- Shift Up saw an astounding growth of 25% in just the last three months.
- The studio is aggressively hiring new talent as the development of the Stellar Blade sequel ramps up.
- It is also working on multiple other announced and unannounced franchises at the moment.
A majority of established AAA studios have been shedding their headcount and laying off hundreds of developers, but Shift Up is among those few anomalies that are seeing steady growth in headcount and sales, thanks to the success of its new Stellar Blade franchise.
The company has been aggressively hiring new talent since late 2025 for the Stellar Blade sequel and other projects, and the last three months have been no different. The studio confirms its headcount rose by a staggering 24.5% in Q2 2026.
Why it matters: Shift Up is slowly becoming one of the most influential gaming studios in the industry as Western AAA studios continue to decline. The company has rigorously increased its headcount to deliver its new projects within a reasonable time frame.
According to Shift Up’s Q2 2026 earnings report, the studio’s total headcount went from 355 to a staggering 442 in the last three months alone. The company hired 87 new employees in total, making it a 31.9% YoY increase.
Additionally, 387 of the total headcount consist of developers, while the remaining 55 are administrators and executives in the studio. Shift Up has grown by nearly 50% in the last two quarters due to this aggressive hiring cycle.
The company previously confirmed that the development of the Stellar Blade sequel was moving smoothly, albeit at a slow pace. So, an increase in headcount would ensure that development ramps up.
The Q2 2026 report also confirms that multiple unannounced IPs are in the works that can leverage Shift Up’s strengths. So, the new headcount is also meant to compensate for its growing lineup.
we are developing additional new IPs […] that can leverage SHIFT UP’s strengths. […] This recruitment is likewise aimed at building our next growth lineup.
Besides Stellar Blade Blood Rain and unannounced IPs, the studio is also working on Project Spirits, a turn-based game targeting a multiplatform launch.
Do you think Stellar Blade Blood Rain will surpass the standards set by the first entry in the franchise? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, or join the discussion on the Tech4Gamers forum.
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Shameer Sarfaraz has previously worked for eXputer as a Senior News Writer for several years. Now with Tech4Gamers, he loves to devoutly keep up with the latest gaming and entertainment industries. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.
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