Stellar Blade: Blood Rain was one of the big surprises at Summer Game Fest 2026. But since the announcement, there has been a heated discussion about the appearance of the protagonist. Now the head of Shift Up has commented on the issue.
What is currently happening with Stellar Blade? Stellar Blade was considered one of the best games of 2024 by many, as behind the “18+” design was a truly competent action game. The excitement among many fans grew when developer Shift Up announced the sequel Blood Rain at this year’s Summer Game Fest.
However, the initial excitement was quickly overshadowed by a discussion about the appearance of the new protagonist: In the eyes of many, Evie looks clearly juvenile in some shots. Hyung-tae Kim, the CEO of Shift Up, spoke about the design decisions.
Outfits for Evie are said to be even “more appealing”.
What does the developer say? First, the CEO makes it clear that Evie’s youthful appearance is indeed intentional: “We intentionally made Evie a bit smaller and younger,” he said to inven global. This decision serves to make the close-quarters battles more intense. As shown in the trailer, Blood Rain takes place in a cyberpunk metropolis, and unlike the first part, Evie mainly uses her fists to fight.
However, Evie’s personality is also supposed to be more impactful. In contrast to IGN, the CEO explained: “Yes. She is younger. She is more petite. She is smaller than Eve. But she has a stronger personality and participates in much tougher fights.”
In the original Stellar Blade, the developer was still unsure whether the protagonist Eve would have a strong personality of her own or primarily serve as a projection for the player. However, the reactions of fans to the end of the game showed him that players could immerse themselves in a character that brings its own personality.
But the comparison with the first part is also the crux: There were already controversies back then because the character Eve was highly sexualized. IGN therefore asked the CEO if by choosing a younger-looking character they weren’t taking a risk that some people might view Evie in a way that the developer wouldn’t approve of.
“If you really play the game, you won’t think that,” said Hyung-tae Kim. Although he liked Eve’s appearance in the first part, with Evie it’s not just about her looks: “Her personality, the way she speaks, how she fights—all of that will come together, and you’ll see that she is a very lovable character.”
However, this does not apparently mean that Shift Up shies away from putting Evie in similarly revealing outfits as her predecessor: “It will even be more appealing. That’s all we can say about it,” said the CEO. Who exactly this will appeal to in the end remains open at this point.
It is still quite possible that Evie’s look could change by the time the game is finished. What do you think of Evie’s design? Would you have preferred to continue playing with Eve?
In the discussion about Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, comparisons are repeatedly drawn to the also freshly announced God of War Laufey, which also features a female main character—even if she could be overshadowed in her own game: God of War Laufey: One thing players already love, but there’s a talking cube causing a stir
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