The main character concept designer from Naughty Dog recently shared artwork on Stellar Blade's official X account, sparking immediate feedback from fans. Many expressed disappointment with Hyun-taek's portrayal of Eva, criticizing the concept art for giving her a masculine appearance. A significant number of comments described this version of the Stellar Blade protagonist as unattractive and even repulsive. Some fans went as far as accusing the Naughty Dog designer of attempting to make Eve "awakened," a term often used to describe characters altered to fit certain diversity and inclusion narratives.
This incident follows a trend, as Naughty Dog faced similar criticism recently for incorporating explicit diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) content in their newly revealed game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The trailer for this sci-fi adventure garnered the highest number of dislikes for a video game trailer this year, surpassing the record previously set by Concord.
Stellar Blade, developed by Shift Up, became a massive success earlier this year, largely due to its protagonist, Eve. Her universally appreciated beauty played a significant role in the game's positive reception. In stark contrast, the new design of Stellar Blade's protagonist, crafted by the Shift Up studio, received widespread acclaim, highlighting the difference in fan reception between the two designs.
