Shift Up has introduced Evie, the protagonist of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, through an original music video that casts the character as a K-pop idol rather than through a conventional gameplay trailer. The video, titled "Wanna be in LOVE" feat. EVIE, was published ahead of Blood Rain's release and shared by Shift Up chief executive Kim Hyung Tae on X, according to Dot Esports.
On the studio's official YouTube channel, the video carries an explicit statement that it was "made with AI" and that sounds or visuals were altered or fully generated using artificial intelligence. Dot Esports reports that the disclosure is what shaped much of the response: several players said they had noticed inconsistent facial expressions and animation effects they associate with generated footage, and argued that a hand-animated video would have better matched the visual quality of Stellar Blade.
It's sad because I know y'all are perfectly capable of something better than this.
A split reaction
The reaction was not uniformly negative. Dot Esports also collected responses from players who set the production method aside and praised the song and Evie's design, with one calling it "an unexpected, but fun video" and noting that the clip offers an early look at parts of a town from the sequel.
The video withholds gameplay and story details. Dot Esports describes it as a character introduction built around a performance, showing Evie's style and personality — including a scene in which she eats buldak, the Korean instant noodle dish — rather than explaining how she fits into Blood Rain's narrative.
A different promotional route
Releasing an original song in place of a character trailer gives Shift Up a format it can extend through further music releases, social media campaigns and character-focused content, Dot Esports writes, and one that reaches K-pop audiences alongside players. The outlet frames the argument over the video as part of a wider divide among game audiences about the use of AI in marketing and creative material.
Shift Up has been open about the tooling: the AI notice sits on the studio's own upload rather than having been uncovered by players. What is not yet shown is how Evie functions inside the game. On Dot Esports' reading, the video's job is to establish her identity before players meet her in Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, with the question of how the character fits into the sequel left for its release.
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