Stellar Blade: Blood Rain AI Music Video by Shift Up

Shift Up has begun marketing Stellar Blade: Blood Rain with an AI-generated music video that presents protagonist Evie singing a supposedly original track while exploring the dystopian cyberpunk city teased in the sequel’s reveal trailer. The promotional video, promoted as part of the game’s push after its Summer Games Fest debut, has drawn immediate backlash for how automated and “soulless” it appears, with many viewers questioning why the studio chose an entirely synthetic production as its first big spotlight for the next entry.

In the video, Evie—rendered as the game’s central character—performs a song titled “Wanna be in Love” as she wanders through the same type of grim, neon city atmosphere shown in the official announcement material. At one point, she picks up a “KPop Demon Hunters” keychain, a detail that stands out amid the largely generated visuals. Near the end, the trailer-style promotion includes segments labeled as behind-the-scenes footage, showing developers “on set” directing Evie, handling makeup, and interacting with the team, though the overall presentation is widely described as AI-generated.

The decision to lean so heavily on AI comes after comments from Shift Up CEO and Stellar Blade director Hyung-tae Kim earlier this year. During a South Korean “Economic Growth Strategy” briefing, Kim said he viewed AI as an “essential tool” for competing globally against major players such as China. He also argued that AI would not eliminate jobs, claiming it would still allow “one person” to carry out the work of “100 people.” Those remarks land in a broader national context: South Korea is reportedly doubling down on AI investment, with plans to put nearly $14 billion toward AI and related infrastructure.

Stellar Blade has previously faced controversy, including patches to remove unintended racial slurs and a culture-war argument over main character Eve’s look and outfit choices in the first game. For Blood Rain, criticism is resurfacing around Evie’s portrayal, with some commenters pointing to her more childlike appearance and questioning the studio’s approach to sexualization. Shift Up has said it will feature “more appealing” outfits, but the character design remains a flashpoint for debate.

In an interview with IGN, Kim was asked whether he was concerned about using a younger-looking character and how players might interpret it. He acknowledged that Evie is younger and smaller than Eve, but largely avoided the deeper question, saying, “If you actually play the game, you will not think that.”

Stellar Blade: Blood Rain has not received a release date yet. The franchise’s original game, Stellar Blade, is also slated to come to Nintendo Switch 2 later this year.