Stellar Blade's impressive showing at the 2024 Korea Game Awards on November 13th, 2024, saw it secure a remarkable seven awards. Discover the details of its triumph below.
Stellar Blade's Seven Wins at the 2024 Korea Game Awards
Future Grand Prize Aspirations for Stellar Blade's Director
SHIFT UP's Stellar Blade achieved a dominant victory at the 2024 Korea Game Awards, earning seven prestigious awards, 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 claimed the Outstanding Developer Award and the Popular Game Award.
This win marks the fifth Korea Game Award victory for Stellar Blade's Director and SHIFT UP CEO, Kim Hyung-tae. His previous successes include Magna Carta 2 (Xbox 360), The War of Genesis 3 (1999), his contributions as Art Director to Blade and Soul (2012), and SHIFT UP's Goddess of Victory: Nikke (2023).
In his acceptance speech, as reported by Econovill and translated via Google, Kim Hyung-tae expressed gratitude, stating, "When we initially developed Stellar Blade, many doubted our ability to create a successful console game in Korea. However, thanks to our dedicated staff and game officials, we achieved excellent results."
While Stellar Blade narrowly missed the Grand Prize (awarded to Netmarble's Solo Leveling: ARISE), SHIFT UP remains dedicated to Stellar Blade's future. Kim Hyung-tae assured fans, "Stellar Blade's journey isn't over. We're preparing substantial updates; stay tuned! Next time, we aim for an even better game and the grand prize."
A complete list of 2024 Korea Game Awards winners 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 |
While Stellar Blade missed a Golden Joystick Awards nomination, future recognition at The Game Awards 2024 remains a possibility.
The game's momentum continues with a highly anticipated collaboration with Platinum Games' NieR: Automata (November 20th) and a planned PC release in 2025. SHIFT UP's 3rd Quarter Business Performance Results show a commitment to sustaining Stellar Blade's popularity through marketing and content updates. This success paves the way for future Korean AAA titles to compete on a global scale.
