Stellar Blade is coming to Switch 2 on November 5, and it’s being released both digitally and physically. Even with the furor over game-key cards dying down while collectors point their anger toward Sony’s efforts to end physical games altogether, Shift Up has committed to ensuring that Stellar Blade will offer a complete experience on the cartridge.
Shift Up details what to expect from the Switch 2 version of Stellar Blade: Complete Edition in a new blog post. The package will include all previously released DLC and update content, alongside some minor Complete Edition specific bonuses, which have already appeared on other platforms. The November 5 launch will include four Bayonetta-themed costumes for Eve, which will also come to PC and PS5 in a free update on the same day.
“We also understand the importance of physical media,” the devs add, “and so we have made sure that Stellar Blade is 100% on cartridge!” A graphic breaking down the contents of the game even specifies that it’s a “32GB game card,” which is apparently big enough to hold the game in full. Hopefully that means all the DLC is on the cart, too.
In 2024, Stellar Blade launched on a PS5 disc that also contained a completely playable build, but physical releases on Switch 2 are a whole different ballgame. Rumors have long suggested that the cartridges are substantially more expensive to produce than discs, and that they might not load data fast enough for some games, particularly open-world titles.
But those issues weren’t enough to dissuade Shift Up from grabbing the PR win that comes with making sure Stellar Blade hits Switch 2 on a proper cartridge. Now if only the studio would realize the effects its AI use is having on fan goodwill…