Shiftup

What Shiftup does

Shift Up Corporation (시프트업) is a South Korean for-profit game development studio founded in 2013 by Kim Hyung-tae and headquartered in Seocho-gu, Seoul. The company designs and develops original game intellectual property across mobile and premium console/PC platforms, with three commercial franchises: Goddess of Victory: Nikke (a mobile gacha shooter RPG with 45M+ global downloads), Stellar Blade (a AAA action-adventure title that has sold 6.1M units across PS5 and Steam), and Destiny Child (a mobile collection RPG). A fourth title, Project Spirits (an 'Eastern Fantasy' subculture cross-platform IP), is in development for a 2027 target launch.

The studio runs an internal AI Labs team led by an OpenAI alumnus focused on in-game AI and development efficiency, operates a proprietary development pipeline that produced Stellar Blade with a sub-100-person team in roughly four years, and uses advanced motion capture and 3D scanning for character production. Shift Up completed the 100% acquisition of Tokyo-based Unbound Inc. (led by Shinji Mikami) in April 2026 to bolster PC and console development capacity and global publishing capability.

Shift Up generates revenue through three distinct mechanics: one-time purchases for premium console/PC titles (Standard and Complete Editions with DLC), freemium gacha monetization for Nikke, and direct-to-consumer merchandise via the official Shift Up Store. Distribution runs through Sony/PlayStation for console exclusives, Steam and Epic Games Store for PC, Nintendo Switch 2 for the upcoming port, and Level Infinite (a Tencent subsidiary) for mobile. In May 2026 the company announced a transition to self-publishing for the Stellar Blade sequel to capture full economics of console distribution, ending its exclusive publisher relationship with Sony Interactive Entertainment.

Name

Shiftup

Legal name

주식회사 시프트업

Website

https://shiftup.co.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Shift Up is a publicly-listed Korean game studio developing original IPs across mobile (Nikke, Destiny Child), console/PC (Stellar Blade), and upcoming cross-platform titles (Project Spirits), serving global gamers and self-publishing after the Stellar Blade sequel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Web3/Blockchain Game Studios (MPAFAAAO)

Keywords

• Video game development
• Mobile gacha RPG
• AAA action-adventure
• Console PC games
• Game merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Seocho

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Console and PC Game Sales: One-time purchase revenue from console and PC games like Stellar Blade. Games sold at Standard Edition and Complete Edition price points with DLC content.
2. Mobile Gacha Games: Free-to-play mobile games with in-app purchases. Nikke generates revenue through character gacha pulls, costumes, and limited-time events. Reported over 45 million downloads globally.
3. Merchandise and Goods: Official merchandise store selling apparel, accessories, collectibles, and limited editions for Stellar Blade, Nikke, and Destiny Child IPs. Products sold through official Shift Up Store (both Korean and English versions).
4. IP Licensing and Collaborations: Cross-IP collaborations with other games and brands, including PUBG crossover and various brand partnerships. Revenue from licensing IP for collaborations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Shift Up is a Korean game development studio that designs, develops, and publishes original video game IPs across mobile and console/PC platforms, including the AAA action-adventure Stellar Blade (PS5/PC/Nintendo Switch 2), the mobile gacha shooter RPG Goddess of Victory: Nikke, the mobile collection RPG Destiny Child, and the upcoming cross-platform title Project Spirits. The company also sells official merchandise for its game IPs through its own online store and operates a self-publishing model transitioning away from third-party console publishers.

Product overview

Shift Up is a Korean game developer offering a portfolio of distinct game titles across multiple platforms: Goddess of Victory: Nikke (mobile gacha shooter RPG), Stellar Blade (PS5/PC action-adventure AAA game), Destiny Child (mobile collection RPG), and Project Spirits (upcoming cross-platform title). The company operates its own Shiftup Store for merchandise. Shift Up recently acquired Japanese studio Unbound Inc. led by Shinji Mikami to strengthen PC/console development capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SHIFT UP CORPORATION: The official corporate legal entity name used on the company's official website footer and store.

