[0:01] If you caught the Summer Game Fest 2026
[0:04] showcase, you're likely buzzing about
[0:06] Stellar Blade being back in the
[0:07] spotlight thanks to its sequel
[0:09] announcement, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain.
[0:12] Even though details on Eve and the new
[0:14] setting are scarce, the hype is real. At
[0:17] least it is for me. Plus, it was just
[0:19] revealed that a Nintendo Switch 2 port
[0:22] of Stellar Blade is on the way. So,
[0:23] whether you're diving back in or
[0:25] starting fresh, we've got you covered.
[0:27] Here's a look at everything major going
[0:29] on with Adam, Eve, and Lily since
[0:31] launch.
[0:34] At launch, Stellar Blade arrived with a
[0:36] full story campaign, multiple endings,
[0:38] and a New Game Plus mode, a rarity these
[0:41] days. New Game Plus allowed players to
[0:43] keep their progression while tackling
[0:45] tougher enemies and experimenting with
[0:47] new skills, weapons, and nano suits. On
[0:50] the technical front, Stellar Blade was a
[0:52] showcase for the PlayStation 5,
[0:55] launching with smooth frame rates,
[0:56] ray-traced reflections, and full support
[0:59] for DualSense features. Shift Up clearly
[1:02] wasn't resting on its laurels, though,
[1:04] as launching Stellar Blade was just the
[1:06] beginning.
[1:09] Shift Up focused heavily on
[1:10] quality-of-life updates early on. They
[1:13] added map pins for easier navigation, a
[1:16] favorite system for inventory
[1:17] management, and confirmation prompts to
[1:20] avoid accidental money spending. They
[1:22] also tweaked combat targeting and
[1:24] lock-on mechanics, which made the
[1:26] tougher encounters feel more manageable.
[1:28] These small changes made a world of
[1:30] difference for long-term play. [music]
[1:32] One of the earliest major updates also
[1:34] introduced Boss Challenge as a dedicated
[1:37] mode, allowing players to rematch
[1:39] powerful enemies from throughout the
[1:40] game. Alongside it came five new nano
[1:43] suits, additional accessibility options
[1:45] like extended puzzle timers, and auto
[1:47] targeting improvements for the shooting
[1:49] segments, as well as quality-of-life
[1:51] features such as an always visible
[1:53] compass toggle. Subsequent updates
[1:56] continued that momentum, adding even
[1:58] more nano suits, expanded hairstyle
[2:00] customization options, and additional
[2:03] accessibility improvements that helped
[2:05] make Stellar Blade more welcoming to a
[2:07] broader range of players.
[2:10] Later in 2024, the highly anticipated
[2:14] photo mode dropped, letting players
[2:16] pause the action to snap cinematic shots
[2:18] with custom filters, angles, and poses.
[2:21] Along with that, we got a ton of new
[2:22] outfits and [music] cosmetic options for
[2:24] Eve, letting players customize her look
[2:27] without messing with the gameplay
[2:28] balance.
[2:31] Stellar Blade's post-launch content also
[2:33] included several crossovers and DLC
[2:36] packs. One of the earliest and most
[2:38] notable was a collaboration with Nier:
[2:40] Automata, which introduced themed
[2:42] outfits for Eve, a roaming merchant
[2:44] inspired by Emil, and a handful of
[2:47] cosmetic items. This content was
[2:49] completely optional, fully integrated
[2:51] into the main world, and entirely
[2:53] focused on visual customization.
[2:56] Later, content from Shift Up's Goddess
[2:58] of Victory: Nikke franchise arrived,
[3:01] adding more outfits and themed visuals.
[3:03] Like the Nier crossover, this DLC
[3:05] emphasized cosmetic personalization
[3:08] without altering gameplay balance or
[3:09] [music] progression. While the Nier
[3:11] collab sent Eve on a scavenger hunt to
[3:13] search for Stellar Tears, the Nikke
[3:15] collab actually brought the mobile
[3:17] game's signature gameplay to Stellar
[3:20] Blade. It also brought with it brand new
[3:22] Nikke-inspired outfits for Eve to wear,
[3:24] alongside a brand new boss, Scarlet.
[3:29] The Boss Challenge mode grew
[3:30] significantly after launch, adding new
[3:33] bosses and in-game content that really
[3:35] pushed player skill. It became the go-to
[3:37] mode for testing out loadouts and combat
[3:39] mastery. The addition of Scarlet in
[3:42] particular gave veteran players a
[3:43] formidable new encounter to overcome,
[3:46] further cementing Boss Challenge as one
[3:48] of Stellar Blade's most robust
[3:50] post-launch additions.
