Next Stellar Blade to be self-published by Shift Up, development progressing smoothly

Shift Up has announced that the next Stellar Blade title will be self-published in its financial results for Q1 2026.

Shift Up also confirms that development is going smoothly while platform expansion is being explored for the original Stellar Blade. You can find both relevant responses from the financial results below. 

What is the expected performance of in 2026?

has maintained steady sales since launch, solidifying its position as an evergreen IP in the PC/console market. This quarter, seasonal promotions and discount events continued to drive new player acquisition, with stable long-term sales trends confirmed across all platforms.

Leading up to the release of the next title, we will continue efforts to broaden the franchise's brand awareness through collaborations with global IPs and other initiatives.

Looking ahead, we plan to sustain sales momentum through seasonal and holiday promotions as well as strategic discounting, while also actively exploring further platform expansion. We remain committed to maximizing the long-term value of the IP to repay the support of our global player community.

What is the development and publishing strategy for the next title?

Development of the next title is progressing smoothly, on track to meet our targeted quality standards. Notably, starting with this next title, Shift Up will transition to a first-party service model. This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively. Building on the strong fandom and evergreen IP status established by the first , we are formulating an optimal go-to-market strategy designed to maximize sales and reach a broad global audience from day one.

With three key tailwinds — high-quality self-publishing capabilities, a sales maximization strategy, and a proven IP fanbase — we are confident the next title will deliver meaningfully improved results compared to its predecessor.

If you haven't gotten it yet, read our review of the PS5 version of the action RPG here and my feature covering the PC port on Steam Deck and ROG Ally here.

Stellar Blade is now available on PS5 and PC (Steam).