for the company rather than a one-time hit release.
Alongside Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, the Stellar Blade franchise is now positioned as one of the studio’s most important core businesses moving forward.
The most interesting detail from the financial Q&A session involves the sequel’s publishing structure. Shift Up confirmed that Stellar Blade 2 will use a “first-party service model,” meaning the company plans to directly handle publishing, marketing, and global distribution itself.
This decision has already sparked speculation among players that the sequel could potentially launch on multiple platforms simultaneously, rather than following the more platform-focused release strategy used for the first game.
Leave a Reply