Stellar Blade Hard R Controversy Explained – What is it? Who is at fault?

The long-awaited PS5 game, Stellar Blade, which was developed by Shift Up and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, has finally been released and is receiving a positive response from gamers worldwide.

Despite its grand release, the game developers have faced ongoing criticism from players due to various controversies, notably the Hard R controversy, since the game’s launch.

1. Stellar Blade Hard R Controversy: Explained

The controversy surrounding the Stellar Blade Hard R game involves a graffiti depicting the word “HARD”painted next to an “R Shop”sign, giving the appearance of the derogatory term “HARD R.”This placement of graffiti is highly controversial as it is often used as a racial slur targeting the black community.

The placement of this graffiti, which refers to Roxanne from The R Shop, has caused the Stellar Blade developers and publishers to face widespread criticism from the gaming community. This is due to her role as an information broker within the game.

Despite Shift Up, the game developers, placing the “HARD”graffiti in the game, PlayStation (Sony) released an official statement stating that it was unintentional. They have also assured the public that the graffiti will be removed through a Day 1 Patch.

The statement was stated as follows:

The placement of two graphics near each other in Stellar Blade resulted in an unintentional objectionable phrase. Shift Up had no intention of creating offensive artwork and will be replacing the graffiti for the Day 1 patch.

Statement by PlayStation

Despite the unquestionably serious error made by the developers and publishers, their willingness and quick actions to rectify the highly offensive mistake are commendable.

2. About Stellar Blade

The PlayStation 5 was the gaming system that launched the action-adventure video game Stellar Blade, created by Shift Up and released by Sony Interactive Entertainment on April 26, 2024.

In a third-person perspective, Stellar Blade is set on a post-apocalyptic Earth. The focus of combat is on anticipating and perfectly timing counterattacks against your opponent’s moves.