After months of hype and praise from the gaming community, developer Shift Up’s action-packed game Stellar Blade has run into a bit of controversy just days before its official release. Stellar Blade racial slur is what’s trending on social media as a few eagle-eyed reviewers managed to find some “unacceptable” graffiti in the game that has forced the developers to make a day-one Stellar Blade update before release.
Sony has announced that the upcoming PlayStation 5 (PS5) exclusive game will undergo an update to remove in-game art referencing a Stellar Blade racial slur. The decision comes after concerns were raised about a graffiti graphic placed near an in-game shop, known as the ‘R Shop’, forming an objectionable phrase when viewed together.
Sony Responds to Stellar Blade Racial Slur
In response to the feedback, Sony stated that the placement of the graffiti next to the R Shop resulted in an unintentionally offensive phrase. While the developer, Shift Up, had no intention of creating offensive artwork, Sony confirmed that the graffiti would be replaced with the day-one patch as part of the Stellar Blade update.
The ‘Hard’ graffiti graphic appears in several areas of the game, with only one known instance of it being placed near the R Shop. Sony assured that the Stellar Blade racial slur will be removed for all users through the day-one update, including those with physical copies of the game.
Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic Earth, offering gameplay from a third-person perspective. Combat mechanics focus on understanding enemy attack patterns and executing precise counters, with features such as Eve’s Beta Gauge and Burst Gauge enhancing gameplay dynamics.
Developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Stellar Blade is set to release exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on April 26, 2024. Despite the pre-release controversy, the game has garnered positive reviews from critics, including a stamp of approval from Yoko Taro.
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