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 their dissatisfaction with Hyun-taek's portrayal of Eva, criticizing the concept art for giving her a masculine appearance. The majority of comments described this version of the Stellar Blade protagonist as "ugly" and "terrible," with some going as far as to call it "repulsive." Additionally, several comments accused the Naughty Dog designer of attempting to make Eve "awakened," a term often used to denote a shift towards more inclusive or diverse character designs.

This incident follows a trend that Naughty Dog seems to be pursuing. The studio faced similar criticism not long ago for integrating explicit Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) content in the trailer for their new sci-fi adventure, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. This trailer broke the record previously set by Concord for the most dislikes on a video game trailer, indicating significant fan backlash.

Stellar Blade, developed by Shift Up, became a massive hit earlier this year, largely thanks to its protagonist, Eve. Her universally acclaimed beauty played a significant role in the game's success, resonating well with the gaming community. In stark contrast, the new design of Stellar Blade's protagonist, introduced by the Naughty Dog designer, received a much less favorable reception, highlighting the divide between fan expectations and studio creative decisions.