Stellar Blade's Triumph at the 2024 Korea Game Awards
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, including the prestigious Excellence Award. This victory recognizes Stellar Blade's exceptional achievements in 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 Award win for Stellar Blade Director and SHIFT UP CEO, Kim Hyung-tae, showcasing his consistent contribution to award-winning titles throughout his career. His previous wins include work on Magna Carta 2, The War of Genesis 3, Blade & Soul, and Goddess of Victory: Nikke.
Kim Hyung-tae expressed his gratitude in his acceptance speech, acknowledging the initial skepticism surrounding the development of a Korean-made console game and highlighting the collaborative efforts that led to Stellar Blade's success.
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 future updates and expressed ambition to win the Grand Prize in future iterations.
2024 Korea Game Awards Winners (Partial List):
The following table shows a selection of the award winners:
| 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 |
Despite missing a Golden Joystick Awards nomination, Stellar Blade's future looks bright. A collaboration with NieR: Automata is set for November 20th, a PC release is planned for 2025, and SHIFT UP's commitment to ongoing marketing and content updates ensures the game's continued momentum. Stellar Blade's success paves the way for future Korean AAA game development.
