SHIFT UP has shared a new development update on Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, confirming that the upcoming game is progressing toward its internal quality targets. The South Korean developer also revealed that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Stellar Blade, released on November 6, is meeting its initial sales expectations. Both updates were included in the company’s Q3 2026 earnings report published on November 10.
According to SHIFT UP, development of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain remains focused on achieving the studio’s desired level of quality rather than rushing the game toward release.
“Development of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain is progressing toward our target quality level under the principle of securing sufficient development time to deliver the highest level of completeness,” the company stated.
SHIFT UP said it plans to share more information about the project gradually but did not provide a timeline for future announcements or confirm a release window.
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain was officially announced during Summer Game Fest 2026 in June, where SHIFT UP released an in-game trailer. The company said the reveal attracted considerable international attention, with the trailer reaching 1.78 million views on IGN’s official YouTube channel by the end of October.
The developer also highlighted a recent visit from music artist The Weeknd, who toured SHIFT UP’s headquarters while visiting South Korea. During his visit, he explored the development floor and played an in-development version of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain.
Meanwhile, the original Stellar Blade continues to reach new players following its Nintendo Switch 2 launch. SHIFT UP confirmed that the self-published release has performed in line with internal expectations during its opening sales period and is contributing to the game’s cumulative sales.
The Switch 2 version was previously featured during Nintendo’s September Direct, which also announced a collaboration with Bayonetta. The game was later playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026, held from September 17 to 21.
As part of the collaboration, existing PlayStation 5 and PC players received free Bayonetta-themed outfits.
Despite the new platform launch, Stellar Blade recorded approximately KRW 5.9 billion in revenue during the third quarter of 2026. That represents a 32.9% decline compared with the previous quarter and a 78.6% drop year-over-year.
SHIFT UP attributed the decline to slowing sales on existing platforms, where demand has begun to stabilize at lower levels. The November Switch 2 release falls outside the reported third-quarter period.
The company is also looking to expand the Stellar Blade franchise beyond game sales. According to its earnings report, trading card games, music streaming, and collaborations are beginning to contribute to the broader business surrounding the intellectual property.
