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 awarded its entire team bonuses and gifts totaling approximately $4,000 per person.

According to the South Economic Daily, the South Korean studio presented each of its roughly 300 employees with a pair of Apple AirPods Max, an Apple Watch, and a cash bonus of around $3,400.

The studio has previously stated that these bonuses are intended to retain and motivate its current talent (thanks, VGC).

This isn’t the first time Shift Up has treated its staff to generous gifts. Last year, the studio gave every employee a PS5 Pro along with a 5 million won cash bonus—also around $3,400. In June, when Stellar Blade reached 3 million units sold, staff each received a Nintendo Switch 2. In 2024, employees were gifted pre-paid credit cards worth roughly $6,800, and in 2023, they received iPhone 14s among other rewards.

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 honored for his contributions to Korea’s gaming sector through titles like 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 developing Project Spirits, set to be published by Level Infinite.