Stellar Blade release time – the countdown to the new PS5 action RPG is on

The Stellar Blade release time is barely 24 hours away, so we're firing up the countdown to the new PS5 action RPG so you know when it releases down to the second. 

If you're one of the fans who played the Stellar Blade demo enough to "scare" developer Shift Up, you'll likely know what the opening is all about. If you don't, though, you play as Eve, a 7th Airborne Squad member who is off to Earth to aid in reclaiming it from a foe called the Naytiba. You'll start with a tutorial before hitting some enemies until you reach a boss. The good news, though, is that you won't have to repeat that if you've played the demo as save progress carries over. 

The opening sets the tone for the rest of the hack-and-slash adventure. The developer behind the game hasn't been shy about calling out gameplay inspirations like Nier Automata or how Yukito Kishiro's manga Gunnm helps inform the '80s and '90s sci-fi aesthetic. The core theme, however, was inspired by a real-life taxi driver strike that left an impression on the RPG's director.

If that's not piqued your interest, then maybe Nier's Yoko Taro saying Stellar Blade is "much better" than Automata might – he's apparently "quite jealous." Either way, all you have to do is read on to find out the Stellar Blade release time.

Stellar Blade release time

• 9pm PT
• 12am ET (April 26)
• 12am BST (April 26)
• 1am CEST (April 26)

The Stellar Blade release time differs depending on where you are in the world. If you're in America, the action RPG will be available on the US PlayStation store at 9pm PT on April 25 and midnight ET. If you're in the UK or Europe, though, that'll be 12am BST or 1am CEST on April 26. 

While some games release at the same time regardless of where you live in the world, PlayStation games typically work around a midnight launch in their regional stores. 

Stellar Blade US countdown

Stellar Blade UK and Europe countdown

Stellar Blade director "grew up too poor to afford" a PS1, but when he finally got one in college, Ridge Racer and Final Fantasy inspired him to make games.