Shift Up CEO Hyung-Tae Kim said in an interview with 4Gamer (paralleled by TheGamer) that the team’s strategy for “Stellar Blade 2 (Sword Star 2/Sword Star 2)” is not to show it or not to show it, and will not make it public until the work is in a state where it can be used. In other words, just because the outside world thinks things are calm does not mean that they are not working on it, but that they do not intend to release semi-finished products too early.
He also admitted that a sequel does exist
Kim Hyung Tae mentioned that it is normal to feel as if nothing has happened from the outside; because although Shift Up acknowledged the existence of a sequel, it did not make too many external announcements about the big outbreak in 2024, causing the player community to keep guessing: where is the current progress and why is nothing shown? His answer was tantamount to saying: This is part of the plan.
I’d rather be a little later than serve it when I’m satisfied.
Kim Hyung Tae’s statement is very straightforward: the team is working very hard on the production, but hopes to wait until it reaches satisfactory quality before presenting it to the public; rather than throwing it out too early for everyone to see the incomplete appearance, it is better to wait until everything is ready and explain it clearly again. He also added that the timing will be when you can watch it with expectations, which is tantamount to implying that there may be a chance to see a more formal display this year, but only if the quality is really in place.
Too often in the game industry, “exposure first, then wait for several years”
The article also complained that many works are often published very early, but are delayed until many years later. Even Sony’s own system often debuts early and is slow to launch: games such as “The Last of Us Part II”, “Marvel’s Wolverine”, “Marathon”, etc. all make players less and less interested in “early exposure and then long wait”. In comparison, Capcom often promotes intensively less than a year before its release, which is more in line with the rhythm that players want now. As for “The Elder Scrolls VI (The Elder Scrolls 6/The Elder Scrolls 6)”… everyone knows.
What players really want to see is whether the second generation can make up for the regrets of the first generation.
The article also mentioned a more realistic expectation at the end: the character creation and narrative of the original work were criticized by many people for being weak. If “Stellar Blade 2” expands in scale and moves toward a more open world due to its success, then it will need to enhance its content and rhythm, otherwise it will easily amplify its shortcomings. To put it simply: It doesn’t matter if you don’t show up. Don’t wait until you show up to find out that it’s just bigger and longer, but not better.