Stellar Blade Gets Nier: Automata DLC Next Week

Stellar Blade gets its highly anticipated Nier: Automata downloadable content on November 20 as part of a larger update that also includes a photo mode.

A PlayStation Blog post from Stellar Blade developer Shift Up said "Nier: Automata significantly inspired Stellar Blade" and the DLC is "marked by mutual respect and creativity" between the games' directors: Yoko Taro and Kim Hyung Tae respectively.

A handful of screenshots showed Nier: Automata protagonist 2B in the world of Stellar Blade alongside the iconic but bizarre Emil. "Emil’s Shop makes a surprise appearance in the world of Stellar Blade where 11 different collaboration-special items will be available," the post said. "Items that intertwine the best of both games, leading you to a more enriched world."

Also coming in the November 20 update is the aforementioned photo mode, which lets players pose the characters of Stellar Blade and dress them in different clothes to capture the perfect snap. Four new costumes and one new accessory (the Symbol of Legacy) are also coming in the update, alongside the ability to remove Eve's ponytail altogether.

On the audio front, players can soon choose what song to listen to from the camp turntable and lip-sync support for French, Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese, is also coming.

As well as Nier: Automata, action game Stellar Blade drew inspiration from Alita: Battle Angel, 80s and 90s science fiction, and a taxi driver strike according to director Hyung Tae. Its already enjoyed a handful of other post-launch updates too, including one which added a boss challenge and new outfits.

In our 7/10 review, IGN said: "Stellar Blade is great in all of the most important ways for an action game, but dull characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating elements of its role playing game mechanics prevent it from soaring along with the best of the genre."

In July, Shift Up raised 435 billion won ($320 million) in its first day of trade after an initial public offering. According to Bloomberg, that was the largest in the country for a gaming company since 2021, when PUBG maker Krafton Inc. raised $3.8 billion from its own IPO.

The company’s success came off the back of the launch of PS5 exclusive Stellar Blade, which has sold more than one million copies and may spawn a sequel as well as a PC version, and its popular mobile game, Goddess of Victory: Nikke.

Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelance reporter. He'll talk about The Witcher all day.