ShiftUp's AI-Generated Music Video for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain Draws Widespread Player Backlash
10 Sources
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Stellar Blade boss completely misses the point of why people are upset with Blood Rain's AI slop video: 'The AI is not creating [Evie] from scratch'
ShiftUp is marketing its Stellar Blade sequel with an AI-generated music video. Last week, developer ShiftUp released a video marketing its upcoming sequel Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. A so-called "music video" which was riddled with generative AI, from Evie's harrowing grin to a very rubbish song
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"We would truly appreciate it if you could view the work with understanding in mind" - Shift Up CEO defends Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's AI music video as online backlash grows
The CEO of Stellar Blade developer, Shift Up, has taken to social media to respond to players criticising the release of an AI-generated music video promoting a sequel to the company's breakout hit, Blood Rain. At the end of July, the video (which was uploaded to the official Shift Up YouTube
[3]
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's AI slop music video is terrible for us all
ShiftUP CEO Kim Hyung Tae hasn't exactly been lowkey with his pro-AI stance over the years, but he and his company have now made it clearer than ever with one of the most god-awful videos I've ever had the displeasure of witnessing from a company with enough money to do better. Stellar Blade:
[4]
"Are We Deadass?" - Shift-Up promotes Stellar Blade 2 with AI-generated KPop music video featuring the game's main character
Stellar Blade: Bloodrain developer Shift-Up has promoted its upcoming action game with seemingly fully generative AI KPop music video. This music video, uploaded to the official Shift Up YouTube channel, shows Bloodrain's protagonist Evie singing an original song by Shift Up called 'Wanna be in
[5]
Even Stellar Rain: Blood Rain Fans Hate Its AI-Slop Music Video
Kim Hyung-tae, the director behind the 2024 game Stellar Blade and the CEO and founder of its developer, Shift Up, has asked fans to "share [their] thoughts with" him regarding his new AI-generated music video featuring the protagonist of his upcoming game, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain-and, well,
[6]
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain studio CEO defends AI music video because Evie was originally "created from head to toe" by the devs, but fans say that's not the point
Generally speaking, using generative AI is a quick way to annoy your fanbase, and that's exactly what happened when Stellar Blade: Blood Rain developer Shift Up revealed a music video using the tech for the upcoming game. The head of the company has now responded to the waves of backlash,
[7]
Shift Up receives backlash for AI-generated Stellar Blade music video
Everything, from the visuals to the song itself, appears to have been churned out by a machine. Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2024 action hit, is opting for quite an odd marketing strategy. As most games show off more gameplay or cinematics, Blood Rain is giving
[8]
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain gets official music video full of AI slop, and fans aren't happy: "It's a slap in the face to your artists"
"You have such talented artists and programmers at Shift Up, please stop using this AI nonsense" Many fans are dragging Shift Up, the studio behind Stellar Blade and its upcoming sequel Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, through the mud for promoting its action game with an official music video generated
[9]
'View the Work With That Understanding in Mind' -- Shift Up CEO Defends Stellar Blade: Blood Rain AI Music Video Against Player Backlash
'We would truly appreciate it if you could view the work with that understanding in mind.' The CEO of Shift Up has responded to backlash surrounding the release of an AI-generated music video promoting Stellar Blade's sequel game, Blood Rain. The video, published on July 31, showed the game's
[10]
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain Dev Shift Up Releases Entirely AI-Generated K-Pop Music Video Starring Evie and Pretty Much Everyone Hates It
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain developer Shift Up has sparked a backlash for releasing an entirely AI-generated music video starring protagonist Evie. "Wanna be in LOVE" Feat. Evie | Stellar Blade: BLOODRAIN was published to South Korean developer Shift Up's YouTube channel on July 31, as a K-pop twist
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ShiftUp released an AI-generated music video promoting Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, featuring protagonist Evie singing 'Wanna be in Love.' The video sparked immediate backlash from players criticizing glitchy visuals, nonsensical lyrics, and garbled text. CEO Kim Hyung Tae defended the decision, claiming AI merely rendered the character his team created over a year.
