Stellar Blade Demo Achieves Major Milestone, Developers Urge Restraint

Developers of Stellar Blade make a plea to players to take it easy on the demo following a significant achievement.
Stellar Blade Demo Achieves Major Milestone, Developers Urge Restraint

Highlights

  • Stellar Blade developers request players to show restraint with the demo after some have invested extensive hours in it.
  • Stellar Blade demo surpasses Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in peak player numbers, indicating a promising start.
  • Confident in the game's potential success, Stellar Blade developers plan post-launch updates like a New Game Plus mode.

Shift Up, the creators behind the highly anticipated game Stellar Blade, have issued a gentle plea to fans regarding the digital demo available on the PlayStation store. The team recently unveiled a major milestone for the upcoming game, prompting them to ask for players' understanding and moderation with the demo's content. Stellar Blade is a fresh intellectual property from Korean studio Shift Up, renowned for titles like NIKKE and Destiny's Child. This project marks a notable departure for Shift Up, focusing on a single-player experience, generating substantial buzz since its re-reveal in 2022.

Originally introduced as Project Eve as a multi-platform release for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, Stellar Blade made a surprising return during the September 2022 PlayStation State of Play event, now as a PS5 exclusive. As more details emerged, excitement around the game continued to escalate. The gameplay demo for Stellar Blade, launched ahead of its April 26 debut, heightened fans' anticipation, with many lauding the combat mechanics, despite some concerns about input lag.

The developers were taken aback by the level of engagement from players, prompting them to encourage players to exercise restraint with the demo. In a heartfelt tweet from the official Stellar Blade Twitter account, Shift Up conveyed gratitude for the players' dedication and affection for the game. The message subtly advised players to pace themselves with the demo to fully savor the gaming experience. Expressing a mix of appreciation and concern, the tweet highlighted instances of players investing over 50 hours in the demo, hinting at the team's astonishment.

Impressive Reception and Future Plans

Stellar Blade has not only hit this significant milestone but has also outperformed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth in terms of peak player engagement. Data from Ampere Analysis revealed that Stellar Blade's demo attracted a peak of 690,000 daily active users on PS5, surpassing the 380,000 players recorded for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's demo. This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy considering Final Fantasy's established reputation compared to Stellar Blade's status as a new property from a smaller developer.

These early achievements bode well for Stellar Blade's future success. Shift Up's confidence in the action RPG's potential is evident through their ongoing work on post-launch updates, including the introduction of a New Game Plus mode and other enhancements. Fans eagerly await the game's full release on April 26 to see if Stellar Blade lives up to the mounting excitement surrounding its debut.