Stellar Blade Developer Shift Up Surprises Employees with PS5 Pro and $3,400 Bonus

Shift Up, the studio behind Stellar Blade, has surprised its 300 employees with an exciting end-of-year reward—a PlayStation 5 Pro and a generous bonus. As part of their “Shift Up Rise Up” ceremony, the studio handed out the high-end consoles alongside a cash bonus totaling 5 million Korean won (approximately $3,400). According to South Korean publication Naver, the company stated that the bonuses were meant to “encourage talent” and recognize the hard work of their staff.

We had our SHIFTUP New Year’s event today. Everyone got a PS5Pro so you can enjoy Stellar Blade in 4K, right?
Oh, and there’s a glimpse of Lily and Eve…#StellarBlade #SHIFTUP #HappyNewYear pic.twitter.com/VihP4Qhnr1

— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) January 6, 2025

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This impressive gesture follows the successful launch of Stellar Blade, Shift Up’s first console game, which sold over a million copies in its first few months. The game, exclusively available on PS5, has earned positive reviews and sparked excitement among fans, and the success seems to have played a role in the studio’s ability to reward its employees.

The PS5 Pro gift aligns with Stellar Blade’s optimization for the console, which further highlights Shift Up’s commitment to excellence both in-game and in treating their employees. The studio is also gearing up to release Stellar Blade on PC in 2025, with expectations that it will perform better on the platform than it did on consoles.

This bonus is a refreshing contrast to the layoffs and studio closures often seen in the gaming industry, where success sometimes doesn’t lead to positive outcomes for employees. With Shift Up’s latest reward, it seems they are making a statement about the value they place on their team, paving the way for future success and continued growth.

If you’re interested, don’t miss our in-depth review of the game here.

Stellar Blade

Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment

Developer: SHIFT UP

Release Date: 2024-04-26

PlayStation 5

Humanity is driven from Earth after a losing war against alien invaders called NA:tive. To reclaim their lost home, Eve and her squad are deployed from the Colony to fight the NA:tive and to take back Earth.