Five grand and a PS5 Pro? That's how you thank your devs. South Korean studio Shift Up just showed the gaming industry how it's done, dropping some seriously generous rewards on their entire team during their first company ceremony in Seoul.
The story gets even better when you realize what these devs pulled off. If you've been living under a rock, Shift Up is the crew behind Stellar Blade - you know, that slick action game that's been turning heads on PS5.Shift Up released their mobile game Goddess of Victory: Nike in 2022, followed by the PS5 title Stellar Blade in 2023. The studio moved from mobile development into console gaming, expanding their development capabilities.
During their "Shift Up Rise Up" event at Seoul's JW Marriott Gangnam, the company didn't just pat themselves on the back - they went all in on their team. Every single employee walked away with a PS5 Pro and a cool 5 million won bonus (that's about $5,000). When's the last time you heard of a game studio doing something like that for their whole crew?
The timing is pretty perfect too. Stellar Blade is killing it as a PS5 exclusive, standing shoulder to shoulder with Black Myth: Wukong as one of the biggest Asian third-party hits on the platform. Word is they're cooking up a PC version too, though they're keeping quiet about any sequel plans.
Shift Up was founded by illustrator Kim Hyung-tae and has expanded to 311 employees as of late 2023. The studio's growth parallels their development transition from mobile to console games. In January 2024, many gaming studios are announcing staff reductions. Shift Up took a different approach. Beyond the immediate benefit of a PS5 Pro and $5,000 bonus for each employee, this move reflects strong financial health - particularly notable for a studio with 311 team members. Maybe that's the secret sauce behind their rapid rise in the gaming world.
For those keeping score at home, this is what building a positive gaming industry culture looks like. When a studio's success translates directly to the team's reward, everybody wins. Now we just have to wait and see what this motivated crew comes up with next.
