Stellar Blade Fans Blast Naughty Dog Designer for Eve's Design

Naughty Dog's concept artist sparked a heated online debate after sharing artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, on X. The artwork depicts a significantly different, more masculine interpretation of Eva than the one featured in the game, prompting widespread criticism from fans. Many described the new design as unattractive, ugly, and even repulsive. A significant portion of the comments accused the artist of portraying Eva in an unappealing, "awakened" state.

This controversy follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog's inclusion of explicit DEI content in their upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The trailer for this sci-fi adventure garnered a record number of dislikes, surpassing even Concord's previous record. This negative reception stands in stark contrast to the overwhelmingly positive response to Stellar Blade's original character design. Eva's initial beauty was a major factor in the game's success, making this redesign particularly jarring for fans who appreciated her original appearance. The difference between the community's reception of Shift Up's original design and this new interpretation highlights the significant impact character design can have on a game's overall success and fan perception.