Shift Up has given players a major update about Stellar Blade 2 and its development progress. According to the Korean publisher, the Stellar Blade sequel will be self-published, which could mean it won’t be a PS5 console exclusive. Players will also hear more about the game later this year.
Shift Up Confirms Stellar Blade 2 Details Will Be Revealed This Year
It’s hard to believe that it’s almost been two years since Stellar Blade launched in 2024. While the wait for the sequel has been brutal, developer Shift Up gave players their first official update on it to hold them over. In a recent interview, the Korean studio revealed Stellar Blade 2’s development is going extremely well, and that we will be hearing about the game this year.
Here is the full quote, courtesy of a report by GenkiJPN: “Shift Up says the development of the Stellar Blade sequel is “progressing smoothly” and is on track to meet their quality standards! More details will be revealed within the year!” However, even more intriguing is they might have also hinted at the game not being a PS5 console-exclusive.
Stellar Blade 2 Might Not Be PlayStation Exclusive
In what is potentially good news for third-party players, Genki also reports that Shift Up has confirmed that Stellar Blade 2 will be self-published. This could mean the studio has not signed an exclusive publishing deal with Sony Interactive Entertainment. Although it should be pointed out that Genki didn’t mention anything about PlayStation exclusivity. Here is the full quote below:
“This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP. And we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively. We are confident the next title will deliver meaningfully improved results compared to its predecessor.” While this doesn’t rule out PS5 having timed console exclusivity, it at least means that Shift Up should be able to release it on any platform.
While Stellar Blade wasn’t technically a full PlayStation exclusive as it released on PC, the only console it was playable on was PS5. With Shift Up announcing that it will be fully self-published, this could mean we see the action RPG end up on Xbox Series X. Although, this is purely speculation. The Korean publisher didn’t actually specify what this could mean, outside of having broader marketing options.
Everything We Know About Stellar Blade 2 So Far
Admittedly, that update was a bit on the smaller side. However, it’s encouraging to hear Stellar Blade 2 development is not only going smoothly, but that we’ll get full details about it soon.
I thought it would be interesting to dive back into every rumor we know about Stellar Blade 2 so far:
- Stellar Blade 2 is rumored to take place in a post-apocalyptic China.
- Shift Up previously posted concept art inspired by the city of Chongqing.
- The sequel could feature a much larger open-world map.
- Shift Up says it plans to keep the fast-paced action gameplay of the first Stellar Blade, while also “enhancing it.”
- Stellar Blade 2 was previously projected for a 2026 release, although 2027 now seems more likely.
- The game will reportedly be self-published by Shift Up.
Stellar Blade 2 Release Date Window Explained
That’s pretty much everything we know about Stellar Blade 2, which admittedly isn’t a lot. In terms of a release date, an official Shift Up report had the Stellar Blade sequel launching in 2026. However, these were just projections, and it didn’t actually include a specific release window.
Given the current progress of the game, we wouldn’t expect a Stellar Blade 2 release date until around 2027. Regardless, it appears we will be hearing more about the much-anticipated game later this year. We could also see it launch on multiple platforms this time as it will be fully self-published.
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