Shift Up to Self-Publish Stellar Blade 2, Ending Sony-Backed Exclusivity After 6.1 Million Sales
Updated
Updated · Forbes · May 11
Shift Up to Self-Publish Stellar Blade 2, Ending Sony-Backed Exclusivity After 6.1 Million Sales
15 articles · Updated · Forbes · May 11
Shift Up said in its Q1 earnings presentation that Stellar Blade 2 will use a first-party service model, making the studio its own publisher instead of relying on Sony Interactive Entertainment.
That shift lets Shift Up control marketing around the franchise’s identity more directly and points to a broader platform strategy after the first game’s Sony publishing deal made it a PlayStation console exclusive and delayed PC.
6.1 million copies sold for the original Stellar Blade gave the studio a strong base for the sequel; the 2024 release also posted an 81 Metascore and a 9.1 user score, helping establish it as Shift Up’s flagship console IP.
No release window was announced, but Shift Up said sequel development is progressing smoothly and plans to share more details later in 2026.
Can Shift Up's solo publishing gamble deliver a hit sequel without Sony's backing?
Will Shinji Mikami's horror expertise influence the future of the Stellar Blade franchise?
As another developer leaves a platform giant, is console exclusivity becoming obsolete?