Sony Confirms Stellar Blade Day One Update Will Get Rid of “Unintended” Racial Slur Reference

The hype surrounding Stellar Blade has reached an all-time high, with the game becoming one of the most pre-ordered titles on the PlayStation Network store after the release of its action-packed gameplay demo. However, as players prepare for the game's release, an in-game graffiti that references a racial slur has caught everyone's attention. Sony has already announced that the day one patch for the game will remove the unintentional reference to the racial slur.  

Stellar Blade Will Remove In-Game Art Referencing Racial Slur

In the game, there's a broker named "Roxanne" who owns the "R Shop." The graffiti with the word "Hard" can be found at various game locations. However, one of the graffiti happens to be right next to a neon sign advertising Roxanne's shop. 

These visual elements combine in a single phrase that's a highly offensive racial slur. For those who don't understand the phrase "hard R," it's used similarly to the "N-word" without saying the exact racial slur directly. The screenshots of this problematic in-game art quickly spread and caused an uproar in the community.

Sony took notice of the players' concerns and responded to the situation. As reported by IGN, the company stated that it had no intention of discriminating against any cultural or racial group. According to Sony, the phrase's inclusion in the game was completely "unintentional." PlayStation has revealed that a day-one patch would remove this in-game graffiti for all users, including people with physical copies of the game. Reports suggest that the graffiti has already been changed, with “Hard” switched to “Crime”.

Considering that this specific graffiti can be found everywhere in the game's landscape and how uncommon this specific slur is in South Korea, this is likely a blunder. This isn't the first time we've seen unintentional racism in a game. In 2021, Rock Studios, the mind behind Back 4 Blood, fixed an issue during the game's open beta where zombies said something that sounded like a racial slur. The developer fixed the issue before the game's release. 

Despite its controversies, it seems like Stellar Blade will have a successful debut. Early reviews for the game are extremely positive, with critics praising the game's intense boss fights and combat mechanics. Stellar Blade will also receive several features, including a New Game+ mode and Eve costumes. The game is all set to release on PlayStation 5 on 26 April 2024.