Shift Up reported a 58.8% decrease in operating profit for the second quarter of this year, attributed to a gap in new game releases.
The company announced on August 11 that it recorded revenues of 55.7 billion won and an operating profit of 27.6 billion won for Q2 2026, marking declines of 50.4% and 58.8%, respectively, compared to the same period last year. Net profit fell by 18.7% to 41.7 billion won.
Shift Up explained that the acquisition of Japanese game developer Unbound, which was integrated as a consolidated subsidiary, impacted operating costs.
The game 'Goddess of Victory: Nikke' generated 43.3 billion won in revenue. While this represented a 32.4% increase from the previous quarter due to a 3.5-year anniversary event, it was a 4.1% decrease year-on-year. 'Stella Blade' saw revenues of 8.8 billion won, down 31.6% from the previous quarter and 86.6% from the same period last year.
The company stated, "Goddess of Victory: Nikke has shown a pattern of rebounding to the top revenue ranks during major updates, such as the 1.5-year, 2-year, and 3.5-year anniversaries," and expressed optimism for strong revenue performance from upcoming updates in the second half of the year.
Regarding 'Stella Blade,' Shift Up noted, "We expect to maintain current sales momentum as we launch a Nintendo Switch 2 version in the second half, expanding to a new platform."
Concerning the newly announced title 'Stella Blade: Bloodrain,' the company said, "Development is progressing smoothly to meet our targeted quality level, and we will ensure sufficient development time to deliver the highest level of completeness."
'Stella Blade: Bloodrain' is a sequel being developed based on the 'Stella Blade' intellectual property (IP). Shift Up plans to self-publish starting with this title.
The company added, "We aim to enhance the enjoyable combat experience praised in the previous title while strengthening the world and story, and we will actively implement a marketing strategy that highlights the unique characteristics of the IP."
Additionally, another upcoming title, 'Project Spirit,' is under development with a goal for a reveal in the second half of the year. 'Project Spirit' is a global cross-platform live service game based on an Eastern fantasy universe.
Shift Up also mentioned that it is developing additional new IPs that leverage its strengths, stating, "We will continue to invest in diversifying our development and pipeline."
Recently, Shift Up has been hiring personnel for new IP development, indicating that this recruitment is aimed at building a future growth lineup, with further details to be disclosed as development progresses.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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