Summary
Stellar Bladewas released on June 15, 2025. Announced in 2019 as a fresh IP and launching exclusively on PlayStation 5, the project involved some notable risks. It also marked a major step forward for developer Shift Up, as it had previously only worked on a handful of mobile games.Stellar Bladewas bolstered by a close partnership with Sony Interactive as publisher, though, and backed by a high-profile marketing campaign that drew both positive and negative reactions in the period leading up to its full release.
However, in quick order,Stellar Bladeexceeded expectationsin nearly every way, going on to become one of the most highly-rated PS5 exclusives, and bringing attention to Shift Up by “graduating” the studio into AAA-tier territory. Looking back on it one year later,Stellar Blade’s breakout success story in the industry is one to celebrate, with it also set to continue its popularity well into the future.
Stellar Blade is a Noteworthy Success Story, One Year Later
Stellar Blade Overcame Initial Skepticism and Controversies to Become Widely Embraced
Ahead of its launch,Stellar Bladehad its share of doubters and detractors. A good portion of this criticism focused on protagonist Eve’s character design and variety of outfits, which some felt were unnecessarily sexualized. This resulted in a heated backlash and arguments overStellar Blade’s alleged censorshipof these and other aspects, like its depiction of violence, with both sides feeling quite strongly on the topics and Shift Up and Sony having to address them. It also later faced a lawsuit over the name itself, filed by the film company, Stellarblade LCC.
Despite all that, upon its release,Stellar Blade’s story of humanity’s struggle against a seemingly alien enemy on a future post-apocalyptic Earth captivated audiences. The world-building, graphics, and art direction were hailed as impressive, and its exploration of theuse of AIand evolution filtered through an emotional tale packed with twists and shocking reveals resonated well with players.
This was helped byStellar Blade’s flashy andstreamlined Soulslike combat designalso being a highlighted component of its experience. These and the above elements led to it receiving good reception and reviews, and it was the best-selling game in North America the month of its release, going on to move 1 million copies worldwide by June.
Stellar Bladedidn’t stop there, though, and it received a robust series of DLCs and post-launch support for requested features, many of which were free. These included updates in the form of aphoto mode, along with more substantial paid crossovers with established and popular IPs, particularlyNier: Automata, as many fans had previously noted the similarities between the two. This content was warmly welcomed, garnering goodwill for Shift Up’s inclusive approach, and makingStellar Bladeeven more beloved after the fact, with it currently sitting at a 90 player rating on OpenCritic.
Stellar Bladewas nominated for Best Action Game and Best Score and Music at The Game Awards 2024.
Stellar Blade’s Future is Looking Bright
With its success,Stellar Bladehas found itself in an optimistic spot. Although nothing is confirmed at this time, there has previously been talk of apotential sequel or spin-off toStellar Blade, which is only natural given its acclaim and the possibilities for expansion, with fan demand to spend more time with the characters and setting.
What has been confirmed ismoreStellar BladeDLCcoming soon. The latest addition will feature content fromGoddess of Victory: Nikke, one of Shift Up’s prior games, along with a PC port, both set for this June.Stellar Blade’s journey from initially uncertain to surprise bona fide hit provides a positive example, and its future plans and potential give fans great reason to commemorate its one-year anniversary.
