Kim Hyung-tae is founder and CEO of SHIFT UP and director of Stellar Blade. He is promoting the Nintendo Switch 2 release of Stellar Blade Complete Edition, dated for November 6, 2026, and has confirmed a sequel, Stellar Blade BLOOD RAIN, is in development.
Kim Hyung-tae founded SHIFT UP in 2013 after leaving NCsoft, according to a profile of his career from early manga ambitions through work on Magna Carta and Blade & Soul. That profile connects his path from illustration and art direction to running the company behind Stellar Blade, which shipped for PS5 in April 2024 and for PC in June 2025.
In August 2026, SHIFT UP confirmed the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Stellar Blade Complete Edition would appear at Tokyo Game Show 2026 with six demo stations in the Sega Partners Corner. A stage on September 20 was set to feature Kim, the game's director and SHIFT UP CEO, speaking in Korean with Japanese interpretation. The Switch 2 release was then given a date of November 6, 2026, at 7,980 yen including tax, with a demo already on the Nintendo eShop from September 20.
The Complete Edition package covers the main game and all content released so far, including NieR and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE collaboration costumes, for nearly 130 costumes total. Four Bayonetta costumes are free on the same day for Switch 2, PC, and PS5 owners. Kim framed the Switch 2 port as free content for existing owners rather than a paid re-purchase, and said it targets 60fps in TV and handheld modes, with some scenes at 50fps. He also confirmed Stellar Blade BLOOD RAIN is in development.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
Sep 20
SHIFT UP will release Stellar Blade Complete Edition for Nintendo Switch 2 on November 6, 2026, priced at 7,980 yen including tax. A demo launched on the Nintendo eShop on September 20, and the Switch 2 version is playable at Tokyo Game Show 2026 at Makuhari Messe. The package contains the main game plus all content released so far, including collaboration costumes with NieR and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, with nearly 130 costumes total. Four Bayonetta collaboration costumes will be distributed free on the same day for Switch 2, PC, and PS5 owners. CEO Kim Hyung-tae said the port targets 60fps in both TV and handheld modes, dropping to 50fps in some scenes, and that the play feel is meant to match other platforms. He also confirmed the sequel Stellar Blade BLOOD RAIN is in development.
Aug 27
SHIFT UP announced on August 27, 2026, that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Stellar Blade Complete Edition will be playable for the first time by the general public at Tokyo Game Show 2026. The demo will feature six stations set up in the Sega Partners Corner within the Sega/Atlus Booth (Hall 4/04-N01) at Makuhari Messe. TGS 2026 runs from September 17 to 21, with business days on the 17th and 18th, and public days from the 19th to the 21st. The Switch 2 version is scheduled for release within 2026. A special stage will be held on September 20, featuring Stellar Blade director and SHIFT UP CEO Kim Hyung-tae. The stage will be conducted in Korean with Japanese interpretation and will be livestreamed on Sega's official YouTube channel. Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game where players control Eve, a member of a space colony unit, fighting to reclaim Earth from creatures called Natives. The game was previously released for PS5 in April 2024 and for PC in June 2025.
Aug 15
Game Spark traces Kim Hyung-tae's career from a boy who dreamed of being a manga artist to the founder of SHIFT UP and director of Stellar Blade. The profile covers his early rejection, his work on Magna Carta and Blade & Soul, and his decision to leave NCsoft to found SHIFT UP in 2013.