Stellar Blade was a stellar success after its release. Currently, after being released for over 2 years, the game has sold collectively for over 6 million copies. The game has done well enough for a sequel, and it is currently in production. However, what you may not know is that Sony helped publish the game. The big news for part 2 is that Shift Up, the company behind the game, will be publishing it on its own.
Why did Sony publish Stellar Blade?
Stellar Blade was announced as Project Eve way back in 2019. It wasn’t what it looked like today. Several more trailers were shown all the way up to 2021, with noticeable changes to the main character, Eve. It was in the 2021 PlayStation Showcase that it first showed what Stellar Blade would look like upon its 2024 release.
It was then known that Sony was publishing the game exclusively for the PS5. The rest is history as the game released in 2024 to roaring receptions. Eve also made an appearance as a cameo in Sony’s other exclusive game, Astro Bot.
Why is Sony not publishing Stellar Blade 2?
We can’t really pinpoint the exact reason, and Shift Up hasn’t mentioned it. They just said that Sony will no longer be involved with the game’s sequel. Most people believe it is because of Sony’s exclusivity clauses. This means that if Stellar Blade 2 were published by Sony, it would only be available for the PS5 until the time-exclusive period ends.
The first game did well for the PS5 release; however, once it got released on PC, on systems like Steam, that’s where sales exploded even more. Perhaps Shift Up noticed this and decided to work on having the game available for all systems upon release, and that’s always a plus.
Why Sony not publishing Stellar Blade 2 is a good thing
There are some positive things to come out of this. It’s good that Shift Up has the finances to make this game possible.
No excluisivity
On day one release, anyone and everyone can enjoy the game on the system that they want. They can play it on the PS5, Xbox X/S, and PC. It’s a bit doubtful for Nintendo Switch 2, but with no exclusive clauses, the game can be accessible. That also means that Shift Up can make more money on day one through its sales.
No? Censorship
Shift Up is also the creator of Nikke: Goddess of War. That game has had a reputation for being littered with scantily clad women. Fanservice aside, Nikke has a promising story and content to boot. Going back to Stellar Blade, the game had some censorship when it was released on the PS5. Thankfully, the censorship could be bypassed, and when it came out on PC, well, the mods fixed that. Since Sony is not publishing Stellar Blade 2, you can bet your money that there will be no censorship (hopefully).
In Closing
We’re all excited for the upcoming trailer (well, no news yet) for Stellar Blade 2. Will you be buying the game when it comes out? Have you even played the first game? Don’t hold yourself back when it comes to Stellar Blade.
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