[UPDATE - April 1, 2026] SHIFT Up has just announced the acquisition of Shinji Mikami's new studio, UNBOUND, thus reinforcing its ambition as a publisher of triple-A games beyond just its own upcoming release of Stellar Blade 2.
[ORIGINAL STORY] Stellar Blade was the first console and PC game by Korean developer Shift Up, and one of the best debuts on dedicated gaming platforms from a former mobile-only developer we have ever seen. While its initial popularity may have been boosted by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game soon became a smashing success on PC, selling a considerable number of copies in a short time.
With Stellar Blade 2 confirmed to be in development, it stood to reason that SIE would publish the second entry in the series as well, but there's a chance Shift Up will publish its next game itself, as the studio is strengthening its capabilities as a multiplatform publisher.
As reported by AUTOMATON, Korean publication GameMeca spotted several openings within Shift Up for localization, marketing, and PR. "Shift Up is preparing for a new leap forward in the global market, beyond the global success of Goddess of Victory: Nikke and the worldwide launch of Stellar Blade. We aim to expand our self-publishing capabilities to support internally developed titles across console and PC platforms," one of the job descriptions reads, leaving little doubt regarding the studio's efforts at becoming the publisher of its own games.
While who publishes Stellar Blade 2 may be of not much interest to most gamers, Shift Up self-publishing the game could have some positive outcomes, especially in light of Sony reportedly shifting its PC strategy. Although games developed by partner studios are unlikely to remain console exclusives, SIE publishing the second entry in the series would likely lead to a staggered release on PC and potentially other platforms. If the game were to be published directly by Shift Up, on the other hand, it's more likely it will see a multiplatform launch, allowing more users to enjoy it as soon as it becomes available.
Besides working on Stellar Blade 2, Shift Up is also working on another project codenamed Project Spirits. This Unreal Engine 5-powered game will be published by Tencent's Level Infinite publishing label for PC, consoles, and mobile on an yet-to-be-confirmed release date.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
Follow Wccftech on Google to get more of our news coverage in your feeds.
