Shift Up CEO: Stellar Blade development faced near collapse

Shift Up CEO Kim Hyung-tae has spoken about the critical financial challenges faced during the development of the company's recent title, Stellar Blade. In an interview with Korean gaming media Inven, Kim stated that at one point, the company had funds remaining for only approximately three months of salary payments.

Kim Hyung-tae explained that the company encountered difficulties securing development funding for Stellar Blade, with many investors expressing doubts about the project's potential to recoup costs. He noted that some questioned the decision to proceed with a game perceived as high-risk, while others suggested that shifting focus to different projects would yield a higher company valuation.

The CEO admitted to experiencing moments of doubt himself, questioning whether developing such a game in South Korea was the correct path. However, he concluded that the eventual positive reception from players validated their chosen direction.

Stellar Blade has since achieved considerable success. While exact sales figures for the console version have not been disclosed, the PlayStation 5 edition is estimated to have sold millions of units. The subsequent PC release also set sales records, surpassing one million units within three days.

Shift Up is currently working on a sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, though a release date has not yet been announced.