It’s raining blood, hallelujah.
Among a multitude of announcements at Summer Games Fest 2026, Shift Up revealed the follow-up to its success, Starblade. The sequel, which we now know is called Star Blade: Rain of Bloodwould be in the same universe as the first game in the series. Shift Up claims it will take this world in a “bold new direction.” Rain of blood will also feature a new protagonist named Evie, a clear homage to Eve from the original title.
The original Starblade was generally well received, earning a score of 81 on Metacritic for its combination of stylish visuals and fluid combat. Rain of blood looks to build on those strengths, and the lengthy trailer shown at the reveal features a mix of extremely glossy cutscenes and flashy fight sequences punctuated by earth-shattering hero landings that Deadpool would balk at (very hard on the knees). As befits its title, Rain of bloodEnemy designs seem aptly body horror themed. They’re noticeably different from the seemingly Souls-inspired villains of the first title, and the trailer shows their transformation from human to video game monsters in gory detail. However, no trace of this blood can be seen on our incredibly shiny and uncomfortably shapely protagonist, clad in a skin suit.
Shift Up will self-publish the title, a radical departure from its previous release through Sony Interactive Entertainment for the first time. Starblade. The move comes after some players balked at a PlayStation exclusivity window for this game before its PC launch, and amid a renewed focus on exclusives at Sony that will see titles held back on PC.
