Stellar Blade fans have accused Naughty Dog's character designer of intentionally uglifying Eve

Naughty Dog's concept art for Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, sparks outrage among fans. A design shared on X by a Naughty Dog artist depicts Eva with a masculine appearance, prompting a flood of negative comments criticizing the character's unattractiveness and even labeling the art as "repulsive." Many commenters accuse the designer of deliberately making Eva appear "awakened," referencing a recent trend of controversial character designs.

This incident follows similar criticism leveled at Naughty Dog for the inclusion of explicit DEI content in their upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The trailer for this sci-fi adventure holds the record for most dislikes of any game trailer this year. This latest controversy highlights a stark contrast between fan reception of the original Shift Up design for Eva – widely praised for its beauty and a key factor in Stellar Blade's success – and this newly unveiled, less-favorable interpretation.