Stellar Blade Fans Allege Character Designer's Intent to Mar Eve

Naughty Dog's concept artist sparked a heated online debate after sharing artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, on X. The design, significantly different from Shift Up's original iteration, drew overwhelmingly negative feedback. Fans criticized the artist's portrayal of Eva as unattractive and masculine, with many comments labeling the concept art as "ugly," "terrible," and even "repulsive." Several commenters suggested the design made Eva appear "awakened," a reference to a current trend of altering character designs.

This controversy follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog for incorporating DEI elements into their upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The game's trailer garnered a record number of dislikes, surpassing even Concord's earlier record. The stark contrast between the negative reaction to this new Eva design and the original character's widespread popularity highlights the significant impact character design has on a game's reception. Stellar Blade's initial success was largely attributed to Eva's universally admired beauty, a stark contrast to the current controversial depiction.