Stellar Blade Developer Addresses Criticism Over Naughty Dog Artist’s Eve Illustration

Hyoung Taek Nam, a concept designer from Naughty Dog, recently found themselves in the spotlight due to some fan art they created of Eve, the main character in Stellar Blade. When the artwork was shared on the game’s official X account (previously known as Twitter), it drew sharp feedback from fans, labeling it as “ugly” and “revolting.” In response, Stellar Blade’s developer, Shift Up, showcased more of Nam’s work to address the backlash.

Stellar Blade Dev Open to All Styles of Fan Art

The initial post revealing Nam’s art didn’t actually raise eyebrows for its quality; the negative comments came from a corner of the fanbase displeased with this particular vision of Eve. Notably, the artwork depicted Eve engaged in battle with a Naytiba, a striking scene by itself.

Interestingly, Nam’s ties to Naughty Dog seem to add fuel to the fire since the studio is known for its realistic art style. This realism is sometimes mistakenly linked with political correctness—or “wokeness”—by certain critics. Given this context, it wasn’t too surprising that Nam’s portrayal of Eve sparked the controversy it did.

A few days after the initial unveiling, the Stellar Blade team shared another of Nam’s pieces. This one was a more delicate portrait of Eve, contrasting the previous image. Accompanying this was a message addressing earlier criticisms while embracing Nam’s unique artistic style.

Shift Up remarked, “Artist Nam Hyoung Taek has once again brought Eve to life in a new piece. We’re incredibly thankful, and we continue to encourage fan art akin to the original style.”

They further noted, “It’s not unusual for fan art to have a unique style distinct from the original, and that individuality is both significant and pleasurable.”

Stellar Blade debuted in April as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. Since its release, it has seen several enhancements, including updates for the PS5 Pro and a notable Nier: Automata crossover DLC.