SHIFT UP reported on the 11th that its sales for the second quarter of this year were 112.4 billion won, and its operating profit was 68.2 billion won. This marks an increase of 72.4% and 51.6%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. It is the highest quarterly performance ever.
Looking at sales by intellectual property (IP), 'Stellar Blade' generated 65.7 billion won, while 'Nikke' brought in 45.1 billion won. SHIFT UP noted that the PC version of 'Stellar Blade,' released in June, surpassed sales of 1 million copies just three days after its launch, and combined with the PlayStation 5 version released last year, total sales exceeded 3 million copies.
Additionally, the mobile game 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke,' which was launched in the Chinese market in May, successfully entered the market, and the global version contributed to sales with a positive response from a collaboration content update with 'Stellar Blade.'
Operating expenses totaled 44.2 billion won, representing a 118.7% increase compared to the same period last year. This spike was due to the explosive growth in sales of 'Stellar Blade,' with payment commissions recording a staggering increase of 2,756% year-on-year and 1,001% compared to the previous quarter, totaling 25.4 billion won. Although labor costs decreased by 4.4% year-on-year, they increased by 67% compared to the previous quarter due to performance bonus payouts.
The total number of employees at SHIFT UP, including developers and executive and management support personnel, has grown to 340, an increase of 10% compared to the same period last year. SHIFT UP stated that it will unveil various new content through seasonal events and its 3rd anniversary event for 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' in the second half of this year. It also evaluated that 'Stellar Blade' has successfully established itself in the console market as an AAA (blockbuster) IP and continued to thrive in the PC market through game optimization, enhanced usability, and market-tailored marketing.