Shift Up CEO reveals Stellar Blade's financial struggles and investor rejection during development

Shift Up faced severe financial and investor challenges while developing Stellar Blade, one of South Korea's few AAA titles. In a recent interview with INVEN, CEO Hyung-Tae Kim revealed that the company approached multiple investors and major game publishers with the project, only to be rejected.

Investors were unconvinced the game would break even and viewed it as a liability rather than an asset. Some suggested Shift Up would be valued more highly if it abandoned Stellar Blade entirely to pursue a different project.

Kim disclosed the company's dire financial situation during development. "While we were developing Stellar Blade, there was a time when the company was in a situation where we could only pay salaries for about three months," he said. This period likely occurred before Shift Up's success with Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, which launched on mobile devices in 2022 and became a hit in Japan.

Kim acknowledged his own doubts about the project. He recalled moments when he questioned whether making such a game in South Korea was the right decision. Despite these concerns and financial pressure, the team continued development. Their early prototype impressed Shuhei Yoshida, former President of Sony Interactive Entertainment Worldwide Studios, who offered Shift Up a Sony publishing deal.

Stellar Blade launched on PlayStation 5 and Windows via Steam. A Nintendo Switch 2 version is scheduled for November 5, 2026. Kim attributed the game's success to player support and pledged the company would do its best on future projects, including Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, a sequel currently in development, and a new cross-platform IP codenamed "Project Spirits."