Naughty Dog's concept artist shared artwork of Stellar Blade's Eva on X, sparking immediate fan reaction. Many criticized the design, deeming Eva's portrayal unattractive and masculine, with comments describing it as "ugly" and "terrible." The artwork was widely considered repulsive, and some accused the artist of intentionally making Eva appear "awakened."
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 broke the record for most dislikes, surpassing even Concord's previous record. The controversy surrounding this new Eva design stands in stark contrast to the overwhelmingly positive reception of Shift Up's original character design. Stellar Blade's initial success was largely attributed to Eva's universally appealing beauty, making this new interpretation a significant point of contention among fans.