South Korean developer Shift UP faced numerous hurdles while crafting Stellar Blade, one of the nation’s rare AAA productions. In a recent sit-down with INVEN, CEO Hyung-Tae Kim recounted a period when the studio could only cover three months of employee wages, along with his prior skepticism about the project’s viability.
Kim disclosed that during development, Shift UP presented Stellar Blade to various investors and major gaming publishers, only to face rejection. He noted that investors were unconvinced the game would achieve profitability, viewing it as a liability rather than an asset. Some even advised that abandoning Stellar Blade in favor of a different project would enhance the company’s valuation.
According to Kim, “While we were developing Stellar Blade, there was a time when the company was in a situation where we could only pay salaries for about three months.” Given that Stellar Blade was first teased in 2019 under the working title “Project Eve,” this likely predates the success of Shift UP’s other titles, such as Goddess of Victory: NIKKE (which launched on mobile in 2022 and later became a hit in Japan).
Kim admits he once doubted Stellar Blade’s potential, recalling moments when he questioned whether creating such a game in South Korea was wise. Despite these reservations, he and his team persisted with the project. They even managed to impress former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios Shuhei Yoshida with an early prototype, leading to a Sony publishing offer.
Stellar Blade’s development has now wrapped up, with Kim crediting its success to the players. He stated that while Shift UP won’t always “do everything perfectly” and will “certainly make mistakes,” the company is committed to producing games—including a Switch 2 version of Stellar Blade and future titles—as a way to repay the support it has received. The studio is currently working on Stellar Blade: Blood Rain (a sequel) and a new cross-platform IP codenamed “Project Spirits.”
Stellar Blade is available on PlayStation 5 and Windows (Steam). A Switch 2 version is scheduled for release on November 5, 2026.