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

Naughty Dog's concept artist sparked a backlash online after sharing artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, on X. Fans overwhelmingly criticized the design, describing it as unattractive, masculine, ugly, and even repulsive. Many comments accused the artist of making Eva appear "awakened," a term often used to describe a character with exaggerated features associated with certain diversity initiatives.

This controversy follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog for incorporating explicit DEI content in their upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The game's trailer achieved a record number of dislikes, surpassing even Concord's earlier record. This incident, coupled with the negative reception of the Eva redesign, highlights a growing concern among some gamers about the direction of character design in the industry.

The original Eva design, created by Shift Up, was widely praised for its beauty and was a significant factor in Stellar Blade's success. The stark contrast between the original and the newly presented design underscores the strong reaction from fans who felt the new interpretation significantly deviated from the beloved original.