What's Up With People Getting Mad About The Censorship In 'Stellar Blade'? The #FreeStellarBlade Campaign Explained

The much-awaited video game Stellar Blade released to generally positive reviews from critics on April 26th, but some of the game's earliest and most vocal supporters were left sorely disappointed by an unexpected patch released by the game's developers on day one of the game's release.

According to several disgruntled fans, the patches updated the game's protagonist Eve's costumes and covered up a few more inches of her chest than the players would have liked. Having been promised an "uncensored" version of the game upon pre-order, some Stellar Blade fans have now launched the #FreeStellarBlade campaign as an attempt to get the game back on track.

Here's a recap of all the controversies leading up to and following the release of Stellar Blade.

What Is 'Stellar Blade,' And Why Were People So Excited About The Game's Release?

Stellar Blade is an action-adventure game created by Korean studio Shift Up for PlayStation 5. The game is set in a future where Earth is defeated by an invading alien race, leaving the player to control Eve as she travels from an Earth colony back to the planet to make contact with the remaining humans and defeat the alien invaders.

The game was first announced under the name Project Eve, with a teaser trailer teaser trailer first dropping in April 2019 and an updated trailer under the name Stellar Blade dropping on September 2021.

A big part of the game's initial reception revolved around the costuming choices for Eve. In the trailers, the slim and curvacious protagonist is often shown wearing skin-tight, short, or low-cut costumes, leading many gamers to commend the game for revolting against what they deem to be "politically correct" video game design choices.

X user @Mangalawyer posted a clip of some video game journalists calling Eve's character design outdated and "distracting, and not in a good way," calling it one of the "gayest videos I've ever seen…from Eurogamer."

Other fans simply commended the game's character design and seemingly "fanservice-y" scene choices, as seen in an image posted by @LookAtMyMeat1 that showed Eve's skirt flipping up, and a post by iFunny user @Nahobino where they called Eve pretty.

How Was 'Stellar Blade' Censored, And What Is The #FreeStellarBlade Campaign About?

Stellar Blade finally released on April 26th, 2024 to generally good critical reviews, but some fans were in for a rude surprise when they booted up their games on day one. Thanks to a last-minute patch update issued by the game's developers, some of Eve's signature outfits received minor alterations that ended up covering more of her chest than her original design.

Angered by the game's creators seemingly backtracking on their promise of delivering an "uncensored" game, various gamers signed onto a #FreeStellarBlade campaign that urged players to cancel their PlayStation memberships in protest of the game's censorship.

X user @Grummz was a major player in the #FreeStellarBlade movement, starting an online petition to reverse the costume patch soon after the games release and posting images detailing the changes made to Eve's costume.

Other internet users were amused by the dedication toward gooning displayed by Stellar Blade fans, with X user @SimplyShae13 posting a "noun verbed" meme about the patch.

Meanwhile, user @airbagged joked that the #FreeStellarBlade campaign was reminiscent of a parody sketch posted by YouTubers Mega64 over eight years ago, gathering several thousand likes.

For the full history of 'Stellar Blade,' be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.