South Korean studio Shift Up announced a sequel to Stellar Blade at Summer Game Fest last week. The reveal trailer for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain showcased a new protagonist, a more densely urban setting, and fast-paced melee combat. The first game generated controversy over its character designs when it launched in 2024. Now, Shift Up has said that Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’s new main character will have more of a personality to match her provocative design.
Shift Up Explains Stellar Blade 2 Protagonist Design
The Stellar Blade sequel has ditched Eve, the protagonist from the first game, in favour of Evie, a younger and shorter main character who prefers to take on enemies with her mechanical fist. In an interview with IGN published Tuesday, Shift Up CEO Hyung-tae Kim talked about the decision to switch to a younger protagonist.
“Yes. She is younger. She’s smaller in size. She’s shorter than Eve,” Kim said, “but she has a stronger personality and engages in much tougher battles. And she’s actually part of a special squad that chases after a group of terrorists who cause terror attacks here and there in the city.”
But just like the first game, the design of the protagonist in Stellar Blade: Blood Rain is likely to raise eyebrows. Like Eve, Evie’s character design is provocative and sexualised. When asked about the design of the new younger main character, Kim said the studio was focussing not just on her physical appearance, but her personality as well.
“If you actually play the game, you will not think that,” the Shift Up boss said. “I definitely like how Eve looked in the previous Stellar Blade. But this time, Evie, not just her physical looks, but her personality, the way she talks, the way she engages in battles, all that will combine together, and you’ll see that she’s a very lovable character.”
However, Kim said that Stellar Blade: Blood Rain will continue to feature striking, revealing outfits for the main character. “It will be even more appealing,” he said when talking about Evie’s outfits. “That’s all we can say.”
Shift Up has not shared details about Stellar Blade: Blood Rain’s story and release date. The studio has also not confirmed supported platforms for the title. Blood Rain, however, could launch on all platforms simultaneously, instead of releasing as a timed PS5 exclusive like the first game. The Stellar Blade sequel will be self-published by Shift Up.
The studio told IGN that while platforms were not yet decided, it wants to reach out to as many fans as possible. Blood Rain will continue the Stellar Blade story beyond the events of the first game.
