The director behind Stellar Blade has change into one of many wealthiest individuals in Korea, nevertheless it’s not for the rationale you would possibly assume.
Stellar Blade is considered one of final 12 months’s finest motion video games and for South Korean studio Shift Up, it was their breakthrough second within the West.
The motion recreation bought over a million copies, following its launch on PlayStation 5 in April, and a PC model is about to be launched in June 2025.
Shift Up chairman and founder, Kim Hyung-tae, has subsequently change into one of many richest individuals in Korea, nevertheless it isn’t due to Stellar Blade.
As reported by Forbes, Kim Hyung-tae’s internet value is $725 million (£546 million) as of April 14, 2025, which places him at quantity 46 on Korea’s wealthy listing.
The founder’s internet value ballooned in July final 12 months, when Shift Up turned a public firm and acquired an preliminary providing of $320 million (£241 million). This made Kim Hyung-tae a billionaire, as the most important shareholder of the $3 billion firm.
Since then, Shift Up’s shares have fallen greater than a 3rd and Kim’s general internet value has shrunk to $725 million, nevertheless it’s nonetheless sufficient to make his debut on the wealthy listing.
Shift Up’s greatest success is cell title Goddess Of Victory: Nikke, which was launched on Android and iOS in 2022 and PC a 12 months later. According to the studio’s financial report for 2024, the free-to-play recreation accounted for 69.6% of the studio’s complete income, producing $105.4 million.
This quantity was truly down 7% over the earlier 12 months, however the studio is planning to launch Goddess Of Victory: Nikke in China in 2025, so that can seemingly give it a significant shot within the arm. In comparability, royalties from Stellar Blade amounted to $43.2 million in 2024.
Shift Up has showcased its wealth via a brand new $2,400 (£1,800) statue of Stellar Blade protagonist EVE. Created by JND Studios, the statue weighs 8.4kg and has already sold out after pre-orders went stay on April 18.
Along with EVE, there are separate statues of the equally improbably proportioned Tachy and Adam’s drone. The bundle with all three statues prices a whopping $3,899 (£2,935).
Is there going to be a Stellar Blade 2?
Stellar Blade is about to launch on PC in June 2025, alongside a DLC crossover with Goddess Of Victory: Nikke. This comes after Stellar Blade’s first main DLC, a collaboration with NieR: Automata, which launched final 12 months.
Shift Up has already introduced plans for a sequel however nothing has been formally revealed, so it’ll seemingly be just a few years away but. That could properly imply it finally ends up being a PlayStation 6 title.
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