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

Naughty Dog's concept artist sparked a heated online debate after sharing artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, on X. The design, featuring a more masculine aesthetic, drew overwhelmingly negative feedback. Many fans deemed the portrayal unattractive, using terms like "ugly" and "terrible" to describe it. Several comments even suggested the art depicted an "awakened" version of Eva, implying a deliberate shift away from her original, widely-praised design.

This incident follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog's inclusion of explicit DEI content in Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, a sci-fi adventure whose trailer holds the record for most dislikes on a gaming video. The contrast is stark: Stellar Blade's initial success was largely attributed to Eva's conventionally attractive design, a stark contrast to this new, controversial interpretation. The original Eva was a universally beloved character, and this new design, by comparison, has been poorly received.