The studio behind Stellar Blade just secured a powerhouse partnership that has fans buzzing with excitement. SHIFT UP’s mysterious next project, now officially known as Project Spirits, is getting the full support treatment from Tencent’s Level Infinite publishing arm, and this collaboration might be even bigger than anyone expected.
Tencent joins forces with Stellar Blade creators
Fresh off the success of Stellar Blade, SHIFT UP revealed this week that their upcoming multi-platform title won’t be going it alone. The South Korean developer announced a comprehensive partnership with Tencent that goes beyond simple distribution. Level Infinite will handle publishing duties while Tencent’s Yongxing Interactive studio will actively contribute to the game’s development alongside SHIFT UP’s core team.
For those keeping track, Project Spirits was previously teased as “Project Witches” last year. The game is designed to launch across consoles, PC, and mobile platforms, and it’s being built on Unreal Engine 5, which means we can expect some seriously impressive visuals if Stellar Blade was any indication of what this studio can pull off.
A proven partnership returns
Here’s the thing that makes this announcement particularly interesting: this isn’t SHIFT UP and Tencent’s first rodeo together. The two companies previously collaborated on GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE, the mobile shooter that launched back in November 2022 and has been crushing it ever since. NIKKE has remained incredibly popular for nearly three years, pulling off major crossovers with franchises like Resident Evil, NieR: Automata, Evangelion, Chainsaw Man, and Re:Zero.
According to the official statement, both companies are aiming for “even greater synergy” with Project Spirits than they achieved with NIKKE. That’s a bold claim considering how successful NIKKE continues to be, but it suggests SHIFT UP is happy with the creative freedom Tencent has given them in the past.
The track record speaks for itself. SHIFT UP clearly feels comfortable enough with this partnership to dive in for round two, and considering how well Stellar Blade was received by players earlier this year, the studio has momentum on its side.
What this means for Project Spirits
While specific gameplay details remain under wraps since the project is still in early development, the combination of SHIFT UP’s proven design chops and Tencent’s massive distribution network could be a winning formula. The multi-platform approach also means more players will get access to whatever SHIFT UP is cooking up, whether they prefer gaming on console, PC, or mobile.
The fact that Tencent is investing not just money but actual development resources through Yongxing Interactive suggests they see serious potential in this project. For fans who’ve been following SHIFT UP’s journey from NIKKE to Stellar Blade, Project Spirits represents the studio’s continued evolution and ambition in the gaming space.
With Unreal Engine 5 powering the experience and lessons learned from two successful releases, Project Spirits is shaping up to be something special. Now we just have to wait for SHIFT UP to reveal more details about what exactly this game will be.
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