The Weeknd Visits SHIFT UP and Plays Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN
A record-holding artist walking the studio floor and playing the unfinished sequel is the kind of pre-release detail that reads as preparation for a collaboration, even though SHIFT UP has confirmed only the visit and the play session.
Reporting from 1 source: Game Spark.
The Weeknd posted photos of a visit to SHIFT UP, the studio behind Stellar Blade, including a shot with CEO Kim Hyung-tae and one taken in what appears to be a scanning facility. According to the Korean outlet NEWSIS, SHIFT UP said he played the in-development Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN. The studio has not said whether he was scanned or whether any data will be used in the game.
SHIFT UP has confirmed only two things: The Weeknd toured the studio and played the in-development Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN. The photo of him standing among cameras and lights is the part left unexplained.
BLOOD RAIN was announced in June 2026 as a sequel to Stellar Blade, with a new protagonist and a story set after the previous game. The Weeknd's post credited Kim Hyung-tae by name and thanked the studio for the welcome. He has worked with Japanese game and anime material before: a video collaboration with NieR: Automata and Neon Genesis Evangelion ran at his Japan performance in September.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.