Granblue Fantasy: Relink vs Stellar Blade
Relink keeps a live endgame grind running with frequent patches, while Stellar Blade trades that for a tighter, offline parry campaign.
Updated 11d ago
The Endless Ragnarok expansion punches above its weight, finally giving lapsed players a concrete reason to return to the grind.
Nails Sekiro-tier parry combat in third-person — the June 2025 PC port hits 70+ FPS at native 4K and runs at 60 on handhelds.
By the numbers
Prices checked Sep 10; they move faster than we refresh, so confirm on the store page.
Recent-review figures are Steam's own last-30-days window, read Sep 10.
| Measure | Granblue Fantasy: Relink | Stellar Blade |
|---|---|---|
| Value Too close to call | ||
| Price now | $35.99 −10% · PlanetPlay | $43.99 −27% · GameBillet |
| All-time low | $21.12 | $35.40 |
| Cost / hour | $2.31/hr $35.99 · 16 h main story | $1.94/hr $43.99 · 23 h main story |
| Off its low | +70% low was Nov 2025 | +24% low was Jun 2026 |
| Main story | 16 h | 23 h |
| Health Stellar Blade wins on player health | ||
| Steam reviews | 90% 56k reviews | 94% 94k reviews |
| Recent reviews | 81% 407 votes · vs 90% lifetime · souring | 88% 927 votes · vs 94% lifetime · souring |
| Peak players | 30,322 Aug 2026 · ↓ 66% MoM | 5,501 Aug 2026 · ↓ 59% MoM |
| Launch peak | 27% of Feb 2024 launch peak · as of Aug 2026 | — |
| All-time peak | 113,179 Feb 2024 | 130,770 Jun 2025 · now at 4% |
| Support | ||
| Last patch | 6 days ago | 12 months ago |
| Patch cadence | 6 in last 90 days | 0 in last 90 days |
| Steam Deck | Platinum | Platinum |
Shared scale — same months across the bottom, same player-count axis up the side, so the two lines are directly comparable. A shorter line means a younger game.
What players say
Patterns from long-haul reviewers, taken from each game's verdict. Not live sentiment — each side is dated below.
Granblue Fantasy: Relink
The deep, combo-heavy combat system and rewarding boss fights keep players engaged well past the 100-hour mark.
The endgame grind for rare materials and gear can feel endless, even with the new content adding more to chase.
from our August 2026 verdict
Stellar Blade
The combat system, especially parry-based mechanics with progression, and the extensive outfit customization are consistently praised by long-time players.
Heavy reliance on memorizing delayed attack patterns in combat creates a repetitive rhythm that frustrates some veteran players.
from our May 2026 verdict
Key differences
Which one is for you?
Pick Granblue Fantasy: Relink if
- You want an endgame grind with friends and live content updates
- You bounced off Grinding Gear's other games but love Granblue's cast
- You want a 16-hour story before deciding whether to keep playing
Pick Stellar Blade if
- You want Sekiro-style parry combat with no endgame treadmill
- You prefer linear-with-hub level design over open-world sprawl
- You play on PC or handheld and want a port that scales to 4K/120
Bottom line
Pick Relink if you want an ongoing endgame grind with five recent patches; pick Stellar Blade if you want a self-contained 23-hour parry-focused campaign that needs no further updates.