In the MMORPG Black Desert, a new character class will be released in June. Shai differs gameplay-wise from the previous classes but mainly sparks discussions due to her appearance.
What is special about Shai? The now 18th character class in Black Desert is supposed to gameplay-wise differ from others. The focus is not on pure fighting, but rather on the crafting, social, and support aspects, as announced at an event in Korea.
Shai already has a master level in alchemy and gathering at the time of creation. Additionally, she is said to have special interactions with her three donkeys, including a “Wanderer Mode,” which allows her to explore the world without being attacked.
In her role as support, she can protect players from attacks, heal them, or make invisible attackers visible.
Many of these features can also be seen in the official class trailer.
What can be seen in the trailer? The first minute completely revolves around exploring and gathering materials. Only after about 90 seconds is there contact with a hostile bear.
However, Shai does not fight this bear; instead, she plays dead and thus avoids confrontation. According to the developers, this is not meant to work with all monsters.
From minute 2, it shows in which area the new class shines. She supports other fighters but simultaneously uses her boomerang to take down opponents.
Shai is too cute and childlike for many players
What do players like about Shai? Many fans of Black Desert are very fond of the idea of a support class. There has often been a desire for dungeons, which would be possible with Shai as support. A class that can heal or protect teammates from attacks makes these contents more likely.
Reddit user 129912994 wishes for a rework of the support skills of other classes and a tank mechanic to optimally utilize the group content, coinciding with the Shai release.
Contents like dungeons were originally a major part of Black Desert, but they were discarded before the release.
What bothers players about Shai? While the mechanics have been very well received by the players, the loli appearance of Shai is met with rejection in the West.
Community member Nina wrote under the first post about the class that Shai appears very childlike, typically Asian, and very cheesy. And with this opinion, she is not alone.
On Reddit, there are already memes about Shai’s age or about the FBI showing up when creating the new class for the first time. Shai is said to now take the place of the Tamer class, which has been heavily sexualized due to some daring outfits.
Other users joke about how embarrassing it must be when a seasoned warrior or giant is defeated by a little girl.
When will Shai arrive in the game? Starting June 19, players in Europe, North America, Japan, and Russia can create their first Shai. However, the new class will only be playable one week later, on June 26.
In Korea, everything is moved forward by a week. Here, players can already create their first Shai, and usage will be possible starting June 19.
Furthermore, Black Desert is set to receive several updates this summer, including a new PvE mode and many revisions related to shipping:
