Shift Up finally did it. After months of teasing and a director who basically wears his fandom on his sleeve, the Stellar Blade Nier Automata DLC arrived to bridge the gap between two of the most visually striking action games of the last decade. It isn't just a skin pack. Well, it is largely cosmetic, but the vibe shift is real.
You’ve probably seen the screenshots. Eve running around in 2B’s iconic black dress. It looks right. There’s a reason for that. Kim Hyung-tae, the director of Stellar Blade, has been vocal about how much Yoko Taro’s masterpiece influenced his own vision. When you play Stellar Blade, you can feel the DNA of Nier: Automata in the desolate ruins, the haunting score, and the "humanity is gone but we’re still fighting for it" aesthetic. This collaboration isn't a corporate cash grab; it's a victory lap for two developers who respect the hell out of each other.
What’s Actually in the Stellar Blade Nier Automata DLC?
Let’s get the brass tacks out of the way. If you’re looking for a 10-hour expansion with new boss fights and a branching narrative where Eve meets 2B in the flesh, you’re going to be disappointed. This is a crossover focused on aesthetic integration. Emil, the weirdly charming skeletal head on wheels from Nier, shows up as a shopkeeper. He wanders the wasteland. You find him, you buy the gear. It’s simple.
The meat of the content consists of 11 different collaboration items. The stars of the show are the outfits. You get the iconic YoRHa uniforms—specifically the 2B and A2 looks—for Eve. But it doesn’t stop there. Adam and Eve (the Nier versions, not the biblical ones) get a nod, too. Even the Drone gets a skin to make it look like a Pod.
The Aesthetic Overhaul
The coolest part isn’t just the clothes. It’s the Photo Mode. Released alongside the Stellar Blade Nier Automata DLC, the new photo mode gave players the tools to actually capture the melancholy of the Nier universe within the high-fidelity world of Stellar Blade. You can change Eve’s poses, fiddle with the lighting, and apply filters that mimic the desaturated, sepia-toned look of the City Ruins from Automata.
Honestly, the level of detail on the 2B outfit is slightly ridiculous. Shift Up used their high-end physics engine to make sure the fabric moved correctly. In the original Nier: Automata, 2B’s skirt had its own logic. Here, it reacts to Eve’s acrobatic combat style in a way that feels incredibly fluid. It’s a weirdly specific thing to notice, but for fans of the source material, it’s these tiny touches that make the $10 or so feel worth it.
Why Everyone Kept Comparing These Games Anyway
Before the DLC was even a rumor, people called Stellar Blade "Nier: Automata at home." That was unfair. Stellar Blade has its own identity, particularly in its parry-heavy combat that leans closer to Sekiro than Nier’s bullet-hell-slasher hybrid. However, the thematic parallels are impossible to ignore.
- The Post-Apocalyptic Earth: Both games feature a ruined world where nature has reclaimed skyscrapers.
- The Android Dilemma: Both protagonists are artificial beings fighting for a "humanity" that feels more like a myth than a reality.
- The Music: Keiichi Okabe’s influence on the Stellar Blade soundtrack is massive. Several tracks in Stellar Blade feature that same ethereal, vocal-heavy melancholy that made the Nier OST a legendary piece of art.
The Stellar Blade Nier Automata DLC basically just admits the connection out loud. It’s the developers saying, "Yeah, we know. We love it too."
Addressing the "Fanservice" Elephant in the Room
We have to talk about it. Both games are famous—or infamous, depending on who you ask—for their character designs. Yoko Taro famously said he just likes women, and Kim Hyung-tae has a legendary background as a character illustrator known for exaggerated, stylized anatomy.
When the DLC dropped, the internet did exactly what you’d expect. But beyond the thirst traps, there’s a genuine mechanical appreciation here. Playing through Stellar Blade as "2B" feels like a strange fever dream. You’re using Eve’s brutal, weightier combat animations while wearing the skin of a character known for floaty, dance-like movement. It creates this weird cognitive dissonance that actually makes a second or third playthrough feel fresh.
Is it worth the price?
Most DLC crossovers like this are free updates. This one isn't. You have to pay for the "Emil’s Shop" access. Is it worth $9.99? If you’re a Nier die-hard, yes. If you just want more gameplay, maybe not. It doesn’t add new areas. It doesn't add new enemies. It adds soul. It turns the Eidos 7 ruins into a playground for Nier nostalgia.
The Technical Side: Photo Mode and Quality of Life
The update that brought the Stellar Blade Nier Automata DLC also fixed some nagging issues. It added lip-syncing for more languages, improved the physics on certain outfits, and most importantly, gave us a robust Photo Mode.
I’ve spent more time in the photo mode than I care to admit. The ability to pause Eve mid-air during a Beta Skill and adjust the camera to catch the sparks flying off her blade is satisfying. When you layer the Nier outfits on top of that, you’re basically making your own fan art. Shift Up also added more "regular" outfits in the same patch, including some that you can earn just by playing, so even if you don't buy the Nier pack, the update offers something.
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How to Get the Nier Outfits in Stellar Blade
You can't just boot up the game and have them in your inventory. You have to work for it. Sorta.
- Find Emil’s Shop: You need to locate the wandering Emil shop in the open-world areas like the Wasteland or the Great Desert.
- Earn/Spend Currency: You’ll need in-game materials to trade for the specific collaboration items.
- The Tears of the Moon: There’s a specific quest vibe here. You’re looking for items that reference the "Lunar Tear" flowers from Nier.
It's a nice way to integrate the DLC into the world rather than just having it be a menu toggle. It makes the world feel slightly more interconnected.
The Verdict on the Crossover
The Stellar Blade Nier Automata DLC is a love letter. It’s not a revolution. It’s a bridge between two studios that share a similar philosophy on game design: make it beautiful, make it sad, and make it play like a dream.
If you’ve already beaten the game and were looking for a reason to go back, this is it. Seeing the "YoRHa" logo in the Stellar Blade UI is a trip. It reminds us that gaming doesn't always have to be about "content drops" and "live service roadmaps." Sometimes, it can just be two cool things coming together because the creators thought it would look awesome.
Next Steps for Players:
To get the most out of this, don't just buy the DLC and stand in Xion. Head back to the Flooded Commercial Sector in Eidos 7 with the 2B outfit equipped. The lighting there, combined with the rain and the abandoned architecture, perfectly captures the Nier atmosphere. Open up the new Photo Mode, crank the "Grain" filter up slightly, and use the "Vintage" color grading. You'll end up with shots that look exactly like they were pulled from the 2017 classic. Once you've cleared out the shop, make sure to check your "Collection" tab to ensure all 11 items are registered, as some players have missed the smaller accessories like the earrings.