Stellar Blade demo gets actual release date after leaking early

Beat it and carry your progress into the full game.

Stellar Blade Eve fighting alien monster
Image via Sony

Almost three weeks after it accidentally launched on the PlayStation Store, the demo for Stellar Blade will become available again on Friday, March 29.

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On March 9, many PlayStation owners were able to quickly download and play through the Stellar Blade demo, with some even recording footage to share online so others could see its action gameplay—although the conversation was dominated by fans obsessing over protagonist Eve’s butt and her eye-catching skin suit. Unsurprisingly, Sony quickly delisted the demo, and also rendered it unplayable for anyone who managed to download it.

Eve in Stellar Blade
The demo’s initial launch already won itself some fans. Image via Shift Up Second EVE Studio

It was inevitable Sony and developer Shift Up would release the demo again in a more official capacity, especially with Stellar Blade scheduled to launch next month on April 26. Now, the PlayStation Blog has confirmed everyone can finally try the demo for themselves on March 29, specifically at 9am CT. It’s a fairly expansive demo too, by the sounds of it, that covers the first stage of the game. This includes a combat tutorial and Stellar Blade‘s first boss fight.

Completing the demo will let you transfer your progress to the full game, but director Kim Hyung Tae also teased “a little surprise” for doing so. My guess is an exclusive cosmetic for Eve or something similar. In addition, the demo will include a wide spread of language options, both for written text and voice overs, all of which will feature in the full game too.

Although it’s not a first-party Sony title, Stellar Blade is slated as one of the PlayStation 5’s main exclusives of 2024, alongside Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin, Arrowhead Game Studios’ Helldivers 2, and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. An action-adventure hack and slash title, Stellar Blade centers around Eve and her mission to reclaim Earth for humanity from a race of alien invaders.

Author
Image of Michael Beckwith
Michael Beckwith
Staff writer at Dot Esports covering all kinds of gaming news. A graduate in Computer Games Design and Creative Writing from Brunel University who's been writing about games since 2014. Nintendo fan and Sonic the Hedgehog apologist. Knows a worrying amount of Kingdom Hearts lore. Has previously written for Metro, TechRadar, and Game Rant.