Hannan Mundia 
With the announcement that Stellar Blade will have a Nier: Automata DLC, fans are wondering if it’s set to be free. Unfortunately, fans will likely have to pull out their wallets.
Stellar Blade was one of the many surprise hits of 2024. In a year where games like Palworld and Black Myth: Wukong broke records, Stellar Blade made more than a name for itself. The eye-catching protagonist coupled with the fast-paced character action game combat had many fans hooked with just the demo.
However, Stellar Blade is often compared to the Nier series, particularly with the most popular game of the series; Nier: Automata. Well, fans aren’t the only ones who made the connection, as the September 24, 2024 State of Play livestream revealed that Stellar Blade and Nier: Automata are collaborating. However, fans wonder if they’ll have to pay anything extra.
Will the Stellar Blade’s Nier: Automata DLC be free?
Statements from Shift Up CEO Kim Hyeong-tae suggest the Stellar Blade x Nier: Automata DLC will be a paid DLC.
When asked whether Stellar Blade would have paid DLC, Shift Up CEO Kim Hyeong-tae stated it wasn’t decided. Hyeong-tae went on to state that the team wants players to get the entire game with a single purchase without any microtransactions or hidden payments. However, something else the CEO said may be a big telling point for the upcoming DLC’s price.
“The only exception is if we create collaboration costumes with another company’s IP, those may be sold for a fee,” Kim said.
While unconfirmed, this suggests the upcoming Nier: Automata and Stellar Blade DLC will require players to pay for it.
The initial collaboration reveal trailer didn’t give much information about what fans can expect. Eve will likely get one or more 2B skins, and Shift Up may add some story elements to add more value to the DLC.
Stellar Blade came out on April 26, 2024, and Shift Up reportedly didn’t have plans for a paid expansion around that time. The collab with Nier: Automata isn’t the only addition being made to the game, though.
What else is coming to Stellar Blade?
In addition to the Nier: Automata collaboration, Stellar Blade is bringing a new photo mode filled with various poses, expressions, and filters.
Much of Stellar Blade’s success is thanks to the many in-game screenshots fans share on social media. Adding a photo mode to the game will likely allow players to have more fun with the characters and the many poses and expressions.
It’s unknown if the photo mode update will hit Stellar Blade alongside the Nier: Automata DLC. The initial reveal trailer didn’t give fans any release date, and it’s unknown if photo mode will be part of a free update.