ShiftUp Releases Controversial AI-Generated Content for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain
ShiftUp released an AI-generated music video promoting its upcoming sequel Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, immediately triggering backlash from players and fans
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. The video, uploaded to the official ShiftUp YouTube channel, features protagonist Evie singing an original song titled 'Wanna be in Love'4
. ShiftUp openly disclosed the AI-generated nature of the content, including "Made with AI" and "Sounds or visuals were altered or fully generated" disclaimers in the video description5
.The promotional music video showcases Evie exploring a sci-fi city, singing into a microphone, with development team members appearing at the end filming and interacting with the AI-generated character
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. However, the execution raised immediate concerns about artistic integrity and the use of AI in game development among the gaming community.Glitchy Visuals and Nonsensical Lyrics Undermine Marketing Effort
The AI-generated music video exhibits numerous technical flaws that players quickly identified. Parts of Evie's suit morph in and out of existence, food she eats displays the characteristic AI slime effect, and her face appears completely different between shots
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. The video features AI-hallucinated text throughout, with a vending machine displaying garbled nonsense like "Preduet Spee," "Refiil Natice," and "Custemef Service"5
. A bookshelf scene shows Marcus Aurelius' Meditations misspelled as "Meaiiatations"5
.The song itself features shrill computerized vocals and nonsensical lyrics, with robotic words melting into an ear-splitting cacophony during the chorus
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. The musical composition demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of what constitutes quality music, creating a soft-blurred filter over everything that epitomizes soulless content2
.CEO Kim Hyung Tae Defends AI Usage Amid Mounting Criticism
Facing backlash from players, ShiftUp CEO Kim Hyung Tae responded on X to address the controversy. "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," Kim stated
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. "The AI is not creating her from scratch. It is rendering and presenting the character based on the data, designs, and craftsmanship our team created. We would truly appreciate it if you could view the work with that understanding in mind"1
.Critics argue Kim Hyung Tae completely misses the point of the backlash. The controversy centers not on whether Evie's original design was AI-generated, but on the AI slop quality of the video's execution and the ethical concerns surrounding replacing human creativity with AI tools
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.Fan Reactions Reveal Deep Disappointment With Creative Marketing Choice
Fan reactions to the AI-generated music video have been overwhelmingly negative, even among Stellar Blade supporters. Comments on YouTube and social media express confusion and disappointment. "I mean...you could have made an animated loop with her actual model, you own the game and its assets after all," wrote one user
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. Another commented simply, "Are We Deadass?"4
."You need to stop using Gen AI to promote Stellar Blade," one X user replied to Kim Hyung Tae. "The backlash will be horrible for the IP and it will not be reverseable"
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. Twitch streamer BasedLEDA expressed frustration: "I seriously do not understand this guy's obsession with garbage when he's got such a talented team of actual creators who create purely with their sheer talent"5
.The disappointment stems partly from ShiftUp's proven track record of human creativity. The company's gacha game Nikke: Goddess of Victory consistently ranks in the top 10 to 20 gacha earners and features acclaimed music from a long-time rhythm game composer
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. This makes the choice to use AI-generated content particularly baffling to fans who know the studio's capabilities.Related Stories
Competitive Pressures Drive ShiftUp's AI Strategy Despite Ethical Concerns
Kim Hyung Tae has been vocal about his pro-AI stance since 2022, despite being a talented artist himself
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. Earlier this year, he stated AI technology is "essential" for competing with Chinese developers who invest significantly larger teams in game development2
. "80 percent of our company's revenue comes from overseas, and when we go abroad, the first opponent we encounter is Chinese games," Kim explained in an interview2
. "We pour about 150 people into a single game, but China invests 1,000 to 2,000. We lack the capability to compete in terms of the quality or quantity of content"2
.In January, Kim stated that "one person can perform the work of 100 people" by utilizing AI tools
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. South Korea's embrace of AI has rippled into development cycles of studios operating there, making ShiftUp's continued AI usage likely despite the current controversy1
.Industry Implications and Future Concerns for Gaming
The controversy highlights broader concerns about AI in game development and its impact on artistic integrity. Critics warn that major companies normalizing AI-generated content threatens to open floodgates for more studios to follow suit
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. This risks creating a landscape of samey, soulless content that undermines the fundamental purpose of gaming as an art form requiring human creativity3
.The backlash demonstrates that even when companies are transparent about using AI-generated content, execution quality and ethical concerns matter to players. The video actively undermines Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's theme and visual identity, cheapening the overall image despite the year of work artists invested in creating Evie's original design
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.Stellar Blade: Blood Rain currently has no official release date, though estimates suggest a launch sometime before 2027, with 2026 appearing increasingly likely
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. Given Kim Hyung Tae's statements and the extent of AI-generated elements already revealed, players should expect AI tools to feature prominently in the final game, raising questions about how this will impact reception when it launches.References
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