TOKYO — Shift Up (462870.KQ) is moving into full-scale self-publishing in Japan and other global markets, and plans to widen its multiplatform development starting with a Nintendo Switch 2 version of "Stellar Blade" in November. Kim Hyung-tae, chief executive of Shift Up, told reporters at a hotel near the Makuhari Messe convention center in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, on the 18th, the opening day of Tokyo Game Show 2026, that the company had been preparing the self-publishing business for about a year. "We will build our own structure to distribute the games we develop in the most optimal way," the CEO said.
Kim said Shift Up would handle online distribution of packaged games developed by the company and its subsidiary Unbound on its own, while working with outside firms and agencies for certain regions and limited editions. For live-service games, the company plans to accumulate enough expertise first and then decide in stages whether to take distribution in-house.
Multiplatform expansion was presented as another core direction. "I have come to feel that a platform is not open to every user," Kim said. "The more platforms we cover, the more chances we get to meet new groups of players." As part of that strategy, "Stellar Blade," which debuted in 2024 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive and later came to PC, will expand to the Nintendo Switch 2 in November.
"We focused on delivering the same high-quality experience as on other platforms in both the Switch 2's docked mode and its handheld mode," Kim said. "Going forward, we will release new titles in ways that reach as many users as possible, as long as it does not compromise the game itself." The platforms for the company's next title have not been decided, but Shift Up intends to make active use of the expertise gained in porting "Stellar Blade."
Kim also looked back on the financial crisis the company faced while developing "Stellar Blade." "There was a time so desperate that we had barely three months of cash left to pay salaries, and I was running around trying to attract investment," the CEO said. "Most investors at the time saw Stellar Blade as a risk rather than an asset that would raise the company's value."
"I even received offers along the lines of, 'If you give up this project, we will value your company higher,' but we finished development to the end, and it was our users who proved that decision right," Kim said. "We will keep doing our best to repay their support."
