Summary
- Stellar Blade developers ask fans to "go easy" on the demo with after confirming some players have put dozens of hours into it.
- The demo for Shift Up's new action RPG has surpassed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's demo in peak player numbers, showing impressive early success.
- With plans for post-launch updates like New Game Plus mode, Stellar Blade's developers seem to be confident in the game's potential success.
The developers of Stellar Blade have asked fans to "go easy" on the digital demo released on the PlayStation store after revealing a huge milestone for the upcoming game before its release. Stellar Blade is a brand-new IP from Korean developer Shift Up, best known for games such as NIKKE and Destiny's Child. Stellar Blade also marks the first time Shift Up is developing a single-player-focused game, and has gotten a large amount of attention and hype surrounding it ever since its 2022 re-reveal.
First announced as Project Eve as a multiplatform game for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, it made a surprise re-appearance during the September 2022 PlayStation State of Play as a PS5 exclusive, with the hype continuing to build as more information was revealed about it. A gameplay demo for Stellar Blade was released before its April 26 launch, which only intensified fans' expectations for it, with many praising the combat, though there were some complaints about Stellar Blade's demo having troublesome input lag. The amount of people dedicating time to the demo, however, has caught the attention of the developers, who asked players to "go easy" on it.
Stellar Blade Dev Already Staffing Up for Next Game
While Stellar Blade is still a few weeks away from hitting the market, its developer already appears to be getting ready to tackle another project.
In a tweet posted on the official Stellar Blade Twitter account, Shift Up expressed thanks for players dedicating time to the game and expressing their love. The post notes that to "enjoy the game properly," players should go easy on playing the demo. It noted that some players have dedicated 50+ hours to playing Stellar Blade's demo, adding a "we're scared" to the end of the tweet as well. A normal run through Stellar Blade's demo takes roughly an hour, with players being able to continue off from where they left off in the demo after purchasing the full game, meaning there are some players dedicated to grinding up before the adventure fully starts later this April.
Stellar Blade's Early Success
This isn't the only milestone that Stellar Blade has recently surpassed with only its demo, as the peak number of players for Stellar Blade's demo has surpassed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's. According to Ampere Analysis, Stellar Blade has reached a peak of 690,000 daily active users on PS5, while the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth demo had previously accrued around 380,000 players daily. This is impressive, considering how Final Fantasy is a well-known established IP while Stellar Blade is a brand-new property from a smaller developer.
These early indicators are good potential benchmarks regarding Stellar Blade's success. Shift Up appears to have a lot of confidence in the action RPG's chances as well, as it is working on post-launch updates for Stellar Blade, such as adding a New Game Plus mode and other patches. Fans will need to wait until April 26 to see if the hype for Stellar Blade is well-warranted.
Stellar Blade
- Released
- April 26, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
RECLAIM EARTH FOR HUMANKIND The future of humanity hangs in the balance in Stellar Blade, an all-new story-driven action adventure. Ravaged by strange, powerful creatures, Earth has been abandoned, and what is left of the decimated human race has fled to a Colony in outer space. After travelling from the Colony, 7th Airborne Squad member EVE arrives on the desolate remains of our planet with a clear-cut mission: to save humankind by reclaiming Earth from the Naytiba – the malevolent force that has devastated it. But as EVE tackles the Naytiba one-by-one, piecing together the mysteries of the past in the ruins of human civilization, she realizes that her mission is far from straightforward. In fact, almost nothing is as it seems…
- Developer(s)
- Shift Up
- Publisher(s)
- Sony Interactive Entertainment
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
