Shift Up, the developer behind the hit game Stellar Blade, has reported a record-breaking financial year, largely thanks to the success of Stellar Blade. The game generated a whopping $43 million in royalties, contributing to Shift Up's total revenue of $151.4 million in 2024, marking a significant 30.4% increase from the previous year.
According to Game World Observer, the momentum for Stellar Blade shows no signs of slowing down. Shift Up confidently predicts that the upcoming PC version will outperform the original PlayStation 5 release, particularly in the lucrative Asian gaming market. This anticipation is bolstered by the game's initial success, where it quickly sold a million copies and received a 7/10 rating from IGN, despite some critiques regarding its characters, story, and RPG mechanics.
In Stellar Blade, players step into the shoes of Eve, engaging in fast-paced action role-playing game combat to reclaim Earth from mysterious invaders. While the game excels in its core action elements, IGN noted that "Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its RPG mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre."
Looking ahead, Shift Up plans to unveil its new project, Project Witches, in the first half of 2025. Although this project was announced shortly after Stellar Blade's PS5 release in 2024, it is not the much-anticipated sequel to Stellar Blade. However, Shift Up has expressed interest in developing another game within the Stellar Blade franchise, hinting at potential future expansions.