Stellar Blade Studio Shift Up Gifts Staff Yet Another Big Bonus, This Time an Apple Watch, AirPods Max, and a $3,400 Cash Bonus

Stellar Blade studio Shift Up has once again given bonuses and gifts worth around $4,000 to its entire team.

According to the South Economic Daily, the South Korean studio gifted each of its 300-ish staff a pair of Apple AirPods Max, an Apple Watch, and a cash bonus of around $3,400.

The studio has previously said that it provides these bonuses to retain and encourage existing talent at the company (thanks, VGC).

This isn't the first time Shift Up has lavished gifts upon its staff, either. This time last year, the studio gifted all staff a PS5 Pro as well as a cash bonus of 5 million won, which is also around $3,400. Staff also secured a Nintendo Switch 2 each in June when Stellar Blade hit the 3 million copies sold milestone. In 2024, staff were given pre-paid credit cards worth around $6,800, and in 2023, staff were given iPhone 14s, among other bonuses.

The CEO of Shift Up recently received the Presidential Commendation at this year's Korean Content Awards for his work in the games industry. Hyung-tae Kim was recognized for his contribution to the Korean games industry with the games Goddess of Victory: Nikke and Stellar Blade.

"This Presidential Citation is thanks to the developers and fans who believed in and supported Shift Up," Kim said at the time. "We will continue to do our best to further promote the competitiveness of Korean games on the global stage."

Don't forget that a sequel, Stellar Blade 2, is also on the way. Shift Up is also working on Project Spirits, to be published by Level Infinite.

Vikki Blake is a reporter for IGN, as well as a critic, columnist, and consultant with 15+ years experience working with some of the world's biggest gaming sites and publications. She's also a Guardian, Spartan, Silent Hillian, Legend, and perpetually High Chaos. Find her at BlueSky.