Stellar Blade: Fans Allege Character Designer Sabotaged Eve's Appearance

Naughty Dog's concept artist sparked a heated online debate after sharing artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, on X. The artwork, depicting a more masculine version of Eva, drew overwhelmingly negative reactions. Fans flooded the comments section with criticism, describing the design as unattractive, ugly, and even repulsive. Many accused the artist of making Eva appear "awakened," a term often used in online discussions regarding character redesigns perceived as deviating from established aesthetics.

This controversy follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog for incorporating explicit DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) content in their upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The trailer for Intergalactic garnered a record number of dislikes, surpassing even Concord's earlier record. This incident, coupled with the negative response to the Eva redesign, suggests a pattern of backlash against the studio's creative choices.

The original design of Eva, created by Shift Up, was a significant factor in Stellar Blade's success, earning widespread praise for its beauty and contributing to the game's popularity. The stark contrast between the original and the newly presented design highlights the sensitivity surrounding character aesthetics and the potential impact of controversial redesigns on fan reception.