Stellar Blade Fans Upset Over Missing Costume Code in Nikke DLC Unless Buying Complete Edition

Image: Scarlet Racer’s High costume for Stellar Blade x Goddess of Victory: Nikke DLC/Shift Up

PS5 Players who already own the Stellar Blade base game and plan to purchase the Nikke DLC separately are discovering that they will not receive the special Scarlet Racer’s High costume CD-Key for Goddess of Victory: Nikke—unless they buy the newly released "Stellar Blade Complete Edition." This decision has sparked frustration among long-time fans who feel they are being treated unfairly.

The CD-Key for the Scarlet costume is exclusively included with the Stellar Blade Complete Edition, which is available on both PS5 and PC. The key can be redeemed in Nikke until December 12, 2025, but it will only be given to players who buy the Complete Edition before November 12, 2025. Those who already own the base game and purchase the Nikke DLC separately will not receive the code, contrary to what some fans previously expected.

According to reports and community posts, this situation has disappointed many players, especially early adopters on PS5 who supported the game from the beginning. "Pretty bad way to treat the people who helped lift the game off the ground up until now. Early adopters should be getting more benefits, not less," one user wrote.

Several fans have pointed out that the Complete Edition feels like a repackage of content they already own—now priced at $80 USD or more, depending on the region. "Shift Up is greedy as hell, man, what a ridiculous thing to do," another user added.

Today, Hyung-Tae Kim, the director of Stellar Blade, addressed the situation in a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter). He explained that offering cross-game rewards was a challenge because Stellar Blade and Nikke are developed and managed by different teams with separate business models. He admitted to falling short in making this system work fairly, saying, “I sincerely apologize for the disappointment this has caused to the PS community.”

"First, the bonus skin code for the mobile game GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE comes with the purchase of the "Complete Edition." You can also unlock this costume through in-game purchases in the GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE. (The CD-Key refers to the bonus skin code)"

Hyung-Tae Kim then explained the situation:

"We’ve poured our hearts into delivering as much content as possible to every one of you. However, bridging the gap between two games on mobile and console platforms, each run by different teams and business entities, to offer rewards of equal value has been an incredibly tough challenge for us. To be completely honest, I fell short in my ability and judgment. I sincerely apologize for the disappointment this has caused to the PS community."

There is no upgrade path for existing Stellar Blade owners to get the costume CD-Key without repurchasing the full edition. The Complete Edition includes previously released DLCs like NieR: Automata and Nikke, 25 new outfits, a new boss fight (Mann), and various other updates. The edition appears targeted mainly at new players, especially on PC, as the game officially launches on the platform with added features.

Despite the backlash, there may still be hope. Kim has said that Shift Up is “exploring possible solutions” for existing players and will try to ensure player satisfaction. While no confirmed fix is available yet, many fans are hoping for an update or alternate method.

For more updates on this situation, players can follow Stellar Blade’s official X page.