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

A Naughty Dog character concept artist's artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, shared on X, sparked significant negative fan reaction. Many criticized the design as unattractive and masculine, describing it as "ugly" and "terrible." The artwork was widely deemed repulsive, with accusations that the designer had made Eva appear "awakened."

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 of a video game trailer this year. This contrasts sharply with the positive reception of Stellar Blade's original Eva design, which was largely credited with the game's success due to her universally appealing appearance. The Shift Up studio's original design of Eva was well-received by the gaming community, highlighting the stark difference in aesthetic preferences.