Stellar Blade 2 Isn't Being Published By Sony, And That's Great News For PC Gamers
Overview & Key Takeaways
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up is making a few changes with how it releases the next game in its third-person action series. As revealed in its latest earnings report, Stellar Blade 2 won't be published by Sony, as the company is headed into self-publishing territory.
"Development of the next Stellar Blade title is progressing smoothly, on track to meet our targeted quality standards," the studio said in an update, confirming that details on the game will be revealed "within" this year. "Starting with this next title, Shift Up will transition to a first-party service model. This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively."
Shift Up added that details on its next flagship title, Project Spirits, will also be revealed later this year. What does this mean for the sequel? It's worth noting that the first Stellar Blade was a timed exclusive for PS5 when it was released in 2024, and its PC port arrived in 2025. While the game sold well on PS5, PC is where Stellar Blade took off, selling 1 million units in just its first three days. It's estimated that 6.1 million copies have been sold as of January 2026, with more than half of the game's player base being based in China.
Stellar Blade developer Shift Up is making a few changes with how it releases the next game in its third-person action series. As revealed in its latest earnings report, Stellar Blade 2 won't be published by Sony, as the company is headed into self-publishing territory.
"Development of the next Stellar Blade title is progressing smoothly, on track to meet our targeted quality standards," the studio said in an update, confirming that details on the game will be revealed "within" this year. "Starting with this next title, Shift Up will transition to a first-party service model. This will allow us to lead marketing strategies that fully reflect the distinctive identity of the Stellar Blade IP, and we expect to communicate the unique appeal of its universe to players more directly and effectively."
Shift Up added that details on its next flagship title, Project Spirits, will also be revealed later this year. What does this mean for the sequel? It's worth noting that the first Stellar Blade was a timed exclusive for PS5 when it was released in 2024, and its PC port arrived in 2025. While the game sold well on PS5, PC is where Stellar Blade took off, selling 1 million units in just its first three days. It's estimated that 6.1 million copies have been sold as of January 2026, with more than half of the game's player base being based in China.
Adding to its popularity, Stellar Blade also received crossover events with famous IP like Nier Automata and Infinity Nikki. These expansions added several hours of extra content to the game, new modes, challenging boss fights, and even more outfits to the wardrobe of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eve.
With PC being a vital driver of sales, there's a good chance that Shift Up will be aiming to release Stellar Blade 2 simultaneously on its two biggest potential platforms, PS5 and PC. "We are formulating an optimal go-to-market strategy designed to maximize sales and reach a broad global audience from day one," the studio added in its briefing.
Shift Up also recently purchased Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami's new studio, Unbound. The developer is working on "original" PC and console-based games that Shift Up says will appeal to the global market.
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