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Shift Up Recasts Stellar Blade Lead and Will Self-Publish Blood Rain

The studio says a shorter, younger-looking Evie is meant to support a tighter melee focus that targets PC and China markets.

Overview

  • Shift Up revealed Stellar Blade: Blood Rain and said CEO Kim Hyung-tae intentionally made new protagonist Evie shorter and younger-looking to make close-quarters melee feel more striking.
  • The team plans new close-range combat systems and weapon approaches while expanding legacy tools such as the reverse-blade sword to broaden player options.
  • Shift Up announced it will self-publish Blood Rain to reach more platforms, citing the original game’s strong PC and China sales and praising prior support from Sony.
  • Development is early, the studio says the project has been underway for about a year and has no release date, so major design changes are still possible.
  • Fans have raised concerns about Evie’s appearance given the series’ history and have found apparent generative-AI use in early assets, issues the studio may address as production continues.