SHIFT UP's Stellar Blade achieved remarkable success at the 2024 Korea Game Awards, held on November 13th at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO). The game secured an impressive seven awards, a testament to its exceptional quality and innovative design.
The accolades included the prestigious Excellence Award, recognizing the game's overall excellence. Further awards highlighted Stellar Blade's achievements in specific areas: Game Planning/Scenario, Graphics, Character Design, and Sound Design. The game also received the Outstanding Developer Award and the Popular Game Award.
This marks the fifth Korea Game Awards win for Stellar Blade Director and SHIFT UP CEO, Kim Hyung-tae. His previous successes include work on titles such as Magna Carta 2, The War of Genesis 3, Blade & Soul, and Goddess of Victory: Nikke. In his acceptance speech, as reported by Econovill, Kim expressed gratitude to his team and acknowledged the initial skepticism surrounding the development of a Korean-made console game.
While Stellar Blade narrowly missed the Grand Prize (awarded to Netmarble’s Solo Leveling: ARISE), SHIFT UP remains committed to the game's future. Kim Hyung-tae confirmed plans for substantial updates and expressed ambition to win the Grand Prize in future award ceremonies.
The following table shows a selection of the award winners from the 2024 Korea Game Awards:
| Award | Awardee | Company |
|---|---|
| Grand Presidential Award | Solo Leveling: ARISE | Netmarble |
| Prime Minister Award | Stellar Blade (Excellence Award) | SHIFT UP |
| Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award (Best Game Award) | |
| Trickcal Re:VIVE | Epid Games |
| Lord Nine | Smilegate |
| The First Descendant | Nexon Games |
| Sports Shipbuilding President Award | |
| Stellar Blade (Best Planning/Scenario) | SHIFT UP |
| Stellar Blade (Best Sound Design) | |
| Electronic Times President Award | |
| Stellar Blade (Best Graphics) | |
| Stellar Blade (Best Character Design) | |
| Commendation from the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism | |
| Hanwha Life Esports (eSports Development Award) | |
| Gyu-Cheol Kim (Achievement Award) | Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Award |
| Kim Hyung-Tae (Outstanding Developer Award) | SHIFT UP |
| Stellar Blade (Popular Game Award) | |
| Terminus: Zombie Survivors (Indie Game Award) | Longplay Studios |
| Korean Creative Content Agency President Award | ReLU Games (Startup Company Award) |
| Game Management Committee Chairperson Award | Smilegate Megaport (Proper Gaming Environment Creation Company Award) |
| Game Cultural Foundation Director Award | Uncover the Smoking Gun | ReLU Games |
While Stellar Blade didn't receive a Golden Joystick Award nomination, its future remains bright. A collaboration with NieR: Automata is set for November 20th, a PC release is planned for 2025, and SHIFT UP's financial reports show a commitment to sustained marketing and content updates. Stellar Blade's success is expected to encourage further development of high-quality AAA titles from Korean developers.
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