Shift Up CEO Explains Design of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain's New Main Character
Shift Up CEO Hyung-tae Kim recently shared insights into the design of Evie, the new main character in Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, highlighting how she differs from the original protagonist, Eve. Following the announcement at Summer Game Fest, the trailer revealed Evie as a fresh face in the series, one who prefers fists over blades — a stark contrast to her predecessor.
The design of Evie sparked considerable discussion, particularly due to her youthful appearance, which some felt clashed with her mature voice and physicality. In an interview with IGN, Kim confirmed that Evie was intentionally crafted as a younger, smaller character with a stronger personality. “Yes. She is younger. She's smaller in size. She's shorter than Eve,” he explained, “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.”
Evie’s design also raises questions about the tone and direction of the sequel. The first Stellar Blade featured Eve, a highly sexualized character, and fans wondered if the shift to a younger-looking protagonist might lead to similar concerns. However, Kim was confident that Evie would be perceived differently. “If you actually play the game, you will not think that,” he 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.”
Evie’s Outfits and the Future of the Franchise
The first Stellar Blade was known for its revealing, unlockable outfits, and Kim hinted that the sequel would not shy away from this aspect. “It will be even more appealing,” he said when asked about Evie’s outfits. “That's all we can say.”
When asked why the team decided to introduce a new protagonist instead of continuing with Eve, Kim offered a cryptic but intriguing response. “We cannot tell you everything right now because this would be a spoiler,” he said, “but once you have played the sequel, you will see that Eve's backstory will be more memorable. It will be more attractive in a way.”
Fans are left wondering if Eve’s story is over or if there will be more Stellar Blade content featuring her. Kim clarified that while the sequel stands alone, it is still connected to the first game’s narrative. “The sequel story stands alone so you don't have to know the previous story to properly enjoy this,” he said. “But if you did play the first one, you will see a lot of points here and there, very memorable and impressive moments where it's like, ‘Oh, so that's what happened. That's what it turned out to be.’”
What’s Next for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain?
Shift Up has described Stellar Blade: Blood Rain as the “next chapter” in the franchise, set in the same universe as the original Stellar Blade and continuing the story beyond its events. While the game is still in early development, the team has made “incredible progress” according to Kim.
As for the game’s release platform, Shift Up has not yet made a final decision. However, given that the company is self-publishing the sequel, the possibility of a day-one release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X and S is open.