[3:52] The December 2024 update added festive
[3:55] cheer with seasonal outfits,
[3:57] holiday-themed music, and decorations in
[3:59] Xion. The coolest part? It's all
[4:02] optional. You can turn the holiday
[4:04] visuals and music on or off whenever you
[4:06] want, keeping the game fresh all year
[4:08] round. The event also featured
[4:10] holiday-themed activities and rewards,
[4:12] [music] giving players even more reasons
[4:14] to visit Xion during the season.
[4:18] Stellar Blade expanded beyond the
[4:20] PlayStation 5 in June [music] 2025 with
[4:22] a Steam release. This version introduced
[4:25] technical enhancements, including
[4:26] unlocked frame rates, ultra-wide monitor
[4:29] support, HDR, and modern upscaling
[4:31] options such as DLSS and FSR. These
[4:35] improvements gave PC players more
[4:37] control over performance and visuals,
[4:39] while also expanding the game's reach to
[4:41] a broader audience. Alongside the PC
[4:43] release, new content was added for
[4:45] [music] all platforms. Boss Challenge
[4:47] received additional encounters,
[4:49] including the previously mentioned
[4:50] Scarlet, while photo mode once again
[4:52] gained new poses and expressions, as
[4:55] well as even more outfits and
[4:57] accessories. A large number of new music
[4:59] tracks and rearranged themes were also
[5:01] introduced, further enhancing
[5:03] replayability. Steam-specific features
[5:06] such as trading cards, badges, and
[5:07] achievements were added as well. The
[5:10] Complete Edition update also introduced
[5:12] a number of smaller enhancements,
[5:14] including a digital art book unlocked
[5:16] after completing the game, expanded
[5:18] language support, additional
[5:19] accessibility features such as fall
[5:21] prevention options, and even more
[5:23] controller customization choices.
[5:26] Together, these additions helped make
[5:28] Stellar Blade's most complete version
[5:30] feel appropriately named.
[5:33] Around the same time as the PC release,
[5:35] Stellar Blade added support for
[5:37] PlayStation 5 Pro. This introduced
[5:39] multiple graphics modes exclusive to
[5:42] PlayStation's newest console, including
[5:44] a high frame rate mode targeting up to
[5:46] 80 FPS on 120 hertz displays. The update
[5:49] also improved image clarity and
[5:51] resolution using Sony's PSSR upscaling
[5:55] technology, allowing the game to run at
[5:57] 4K with enhanced visual fidelity and
[6:00] smoother performance. Players could
[6:02] choose between performance-focused or
[6:03] balanced visual modes, making the
[6:05] experience highly flexible depending on
[6:07] display setup and personal preference.
[6:11] One of the most substantial post-launch
[6:13] content additions came in the September
[6:15] 2025 update, which included three new
[6:18] epilogues. These added new narrative
[6:20] beats and expanded the game's story
[6:22] beyond one of the original endings.
[6:24] While relatively short and mostly
[6:26] lighthearted, these epilogues provided a
[6:28] meaningful bonus for players who had
[6:30] wrapped up the story [music]
[6:31] and wanted to spend a little bit more
[6:33] time with Eve and the residents of Zion
[6:35] before moving on.
[6:38] At the June 9th, 2026 Nintendo Direct,
[6:41] it was announced that Stellar Blade
[6:42] would be arriving on Nintendo's newest
[6:44] hardware, the Nintendo Switch 2. Not too
[6:47] much is known about what the port will
[6:49] offer other than the full game, but it
[6:51] is known that it's releasing in 2026 and
[6:53] it will feature gyro controls for side
[6:55] activities like fishing. Neither Shift
[6:58] Up nor Nintendo have provided any
[7:00] technical information such as target
[7:02] frame rates or resolutions. For now,
[7:04] we'll just have to wait and see what
[7:06] additional technical details Shift Up
[7:07] shares as we get closer to launch.
[7:11] Today, Stellar Blade offers more bosses,
[7:14] more customization, more cosmetic and
[7:16] seasonal content, and more technical
[7:18] flexibility than at launch. Shift Up has
[7:20] steadily grown the game through free
[7:22] updates, DLC, seasonal events, PC and
[7:25] PS5 Pro enhancements, hard mode,
[7:27] accessibility, and expanded epilogues,
[7:30] all without relying on intrusive live
[7:31] service mechanics. With Stellar Blade
[7:34] Blood Rain on the horizon, it's never
[7:36] been a better time to get caught up on
[7:38] everything Stellar Blade. To help with
[7:40] this, make sure to check out our guides
[7:41] and walkthroughs for the base game and
[7:43] all of the collab events. These guides
[7:45] include full walkthroughs on the NECA,
[7:47] Christmas, and Near DLCs. We also have a
[7:50] full interactive map on our IGN Wiki to
[7:53] help you track down every last secret,
[7:55] nano suit, side quest, and accessory.
[7:57] [music]
[7:58] For more on Stellar Blade and the
[7:59] upcoming Blood Reign, you're already in
[8:02] the right place, IGN.