Stellar Blade's development journey was fraught with financial uncertainty, with the studio nearly running out of funds to cover staff salaries for more than three months, according to Shift Up CEO Hyung-Tae Kim.
Kim disclosed in an interview with Korean outlet Inven that the company sought financial backing from various investors for the ambitious project. However, many were hesitant, deeming Stellar Blade too risky and questioning its potential to break even. Some investors even suggested that pursuing a different project could lead to a higher company valuation.
During this challenging period, Kim himself expressed doubts about the viability of creating such a game in Korea. "There were times when I questioned whether it was truly right to make a game like this in Korea," he stated. Despite these internal and external pressures, Shift Up persevered, ultimately proving the doubters wrong.
The game has since achieved significant success. While exact sales figures for the PlayStation 5 version are not public, it reportedly sold millions of copies. The PC release also proved to be a record-breaking launch, exceeding one million sales within its first three days.
Shift Up is currently developing a sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, though a release date has not yet been announced. The success of Stellar Blade highlights the growing presence of South Korean studios in the global AAA development landscape, a trend also seen with the success of Pearl Abyss's Crimson Desert.