Stellar Blade Blood Rain “Wanna be in LOVE” AI Music Video Backlash

Shift Up has drawn fresh attention for its upcoming Stellar Blade Blood Rain with a new music video that leans heavily on generative AI—prompting a wave of backlash from fans who question why a well-known studio is using the technology for marketing. The developer released the clip “Wanna be in LOVE” on its YouTube channel, featuring the new central character Evie as a K-pop-style performer.

The video runs a little over three and a half minutes. Evie sings and dances in scenes designed to fit the aesthetic world of Stellar Blade Blood Rain, including sequences set in environments such as a subway, during a meal, and alongside what appears to be a film crew. Shift Up says it reused existing game resources from Blood Rain and then had them re-rendered with AI assistance. The YouTube description also includes a warning-style note indicating that image and audio elements may have been altered or fully generated, while the studio frames the approach as a production-support tool rather than a replacement for creative work.

For many viewers, the AI “look” is hard to miss. Characters and backgrounds are described as looking artificial for the majority of the video, and the motion and visual presentation are the kind of style audiences have come to recognize from other generated content online. Importantly, Shift Up does not hide the method; it references the technique at the end of the video itself.

Reactions to the music were mixed. Some viewers called the track catchy or said the strange presentation was funny, but a large portion of comments focused less on the song and more on the question of why Shift Up would rely on generative AI for advertising at all. Many people expressed disappointment and argued that the studio was replacing human artists with artificially generated imagery. Others said they planned to remove the video from their memory and stick to the earlier reveal trailer for the game instead.

Criticism also targeted perceived quality, with English-speaking users repeatedly describing the result using the term “AI Slop,” a derogatory label for fast or carelessly made AI outputs. In response to the backlash, Shift Up CEO Kim Hyung-tae addressed the claims directly, arguing that Evie was not designed by AI. He said artists and 3D modelers spent more than a year working on the character, and that AI was used to re-render and present existing data and concept work for the video.

Kim’s defense is unlikely to fully calm concerns, especially among audiences already skeptical of the technology. He has previously spoken publicly in favor of generative AI, saying Shift Up needs such tools to compete with larger studios in China and the United States. His argument is that AI should not simply replace employees, but instead help smaller teams produce more content.

As for the game itself, Stellar Blade Blood Rain was announced during Summer Game Fest 2026. The sequel takes place several years after the first game and swaps out Eve for the new main character, Evie. While Eve’s combat focused largely on swords, the successor is said to put more emphasis on close-quarters attacks using powerful gloves. Shift Up has not announced a release date yet.