SHIFT UP

SHIFT UP is a South Korean games studio based in Seoul, founded in 2013 by illustrator and game designer Kim Hyung-tae. The studio has established a strong reputation thanks to its distinctive visual style, sophisticated character design and gradual transition from mobile titles to major console games.

Its best-known projects include Stellar Blade, Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Destiny Child.

🎨 Kim Hyung-tae and the founding of SHIFT UP

The founder, Kim Hyung-tae, had already been working in the games industry before setting up his own studio and became known primarily for his distinctive artistic style and character design.

This experience subsequently influenced SHIFT UP’s work, which is characterised by intricately detailed characters and a distinctive sci-fi and fantasy aesthetic.

📱 Destiny Child

One of the studio’s first major projects was the mobile RPG Destiny Child, which debuted in South Korea in 2016.

The game combined character collection, RPG mechanics and intricate 2D illustrations. Destiny Child helped SHIFT UP establish a stronger foothold in the mobile gaming market.

🔫 Goddess of Victory: Nikke

Goddess of Victory: Nikke brought the studio great international success. This sci-fi RPG combines character collection and development with action-packed shooting battles and a story of humanity fighting for survival.

Nikke has gradually become one of the company’s most significant brands and has helped put SHIFT UP on the map for players around the world.

⚔️ Stellar Blade

For console gamers, SHIFT UP is primarily associated with the action RPG Stellar Blade, which was known as Project Eve during development.

The main heroine is the warrior Eve, who arrives on a post-apocalyptic Earth to fight creatures known as the Naytiba. The game combines fast-paced sword combat, precisely timed blocking and dodging, skill progression and exploration of a devastated world.

Stellar Blade marked an important step for SHIFT UP away from mobile titles towards large-scale console projects and significantly raised the studio’s profile amongst PlayStation players.

🎮 From mobile games to Stellar Blade

SHIFT UP has undergone significant development during its relatively short history. The experience gained through Destiny Child and the success of Goddess of Victory: Nikke laid the foundations upon which the studio could build its major console project, Stellar Blade.

SHIFT UP is now one of South Korea’s leading game studios, and its name is primarily associated with the Stellar Blade and Goddess of Victory: Nikke franchises.