Stellar Blade’s in-game graffiti referencing a racial slur will be fixed in the game’s first patch, Sony said.
As pointed out by IGN, an in-game store, known as the “R Shop”, appears in Stellar Blade. In one example, shown below, generic graffiti reading “Hard” is placed next to it.
Seen together, this suggests a reference to racist language, which Sony claims was unintentional.
The “Hard” graffiti graphic appears in several areas of the game, with only one currently known instance placed next to an R Shop, thus forming the phrase.
“The placement of two graphics near each other in Stellar Blade resulted in an unintentionally objectionable phrase,” PlayStation’s statement to IGN read. “Shift Up did not intend to create offensive artwork and will replace the graffiti for the Day 1 patch.”
When asked if physical copies of the game would be updated in future printings of the game, Sony reiterated to IGN that the image “should be removed for all users during the day one update” .
The PS5 exclusive will be released on April 26. VGC’s Stellar Blade review called it “one of the most mechanically satisfying action games of the generation.”
We said: “For those who wish God of War Ragnarok offered a little more challenge or Bayonetta had a little more weight in its fight, this nifty sci-fi slasher is the perfect tonic, offering both the perfect entry point into the world of Souls. -genre and a refreshing refinement of the well-known character action formula.
