Stellar Blade demo is published, then deleted, from the PlayStation Store

A 45-minute demo of the upcoming PS5 exclusive, Stellar Blade, was added quietly to the PlayStation Store earlier today.

Just half an hour after it went live, however, the free trial – which had not been formally announced or advertised – was mysteriously pulled offline again.

To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings Stellar Blade — Pre-Order Trailer | PS5 GamesWatch on YouTube

Unfortunately, even those who'd been quick enough to download the demo found themselves locked out once it had been removed from the storefront, intimating that the app had either been published prematurely or had not yet been ready for a playing audience.

The swift deletion wasn't quite quick enough, though – some players not only managed to reach the end before being locked out, they also recorded their playthrough, too:

Stellar Blade — First 40 minutes (Demo)
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«Played, it's very good. Upset I can't play more tbh, combat was really fun and you can't just hack n slash,» said one player on Reddit.

«Just skipped around and watched some and it looks...okay? Hopefully it feels better actually controlling it and playing cuz it just seemed sort of fine. Maybe the demo will change my mind, but otherwise definitely a sale game,» opined another.

Shift Up's Stellar Blade will release on PlayStation 5 on 26th April. Pre-order now, and you'll secure an early unlock of the Planet Diving Suit for Eve, a pair of Classic Round Glasses for Eve, and Ear Armor Earrings (also for Eve).