Shift Up wants to self-publish the sequel to Stellar Blade so as not to depend on anyone when planning and executing the marketing strategy and reaching players in a more direct and effective way. The Korean studio intends to take advantage of the fan base and status that the intellectual property has achieved to design a launch strategy that will aim to maximize sales and «reach a global audience from day one.» This means that Sony will not publish Stellar Bucket 2 and that the game could be available simultaneously on Xbox Series and Nintendo Switch 2 in addition to PlayStation 5 and PC.
The team assures that thanks to these three key factors, self-publishing capacity, sales maximization strategy and a fan base around a consolidated intellectual property, «we are convinced that the next game [de Stellar Blade] will deliver significantly better results compared to its predecessor.»
Regarding the first Stellar Blade, Shift Up comments that since its launch it has maintained a constant rate of sales and consolidated its position as a successful franchise on both consoles and PC. Stellar Blade was released in 2024 for PS5 and in 2025 it arrived on Steam. The studio intends to continue working on collaborations with other intellectual properties to reach more players and continue with its promotions and discounts strategy. It also says it’s actively exploring expanding platforms, which could mean the debut of Stellar Blade on Xbox Series and Switch 2.
The version of Stellar Blade for PS5 took almost two months to sell one million units and the PC version surpassed the same figure in three days.
Finally, Shift Up has also commented on the purchase of Unbound, the studio of Shinji Mikami, creator of Resident Evil and producer of Devil May Cry. The Koreans say that both studios share strategies and that synergies are evident, so «the decision to join forces was natural.» Shift Up and Unbound are already collaborating in various areas, including worldbuilding and creative planning, with positive results.