Hyoung Taek Nam, a talented character concept designer from Naughty Dog, faced some backlash for his fan art depicting Eve, the lead protagonist of Stellar Blade. This piece was re-shared by the game’s X (formerly Twitter) account, sparking negative comments from some fans who labeled the art as “ugly” and “revolting.” In response to this wave of criticism, the developers at Stellar Blade’s Shift Up showcased more of Nam’s artwork.
### Stellar Blade Team Embraces Fan Art
The initial critique wasn’t really about the skill behind Nam’s art. It seemed more like typical internet trolling, focusing on hating the version of Eve he portrayed. In this fan art, Eve is shown in a battle against a Naytiba.
Nam’s association with Naughty Dog perhaps added a bit of fuel to the fire. Since the PlayStation studio is known for its realistic art style, some trolls equate realism with overly woke concepts. Thus, this particular representation of Eve attracted the kind of response it did.
Shortly after the original uproar, the Stellar Blade account shared a second artwork by Nam. This time, it featured a softer portrayal of Eve. Along with this new piece, there was a message addressing the earlier criticism and stressing the significance of artistic style.
Shift Up responded to the feedback, saying, “Artist Nam Hyoung Taek has once again drawn Eve for us. We’re very grateful for this, but we always welcome fan art in the style of the previous one.”
Their statement continued, “It’s not uncommon for fan art to have more of the artist’s style than the original, and we think that’s a very important and enjoyable point.”
April marked the release of Stellar Blade exclusively on the PS5. The game has since seen a number of updates, including enhancements for the PS5 Pro and a crossover DLC with Nier: Automata.
