Hyung-tae Kim, the CEO of Shift Up and the director behind Stellar Blade, has received a Presidential Commendation in South Korea. This prestigious awardwas presented by the South Korean President himself, and it was given for Kim’s services to the domestic game industry.
While Stellar Blade was mentioned, the award was also given amidst recognition of Shift Up’s other games, like Goddess of Victory: NIKKE.
Stellar Blade Was a Game-Changing Title
Stellar Blade first dropped in April 2024, before being released on PC a little more than a year later. The game would go on to sell millions of copies, with players being pulled in by the visuals and staying for the combat and intriguing story.
It’s no big secret that much of the attraction in Stellar Blade rests with the game’s protagonist, Eve. Her character model was built around a scanned representation of a South Korean glamour model, which gives you an idea of why the character was such a hit with gamers.
As revealed by Automaton Media, Hyung-tae Kim, the visionary director behind Shift Up’s Stellar Blade, recently received an award from the South Korean President, Lee Jae Myung. This commendation was bestowed upon Kim because of his contributions to the industry and ‘achievements in overseas expansion’.
In the report, it was stressed that Kim ‘humbly thanked his development teams and Shift Up’ for their pivotal work on bringing Stellar Blade to life.
In September, it was confirmed that a Stellar Blade sequel was in development and moving along quite nicely. In November, reports were circulated suggesting that Shift Up was targeting more platforms for further Steller Blade expansion, eyeing up the likes of Xbox and Nintendo.
Did you ever play Stellar Blade? Let us know what you thought about the game on the Insider Gaming Discord server.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that Phantom Blade Zero could come to Xbox
Grant has been gaming for 30+ years and in the industry for 10+. You'll probably find him playing a post-apocalyptic game or an extraction shooter somewhere.
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