Stellar Blade 2 is Official and Seemingly Not Too Far Away

Shift Up, the developer behind the acclaimed sci-fi hack-and-slash adventure Stellar Blade, has made a surprise announcement that its beloved game is getting a long-awaited sequel. The news was tucked away in a recent investor presentation, where Shift Up revealed plans to expand its IP (intellectual property) for 2025 and 2026.

The studio's enthusiasm for the upcoming release of Stellar Blade 2 is palpable, with two key developments highlighted under the game's header: a "platform expansion" that is likely to be a PC release, and an unassuming second blue box tagged with the all-important word "sequel".

While Shift Up has not provided any specific details about Stellar Blade 2, one interesting takeaway from the announcement is the timeline the studio is working on. According to the investor presentation, Stellar Blade 2 is due to launch before 2027, strongly suggesting a 2026 release - less than two years after the launch of the first game.

This feels like an remarkably swift turnaround time for a fully fledged AAA sequel, but hopefully, Stellar Blade 2 can live up to the standard set by its acclaimed predecessor. The original Stellar Blade was awarded four stars in Eurogamer's review, praising its unique blend of "weirdness" and addictive gameplay.

"Stellar Blade has a fair bit of weirdness," wrote Jessica Orr, "but its killer tunes and vibey, flow-state combat - plus a transformative hard mode - are enough to leave you entranced." PC players can pick up Stellar Blade via Steam or Epic when it launches on June 11th, with a Complete Edition arriving for PC and PlayStation 5 on the same day.

However, there is one notable issue that needs to be addressed: Stellar Blade's region lock problem. The game is currently blocked in over 120 countries, which seems to have surprised Shift Up as much as everyone else. Over the weekend, the studio revealed it was "closely discussing the region lock issue" with Sony in the hope of finding a solution before June 11th.

What's Next for Stellar Blade 2?

The upcoming release of Stellar Blade 2 has already generated significant buzz among fans of the series. With its unique blend of sci-fi elements and hack-and-slash gameplay, the game is sure to appeal to a wide range of players.

In addition to the platform expansion mentioned earlier, Shift Up's plans for IP expansion also include the mysterious "Project Witches" - although no further details have been revealed about this project. The studio's free-to-play sci-fi shooter Goddess of Victory: Nikke was also mentioned in the investor presentation, which suggests that Shift Up is committed to expanding its portfolio of games across different genres and platforms.

As the release date for Stellar Blade 2 approaches, fans are eagerly awaiting more information about the game. With a relatively short development cycle, there is a lot riding on the success of this sequel - but with its unique charm and addictive gameplay, it's hard not to feel optimistic about what Shift Up has in store for us.