The sequel to Stellar Blade, 'Stellar Blade: Blood Rain,' was unveiled for the first time at the Summer Game Fest showcase. The atmosphere on the ground was nothing short of explosive. Seeing so many North American gamers cheer, get excited, and welcome a game from a Korean developer was—how should I put it—truly surprising, heart-pounding, and deeply rewarding.

The reaction from overseas gamers, who were merely curious when the first game was revealed, was completely different this time. 'Stellar Blade' has now become a bona fide hit series that countless gamers recognize instantly by name or even just by its graphics.

After the showcase concluded, I had the opportunity to meet with CEO Kim Hyung-tae in Los Angeles. During this meeting, I was given a surprise, behind-closed-doors look at a 20-minute gameplay demo of Blood Rain.

The hands-off demo was so polished that it was a genuine shame I couldn't play it myself. Most surprising was that every part of the teaser video shown was composed of in-game cutscenes and actual gameplay footage.

The combat scenes were identical to the demo version, save for the absence of the UI in the video. In fact, the actual gameplay was even more impressive, featuring dynamic camera angles that adjusted to parrying, dodging, and combos, combined with high-speed intensity and flashy effects that never compromised visibility during combat.

The combat direction was particularly impactful. The fast, fluid, and punchy attack motions, the camera angles that shifted continuously with skills and combos (though the exact mechanics were hard to discern in a hands-off session), and the dodge timing that made me move instinctively just by watching—the audiovisual immersion of the combat was incredibly high.

The details of the new protagonist, EVE, including her expressions, movements, and costumes, are also exceptional. Subtle facial changes were expressed naturally, and the intense combat motions were rendered without a hint of awkwardness, even from various changing angles.

There was almost no discernible difference between the cutscenes and actual gameplay. During the boss fight in the demo, the transition from the event cutscene to active control was so seamless that I had to watch the player's hands to tell when the shift occurred.

Personally, I felt the teaser video didn't even do it justice; the polish, direction, and immersion of the actual gameplay demo were all outstanding. The fact that the game is only about a year into development is what makes it most exciting.

'Stellar Blade: Blood Rain' Interview with CEO Kim Hyung-tae

It was a complete surprise reveal. The reaction on the ground was explosive; how did it feel to see it in person.

"Honestly, I was so anxious about whether the video frame rate would hold up or if it would stutter that I couldn't fully process the reaction. But I was deeply moved by how many people cheered so loudly. It made me want to work even harder. I also wished my team members could have heard that reaction together.

You chose the subtitle 'Blood Rain' instead of 'Stellar Blade 2.' Is there a reason for that.

"This game has a very clear narrative connection to the previous title. Naturally, there are parts where you can see what happens to the characters from the first game. However, rather than presenting it solely as a direct sequel, we are crafting it as a complete story in its own right, so that players encountering the series for the first time through 'Blood Rain' can enjoy it without needing to know the predecessor, while still deepening the overall narrative.

I can't say too much right now, but once you finish the game, you'll find that not only is the character EVE charming, but the narrative surrounding her has become incredibly robust.

How far along is development? The speed seems quite fast, given that you're already showing in-game footage at a major showcase.

"Development has been underway for about a year. We've kept almost the entire team intact, and the staff's skills have improved by leaps and bounds without any wasted effort, which is how we reached this point. That said, rather than rushing to release, we intend to take our time to scale up and add depth to the game's fun and narrative.

It's hard to give a percentage for development progress. Some parts are well advanced, while others, like narrative or late-game level design, are still in the design phase. We've moved past the early stages and the basic framework is in place. We decided to reveal the game now because we felt it was ready enough to show the fans who have been waiting.

What did you focus on most regarding the character design and combat style of the new protagonist, EVE.

"We intentionally set EVE to be shorter and look a bit younger, but we worked to ensure she fights in a very tough manner and exudes a cool, stylish character presence.

When making the first game, I struggled with the character EVE—specifically, whether to leave the character as a blank slate for player empathy or to fill her with personality. Seeing the reactions of players who finished the first game, I realized that players can fully immerse themselves even in a character with a strong, distinct personality. So, this time, we are designing EVE to have an even more defined character.

For combat, I thought it would be very appealing to have a small-statured character engage in intense CQC. I felt that using the same weapons from the previous game would make it difficult to show something entirely new, so we chose a new approach to CQC. However, various weapons, including the reverse-blade sword, will be expanded for logical reasons within the context, and the range of player options will be much wider.

Are there any characteristic changes to the action system in this title.

"It's hard to go into detail right now. I will say this: the combat system is evolving so that you can clear the game using only CQC, while still feeling the charm of the previous title.

The differentiator is that the character's power is far more overwhelming than before, and each weapon and stance has incredible depth. We are designing it to offer deeper appeal through stance transitions and combos.

You revealed the game for the first time at SGF. What did you want to focus on showing in the first reveal video.

"I believe the city is another protagonist of this game. Many people live in cities, but I don't think there are many games that properly capture the charm of a city.

So, this time, I wanted to create an attractive, complex city that feels like a place where people truly live. I placed great importance on a city that feels like a blend of various Asian cities like Hong Kong, Korea, and Japan, and I tried to showcase that charm in the first reveal video.

What are the biggest improvements or differences compared to the first game.

