Stellar Blade achieved remarkable success at the 2024 Korea Game Awards, held on November 13th, 2024, securing an impressive seven awards. This article delves into the game's wins and its future prospects.
Stellar Blade's Triumph at the 2024 Korea Game Awards
SHIFT UP's Stellar Blade Eyes the Grand Prize
SHIFT UP's Stellar Blade dominated the 2024 Korea Game Awards, earning seven prestigious accolades, including the Excellence Award. The awards ceremony, held at Busan's BEXCO, recognized the game'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 victory marks the fifth Korea Game Award win for Stellar Blade's Director and SHIFT UP CEO, Kim Hyung-tae. His previous wins span titles like Magna Carta 2 and The War of Genesis 3 (Softmax), Blade and Soul (NCSoft), and Goddess of Victory: Nikke (SHIFT UP).
Kim Hyung-tae's acceptance speech, as reported by Econovill, highlighted the initial skepticism surrounding the development of a Korean console game achieving significant success. He attributed the triumph to the collaborative efforts of the entire team.
While Stellar Blade narrowly missed the Grand Prize (awarded to Netmarble's Solo Leveling: ARISE), SHIFT UP remains dedicated to Stellar Blade's continued growth. Kim Hyung-tae confirmed plans for future updates and expressed ambition to win the grand prize in future competitions.
A complete list of the 2024 Korea Game Awards winners is provided below:
| 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 wasn't nominated for the Golden Joystick Awards' Ultimate Game of the Year, The Game Awards 2024 offer further opportunities for recognition.
The game's momentum continues with a planned collaboration with NieR: Automata (November 20th) and a PC release in 2025. SHIFT UP's Q3 results demonstrate a commitment to maintaining Stellar Blade's popularity through marketing and content updates. This success points towards a promising future for Korean AAA game development.