Products and services

• Stellar Blade AAA action-adventure RPG set in a post-apocalyptic world where the player controls Eve, the last survivor of a special unit sent to reclaim Earth from alien Native creatures; features stylish action combat, narrative-driven story, and high-quality graphics. Released for PS5, Steam/PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.
• Goddess of Victory: Nikke Mobile shooter RPG combining character collection gacha mechanics with shooting gameplay; players command Nikke units to reclaim Earth from Rapture weapons. Features idol concept, high-quality animations, and live service content updates. Over 45 million downloads globally.
• Destiny Child Collection RPG where players summon and collect Child demons to build an army and compete in Demon King battles. Features gacha summons, team building, and dark fantasy themes.
• Project Spirits Upcoming cross-platform subculture title branded as 'EASTERN Fantasy', in development by Shift Up targeting top-tier quality with planned 2027 global launch.
• Official Shift Up Store Merchandise Official Shift Up Store selling apparel, accessories, collectibles, and limited-edition merchandise for the Stellar Blade, Goddess of Victory: Nikke, and Destiny Child IPs. Operated as direct-to-consumer e-commerce.

Quantifiable outcome

• Stellar Blade sold 6.1 million copies across platforms (3.7M PS5, 2.4M PC)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Unbound Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Shift Up acquired 100% of Unbound Inc., a Japanese game development studio founded by Shinji Mikami (creator of Resident Evil, Devil May Cry). The acquisition brings world-class PC/console development talent and strengthens Shift Up's global publishing capabilities. Unbound continues developing original IPs while Shift Up handles publishing.
• NieR: Automata (Square Enix)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2025Cross-IP collaboration featuring NieR: Automata DLC content in Stellar Blade PC Complete Edition, bringing characters and content from Square Enix's NieR franchise into Shift Up's game.
• PUBG: Battlegrounds (KRAFTON)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2025Cross-IP collaboration featuring exclusive Eve skin and themed rewards in PUBG: Battlegrounds. Limited-time crossover event to engage player bases across both franchises.
• Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 26 April 2024Sony published Stellar Blade as a PS5 exclusive title. Shift Up was the first Korean developer selected as a Sony second-party partner. Shift Up has since announced transition to self-publishing for Stellar Blade 2.
• POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology)minorOthers · 25 April 2024Academic partnership for talent cultivation. Shift Up signed MOU for Off-Campus program allowing POSTECH students to study at Shift Up while earning credits. Shift Up also pledged 100 million KRW over 5 years for IT convergence department development fund.
• Level InfinitecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 November 2022Level Infinite, a Tencent subsidiary, serves as the global publisher for Goddess of Victory: Nikke on mobile platforms. Handles distribution, marketing, and publishing operations for Nikke in international markets outside Korea.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FromSoftware: Japanese developer of Elden Ring, Armored Core, and Dark Souls. Comparable as a premium AAA action game developer producing console/PC titles with strong critical reception, in a similar stylistic and quality tier as Stellar Blade.
• Krafton: Korean game developer and publisher behind PUBG and inZOI. Comparable as a Korean-listed game developer with strong console/PC franchises and a global publishing footprint, directly competing for AAA talent and player wallet share in similar genres.
• Smilegate: Korean developer of CrossFire and an early Shift Up investor (Smilegate Investment participated in the 2022 round). Comparable as a Korean game developer pursuing both mobile and AAA console/PC directions with global publishing ambitions.
• Capcom: Japanese developer of Resident Evil, Devil May Cry, and Monster Hunter. Comparable as a Japanese AAA console/PC action game developer; notably connected to Shift Up through the Unbound Inc. acquisition led by Shinji Mikami (former Capcom developer).
• HoYoverse (miHoYo): Chinese developer behind Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and Zenless Zone Zero. Highly comparable as a gacha-driven cross-platform game developer producing stylized, anime-style action titles with global appeal, directly competing with Nikke.
• Netmarble: Korean mobile game developer and publisher with franchises including Marvel Future Fight and Lineage 2 Revolution. Comparable as a Korean-listed mobile-first game company with similar gacha business model and anime-style IP focus.
• Pearl Abyss: Korean developer of Black Desert Online and the upcoming Crimson Desert. Comparable as a Korean-listed game studio developing premium console/PC titles with stylized aesthetics and a similar core-market focus on action RPGs.

Broad incumbents

• Nexon: Korean-listed game publisher with global franchises (MapleStory, The First Descendant). Comparable as a Korean game publisher expanding into AAA console/PC and competing in similar gacha and live-service categories.
• NCSOFT: Korean incumbent developer of the Lineage franchise and Throne and Liberty. Comparable as a large Korean-listed game company with MMORPG and live-service expertise, though operating at meaningfully greater scale than Shift Up.

Regional players

• Yostar: Mobile game publisher specializing in anime-style gacha titles (Azur Lane, Arknights publishing in Asia). Comparable as a publisher of stylized gacha games targeting the same Japanese, Korean, and global anime-fan audience that powers Nikke's player base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SHIFTUP_Corp
• Facebookfacebook.com/shiftupcorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shiftup-corporation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors6 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shiftup