Stellar Success – Stellar Blade PC Version and Sequel Under Consideration

Stellar Blade has been a surprise success for Sony and ShiftUp. Not only has the title garnered critical acclaim but managed to be a sales success. Specifically, it has managed to sell quite well in Japan, something not even the recent Final Fantasy titles managed.

Fittingly enough, the developer is looking into a potential sequel and PC release of their first AAA release.

Stellar Blade PC Release

As reported by Insider Gaming, they have stated the following;

It was recently revealed that Stellar Blade’s developer, ShiftUp, is considering a PC version of the game – as well as a sequel.

The potential success for a PC release speaks for itself, with the recent Ghost of Tsushima PC release being a massive success for PlayStation, eclipsing other PC launches like God of War 2018.

Stellar Blade Sequel

The original is a game that melds so many different genres together but does so with success. While our review is in progress, I’m currently playing through the game as of this writing and I continue to see the overwhelming amount of ideas ShiftUp has for Eve.

Being able to expand the combat system or take one of the many ‘gameplay deviations’ and evolve it further sounds very exciting. Regarding if it would be PlayStation only, that is uncertain.

Stellar Blade is a hit for the developer but unlike other second-party situations, the studio still owns the IP. So they don’t directly need to partner with PlayStation for a sequel.

New IP

Insider Gaming also reported on ShiftUp looking to make a new multiplatform IP;

In a report published on a South Korean website (and shared by KAMI on Twitter), it’s detailed that ShiftUp will continue to expand and plans to release a new game every two or three years. Currently, the studio is working on a new IP called Project Witches which will be a cross-platform game spread between mobile, PC, and console platforms.

The name of the title, Project Witches, sounds interesting. Before Sellar Blade, ShiftUp created the popular mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nikke. That title had you play as attractive women shooting in a Time Crisis-style light gun bout. Your reward for completing missions and challenges is currency and more to build up your army.

That game is quite basic in comparison to the work done on Stellar Blade. If Project Witches will be released on console, in addition to mobile and PC, one has to wonder. Is the scale similar to Genshin Impact?

The Team Up – Working with Known IP

Another element of this story to consider is partnerships. Insider Gaming reports that ShiftUp wants to work with established IPs;

There’s a drive at ShiftUp to bolster the team and hire more developers as the fresh projects surface over time. It isn’t just new games, though – ShiftUp reportedly wants to secure existing IP and buy out some brands. It just hasn’t been confirmed what.

The obvious suggestion is collaborations for Nikke on the mobile front and new costumes Eve could wear on the console front. But with them working on a new IP with Project Witches, that title may lean into cross-over with other popular Japanese and Korean franchises.

Some obvious collaborations could be one with Team Ninja’s Dead or Alive series or Square Enix’s NieR: Automata. However, if the developer were to make smaller titles using borrowed IPs, that would open a whole new set of doors.

What Games Could They Make?

Considering the studio’s success with Stellar Blade, one could speculate they could operate similarly to Platinum Games. That developer worked with publishers like Activision and Nintendo on various franchises like Transformers and Star Fox, to mixed success.

With this situation, a more focused approach similar to that might be ideal. For example, a NieR spin-off project developed by ShiftUp in between Stellar Blade and Project Witches could help not only keep the lights on but also give the studio experience in other styles of making action games.

Another example could be a more direct collaboration with Team Ninja, who also recently partnered with PlayStation. The two studios teaming up on a Dead or Alive Souls-like would be exciting.

Closing Thoughts

When Stellar Blade began life as the multiplatform Project Eve, people were excited but didn’t know what to expect. Now having a successful launch and a new IP to build a future with, ShiftUp is in a great position.

In an industry suffering from layoffs, studio closures, and more somber news, a Korean studio managing to find success on a single platform is incredibly impressive. And it cannot be stated enough how they managed to get Japanese gamers interested in the PlayStation 5.

When Final Fantasy struggled to move the needle in that department, but a new IP like Stellar Blade managed to, that must be celebrated.

I can’t wait to see what this studio does next and expect more coverage on Stellar Blade soon. Will you all keep an eye on ShiftUp’s future? Let us know in the comments below!