Stellar Blade Almost Ran Out of Money During Development, CEO Says
Shift Up's sci-fi action hit Stellar Blade came perilously close to financial collapse during its development, per CEO Hyung-Tae Kim. In an interview translated by Eurogamer, Kim revealed the company's funds were once so low it "could only pay salaries for about three months."
Kim said the team faced intense skepticism from investors as they sought funding. According to Kim, many investors questioned why they were making the game, telling him it was "obvious it would not break even." Some even suggested Shift Up would be valued more highly if it pursued a different project entirely.
The CEO admitted to having his own doubts at the time, questioning "whether it was truly right to make a game like this in Korea." He credited the game's eventual completion and success to user support, which he said proved their chosen path was not wrong.
Stellar Blade ultimately became a major success, selling millions of copies on PS5. Its PC release later broke records by selling over one million copies in its first three days. Shift Up is now working on a sequel, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain.
