{"rewrite":{"id":"r_a5a4763359efac7c213c95c8","clusterId":"c_39c0e956cac2911017de0b75","slug":"the-weeknd-visits-shift-up-and-plays-stellar-blade-blood-rain","model":"deepseek-v4-1-flash","headline":"The Weeknd Visits SHIFT UP and Plays Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN","summary":"The Weeknd posted photos of a visit to SHIFT UP, the studio behind Stellar Blade, including a shot with CEO Kim Hyung-tae and one taken in what appears to be a scanning facility. According to the Korean outlet NEWSIS, SHIFT UP said he played the in-development Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN. The studio has not said whether he was scanned or whether any data will be used in the game.","whyItMatters":"A record-holding artist walking the studio floor and playing the unfinished sequel is the kind of pre-release detail that reads as preparation for a collaboration, even though SHIFT UP has confirmed only the visit and the play session.","webCardHtml":"\u003cp\u003eSHIFT UP has confirmed only two things: The Weeknd toured the studio and played the in-development Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN. The photo of him standing among cameras and lights is the part left unexplained.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBLOOD RAIN was announced in June 2026 as a sequel to Stellar Blade, with a new protagonist and a story set after the previous game. The Weeknd\u0026#39;s post credited Kim Hyung-tae by name and thanked the studio for the welcome. He has worked with Japanese game and anime material before: a video collaboration with NieR: Automata and Neon Genesis Evangelion ran at his Japan performance in September.\u003c/p\u003e","blueskyPost":"The Weeknd's SHIFT UP visit included a stop in what looks like a scanning facility, and the studio has not said whether his likeness or data ends up in Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN.","twitterPost":"The Weeknd posed with SHIFT UP's CEO in what looks like a scanning facility, but the studio won't say if he is in Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN.","threadsPost":"The Weeknd's SHIFT UP visit included a photo in what appears to be a scanning facility, yet the studio has not said whether he was scanned or whether any of that data goes into Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN. A photo op and a character appearance are different things.","newsletterBlurb":"The Weeknd toured SHIFT UP and posted a photo with CEO Kim Hyung-tae, plus one from what appears to be a scanning facility. NEWSIS reports the studio said he played the in-development Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN. Whether the visit leads to an appearance or a song is not known.","attributionJson":"[{\"source\":\"Game Spark\",\"url\":\"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/08/173336.html\",\"title\":\"The Weeknd Visits SHIFT UP! What Business Does the Guinness World Record-Holding Artist Have... Could He Appear in 'Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN'?\"}]","lintFlagsJson":null,"lintHits":0,"costUsd":0,"inputTokens":4699,"outputTokens":632,"status":"published","repairAttempts":0,"nextRepairAt":null,"factsAttemptedAt":1791440533,"createdAt":"2026-10-08T06:17:34.000Z","publishedAt":"2026-10-08T06:21:08.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-08T06:21:08.000Z"},"cluster":{"id":"c_39c0e956cac2911017de0b75","canonicalTitle":"The Weeknd、SHIFT UPを訪問！ギネス世界記録持つアーティストの用事は…『Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN』への登場もあるかも？","representativeArticleId":"a_aa5e54a93bfc7fd9d2c3762c","sourceCount":1,"writtenSourceCount":1,"writeAttempts":0,"isSolo":true,"entitiesJson":"{\"anime_titles\":[],\"manga_titles\":[],\"work_titles\":[\"Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN\"],\"studios\":[\"SHIFT UP\"],\"people\":[\"The Weeknd\"],\"type\":\"news\",\"domain\":\"games\",\"is_roundup\":false}","contentType":"news","status":"published","firstSeenAt":"2026-10-08T04:56:16.000Z","lastSeenAt":"2026-10-08T04:56:16.000Z","updatedAt":"2026-10-08T06:21:07.000Z"},"attribution":[{"source":"Game Spark","url":"http://www.gamespark.jp/article/2026/10/08/173336.html","title":"The Weeknd、SHIFT UPを訪問！ギネス世界記録持つアーティストの用事は…『Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN』への登場もあるかも？"}],"entities":{"anime_titles":[],"manga_titles":[],"work_titles":["Stellar Blade: BLOOD RAIN"],"studios":["SHIFT UP"],"people":["The Weeknd"],"type":"news","domain":"games","is_roundup":false},"keyFacts":null}