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

Naughty Dog's concept designer recently shared artwork of Stellar Blade's Eva on the game's official X account, sparking a significant negative reaction from fans. Many criticized the portrayal of Eva as unattractive and masculine, with comments describing the concept art as ugly and repulsive. Several commenters suggested the design made Eva appear "awakened," a term often used to describe a character with exaggerated or unconventional features.

This incident follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog's use of explicit DEI content in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a sci-fi adventure whose trailer holds the record for most dislikes on a video game trailer. The controversy surrounding Intergalactic’s trailer suggests a pattern of design choices generating negative player response.

The original design of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, was a major factor in the game's success, with her beauty widely praised by the gaming community. The stark contrast between the well-received original design and this newly revealed concept art highlights the significant impact character design can have on a game's reception.