Recent reports suggesting that modders uncovered a hidden multiplayer mode in *Stellar Blade* are proving to be somewhat misleading, according to the player who originally shared a split-screen gameplay video that quickly gained traction on social media.
Overnight, numerous reports emerged claiming that developer Shift Up had embedded a dormant multiplayer mode within the game. However, the modder behind the viral clip, known as PhantomSomnus, has clarified that this is not accurate.
"I woke up to everyone reposting clips I shared in a Discord server completely out of context. I intentionally didn’t post these on Twitter for a reason," PhantomSomnus wrote on X. They further explained that "the split-screen functionality is built into the Unreal Engine — Shift Up did not implement it."
This clarification reveals how PhantomSomnus was able to spawn a second Eve character in-game. The two-player split-screen seen in the footage wasn't part of an official or hidden co-op feature by Shift Up, but rather a result of leveraging local multiplayer capabilities native to Unreal Engine. "The reason I set up split-screen was just to test if any of it would work — but as you can see, I failed," PhantomSomnus added in a follow-up Reddit post.
> O modder @phantomSomnus encontrou nos arquivos de Stellar Blade referências a multiplayer.
> E neste vídeo, com uma 2ª Eve spawnada, a tela surpresamente se divide em duas, como se o jogo estivesse preparado para um modo co-op local (dois controles)
#StellarBlade #StellarBladePC https://t.co/QIeiu5lKSI
pic.twitter.com/rp7oudcnV2> — Stellar Blade Brasil (@StellarBladeBR) June 1, 2025
PhantomSomnus acknowledged that there are indeed traces of multiplayer elements within the game’s code. “There ARE signs of multiplayer in the game,” they said, “but they're online only.” In a previous post, they shared a screenshot showing what they uncovered while exploring the demo's backend. Although the so-called “old scrapped/unused multiplayer PVP mode” no longer functions, PhantomSomnus noted that "some leftover menus remain."
As for the possibility of future multiplayer updates or mods for *Stellar Blade*, PhantomSomnus remains skeptical. “Very unlikely,” they concluded.
The PC version of *Stellar Blade* will launch via Steam on June 11 and brings a variety of enhancements tailored for PC gamers. These include AI upscaling support through Nvidia DLSS 4 and AMD FSR 3, an unlocked framerate, Japanese and Chinese voiceover options, ultrawide display compatibility, improved environment textures, and DualSense controller support for enhanced haptic and trigger feedback.
The title was initially region locked in over 100 countries, but is now available for pre-order on PC across “more than 250 regions.”
IGN’s *Stellar Blade* review awarded the game a score of 7/10, noting: “*Stellar Blade* excels in all the key aspects of an action game, but flat characters, a lackluster story, and several frustrating RPG mechanics prevent it from reaching the heights of the genre’s best titles.”
