Stellar Blade Studio Employees Receive Substantial Bonuses and Consoles

Shift Up, the developer behind the acclaimed action-adventure game Stellar Blade, recently rewarded its employees with a generous year-end bonus: a PlayStation 5 Pro and approximately $3,400. This significant gesture follows the game's remarkable success since its April 2024 launch.

Stellar Blade, despite initial minor controversies, quickly became a critical and commercial triumph on the PS5, boasting an 82 average score on OpenCritic and garnering numerous accolades. Its fast-paced combat, striking art style, and memorable soundtrack have earned widespread praise. The game's continued popularity is fueled by successful collaborations, including a November 2024 crossover with Nier: Automata, adding new content and costumes. Further collaborations are planned, with a future crossover with Goddess of Victory: Nikke announced in late December. A holiday event, featuring festive decorations, music, and costumes, further enhanced the player experience in mid-December.

The company's generous bonus, detailed in a heartwarming video shared on Twitter, showcases Shift Up's appreciation for its over 300 employees. This significant financial reward, alongside the PS5 Pro, aims to incentivize and motivate the team moving forward. The success of Stellar Blade is further underscored by Shift Up's July 2024 initial public offering, which raised $320 million, making it the second-largest in South Korea that year.

Looking ahead, a PC port of Stellar Blade is slated for release in 2025, a decision fueled by the game's impressive one million PS5 unit sales within its first two months and the studio's confidence in its PC market potential. The exact release date for the PC version remains unannounced.