"In terms of gameplay, I am prioritizing density, which we couldn't fully achieve in the previous game. This is a part I consider particularly important in terms of artwork. However, we are not building this game on the premise of rising hardware specs.

I believe there is a limit to progress based on price, whether it's for PCs or consoles. Therefore, we are prioritizing making the game playable for users with current-generation consoles or current PCs. Since we still need to show differentiation, I believe it's important to focus on the density of certain linear areas and the charm of the various cities.

For action, we are trying to make combat in narrow spaces just as appealing as combat in wide-open areas. It's still in the works, but you can look forward to that.

What kind of difficulty level are you aiming for.

"I don't think it will be easier than the previous game. If users who are accustomed to the first game feel it has become easier, wouldn't that be boring.

Instead, we are trying to make it intuitive. Initially, I thought we needed to lower the hurdle for users to learn and make it easy to pick up. But seeing various reactions recently, I realized that users aren't actually that afraid of the learning curve.

That doesn't mean we're going for an extremely difficult direction. It won't be very easy, but we plan to prepare an easy mode from the start so that it can be enjoyed even more fun. While we created the easy mode after finishing the game last time, this time we are thinking about how to make it more fun to play on easy mode from the beginning. Currently, we are focused on making one fun game first.

The combat effects were flashy yet highly visible. How are you balancing speed, flashiness, and visibility.

"I have a very specific philosophy regarding effects. We rarely use 'baked' effects that are pre-drawn to indicate trajectories.

If you use those, the effect itself becomes the main visual focus rather than your own movements. So we avoid that and use real-time generated effects that highlight movements without obscuring them. We also slightly adjusted the camera angle so you can see both the enemy's movements and your own while playing.

Our key goal is to ensure that you can fight by watching the movements, not by watching the effects.

Stellar Blade is now a series. What do you see as the identity of the IP that can encompass multiple titles.

"The concerns I had when making the first game continue. Now, those concerns have become more realistic. I think the game will delve more into questions like: 'What choices will we make when AI can completely replace humans?' and 'What defines humanity.

However, this game will not provide the 'correct' answer to those questions. Rather than offering answers to social discourse, I think we will lead the story with a slightly skewed perspective. It's boring to state the answer, and we are making entertainment, not a social commentary game.

Music is also essential to Stellar Blade. What direction are you taking for the sound in this title.

"Once again, we will provide music that perfectly fits the game's situations, rather than just a standard OST. Like the previous game, we are preparing devices within the world where you can naturally enjoy various music. We plan to provide attractive music that is on par with, or even better than, the first game.

Music is a very important feature that moves emotions. That's why we see it as a crucial element in our game.

The collaboration with SIE was a hot topic for the first game. Now that SHIFT UP is handling publishing directly, how prepared are you.

"I think it's very important to have a clear philosophy when publishing. SIE is an excellent platform holder and publisher. But because of that, there are things they are good at and things they cannot do. As a platform holder, I think there are inevitable limitations regarding the user base or regions they focus on.

We are preparing to approach users more closely and reach out with a focus on diverse regions. We plan to show what we can do precisely because we are not a major publisher.

Can you tell us anything about the release platforms.

"It's hard to talk about platforms yet. However, we are trying to reach as many users as possible.

Will we be able to see a playable version at other showcases or game shows this year.

"There are no plans yet. However, I believe the day will come when we can reveal such things if we need to and if gamers want it. Once we've worked hard and have something worth saying, "Everyone, please take a look at this," we will reveal it again.

A 2027 release target was mentioned. Is that goal still being maintained.

"It's hard to say right now. However, since the scale of the project is growing, I think we will need some time.

As I said, development has only been underway for a year. This is because post-launch support for the first Stellar Blade continued until a year ago. We will develop it without being lazy and without falling behind. We won't waste any time, but it might be hard to guarantee that you'll see it immediately. We will come to you once it becomes a great work.

The detail of EVE's costume was also impressive. It felt similar to the previous game but with a different vibe; what direction are you taking for costume design.

"While making the previous game, the quality of the costumes changed a lot from the beginning to the end. Our developers are now so good that they wouldn't be ashamed to call themselves the best in the world. The designers have also become very skilled.

Above all, we are working with the conviction that we have a duty to show users that Korean games are at this level. We aren't just finishing at 'it looks good'; we are discussing deeply how to make it even more attractive.

So, while I don't know the exact number of costumes yet, I can say in advance that the quality will be much higher than the previous game.

SHIFT UP is also known for its monster design. What concept are you working with for the monsters in this title.

"Since the concept is fighting in a city, we are trying to design many monsters that appear and wreak havoc in the city, rather than enemies that couldn't exist in an urban environment.

That doesn't mean there are no giant monsters. However, we are trying to create more realistic monsters rather than overly absurd elements. There will be an opportunity to talk about this in more detail later.

You are celebrating your 30th anniversary in the industry this year. This title feels like a 30th-anniversary commemorative work; what are your thoughts and future goals.

"I am trying to put everything I wanted to share with you into this work, and I value this opportunity very much because it feels like the right time to do so.

That doesn't mean I'm making a game that only satisfies me. My satisfaction comes when others are satisfied. I am a gamer myself. I think the opportunity has finally come after 30 years to make a game that gamers can be satisfied with—a game where they can say, "I've been waiting for a game like this."

I will work hard to make the most of this opportunity and create a wonderful, truly proud game.