Stellar Blade Studio Rewards Employees with Bonuses and PS5 Pro Consoles

Shift Up, the developer behind the successful action-adventure game Stellar Blade, rewarded its employees with a generous year-end bonus: a PlayStation 5 Pro and approximately $3,400. This follows the game's remarkable success since its April 2024 release.

Stellar Blade, initially met with some minor controversy regarding character design, ultimately achieved widespread critical acclaim, boasting an 82 average score on OpenCritic and numerous awards and nominations. Its fast-paced combat, stunning visuals, and captivating soundtrack have garnered significant praise. The game's popularity continues to grow, fueled by high-profile collaborations.

A heartwarming video shared on Twitter showcased employees receiving their PlayStation 5 Pros. All of Shift Up's 300+ employees received this bonus, along with the substantial cash reward. The company stated that this generous gesture aimed to boost employee morale and encourage future success. This follows a highly successful July 2024 initial public offering (IPO) on the South Korean stock market, the second-largest of the year.

Shift Up's generosity comes amidst continued success for Stellar Blade. Recent collaborations, including a Nier: Automata crossover in November 2024 and a future collaboration with Goddess of Victory: Nikke, have kept the game in the spotlight. A holiday event in December further enhanced player engagement.

Initially a PlayStation 5 exclusive, Stellar Blade is slated for a PC release in 2025, a move anticipated to further boost the game's already impressive sales figures (1 million PS5 units sold within the first two months). Shift Up's confidence in the PC port's potential is high.