Stellar Blade's Triumph at the 2024 Korea Game Awards: Seven Awards and a Promise of More
SHIFT UP's Stellar Blade achieved remarkable success at the 2024 Korea Game Awards, held November 13th at Busan's BEXCO. The game secured an impressive seven awards, highlighting its excellence in various categories.
The accolades included the prestigious Excellence Award, along with recognition for Game Planning/Scenario, Graphics, Character Design, and Sound Design. Stellar Blade also earned the Outstanding Developer Award and the Popular Game Award.
This marks the fifth Korea Game Awards win for Stellar Blade's Director and SHIFT UP CEO, Kim Hyung-tae, showcasing his consistent contribution to award-winning titles throughout his career.
In his acceptance speech, as reported by Econovill, Kim Hyung-tae expressed gratitude for his team and acknowledged initial doubts about a Korean-developed console game achieving significant international recognition. He emphasized the team's collective effort in overcoming these challenges.
While Stellar Blade narrowly missed the Grand Prize (awarded to Netmarble's Solo Leveling: ARISE), Kim Hyung-tae assured fans that the game's journey is far from over. He promised future updates and expressed ambition to win the Grand Prize in future iterations.
Below is a summary of the 2024 Korea Game Awards winners:
| 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 |
While Stellar Blade missed out on the Golden Joystick Awards' Ultimate Game of the Year, its future remains promising. A collaboration with NieR: Automata (launching November 20th) and a planned PC release in 2025 will significantly expand its reach. SHIFT UP's commitment to continued marketing and content updates further solidifies its long-term vision for the game. Stellar Blade’s success paves the way for future Korean AAA titles to compete on a global scale.
