Shift Up CEO and Stellar Blade director Hyung-Tae Kim has responded to mounting criticism surrounding the studio’s AI-assisted promotional music video for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, insisting that the game’s new protagonist, Evie, is entirely the result of human artists rather than artificial intelligence. His statement comes after the July 31 release of the music video “Wanna be in LOVE” feat. Evie, which sparked widespread backlash from players who questioned the studio’s decision to use AI-generated visuals despite its reputation for high-quality character art.
The controversy began after viewers noticed visual inconsistencies throughout the K-pop-inspired video, including changing costume details, distorted backgrounds, and other artifacts commonly associated with generative AI. While the music video disclosed that it used game assets
“regenerated with AI support,”
many fans argued that the final presentation failed to match the visual standards established by Stellar Blade.
CEO explains AI’s role in creating the promotional video
Addressing the criticism on X (formerly Twitter), Hyung-Tae Kim emphasized that Evie was designed entirely by Shift Up’s development team over an extended production period.
“EVIE, the character at the heart of this video, was created from head to toe by our talented artists and modelers through more than a year of dedicated work. The AI is not creating her from scratch. It is rendering and presenting the character based on the data, designs, and craftsmanship produced by our artists.”
Kim urged fans to distinguish between the original character creation process and the AI-assisted rendering used for the promotional video. His comments suggest the studio views the technology as a presentation tool rather than a replacement for artists.
While Kim clarified that Evie herself was not AI-generated, many players argued that this was never the central issue. Instead, criticism has largely focused on the quality of the finished music video and Shift Up’s decision to use generative AI despite already having access to professionally created character models and animation resources.
Numerous social media reactions pointed to fluctuating facial features, inconsistent clothing designs, and environmental changes that made the video feel less polished than previous promotional material for the studio’s games. For some fans, the revelation that Evie was handcrafted by artists only strengthened their belief that a traditionally animated music video would have better showcased the character.
Others also questioned why Shift Up chose an AI-assisted workflow instead of relying solely on its in-house animation talent, though Kim did not address the specific tools or production pipeline used to create the final video.
Despite the ongoing debate, anticipation for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain remains high. The upcoming title serves as Shift Up’s next major project following the commercial success of Stellar Blade, introducing Evie as a new protagonist in a futuristic action setting.
Industry observers believe future gameplay showcases could quickly redirect discussion toward the game’s combat, world design, and story rather than its controversial promotional campaign. Whether the AI-assisted music video becomes a lasting concern or a short-lived marketing controversy may ultimately depend on how Shift Up presents Blood Rain in the months ahead.
