Naughty Dog's concept artist sparked controversy after posting artwork of Stellar Blade's protagonist, Eva, on X. The design, shared on the game's official account, was met with overwhelmingly negative feedback. Many fans deemed the depiction unattractive, citing a masculine appearance and labeling the art as "ugly" and "terrible." Several comments described the artwork as repulsive and accused the artist of portraying Eva in an "awakened" state.

This incident follows recent criticism of Naughty Dog for incorporating explicit DEI content in their upcoming game, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. The game's trailer holds the record for most dislikes of any game trailer this year, surpassing even Concord's previous record.

The initial success of Stellar Blade was largely attributed to Eva's design, which was widely praised for its beauty and universal appeal. This stark contrast between the original, well-received design and the newly released concept art has fueled the online backlash.