Stellar Blade achieved remarkable success at the 2024 Korea Game Awards, held on November 13th, 2024, securing a total of seven prestigious awards. This article details the game's impressive wins.
Stellar Blade's Triumph at the 2024 Korea Game Awards
Future Ambitions: Aiming for the Grand Prize
SHIFT UP's Stellar Blade dominated the 2024 Korea Game Awards, earning seven accolades, including the coveted Excellence Award. The awards ceremony, held at the Busan Exhibition & Convention Center (BEXCO), recognized the game's exceptional achievements in Game Planning/Scenario, Graphics, Character Design, and Sound Design. Stellar Blade 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 include contributions to Magna Carta 2 (Xbox 360), The War of Genesis 3 (1999), Blade & Soul (2012), and Goddess of Victory: Nikke (2023).
Kim Hyung-tae's acceptance speech, as reported by Econovill and translated via Google, highlighted the initial skepticism surrounding the development of a Korean console game. He expressed gratitude to the team for overcoming these challenges and achieving significant success.
While Stellar Blade narrowly missed the Grand Prize (awarded to Netmarble’s Solo Leveling: ARISE), SHIFT UP remains committed to the game's future. Kim Hyung-tae pledged continued support with future updates, aiming for the Grand Prize in future competitions.
A complete list of winners from the 2024 Korea Game Awards 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 |
Although Stellar Blade wasn't nominated for the Ultimate Game of the Year at the 2024 Golden Joystick Awards, its future remains bright. With a planned collaboration with NieR: Automata (November 20th) and a PC release in 2025, the game's popularity is set to continue expanding. SHIFT UP's 3rd Quarter Business Performance Results confirm their commitment to long-term success through marketing and content updates. This success is expected to pave the way for future high-quality Korean-made AAA titles.
