The Controversial Placement of Graffiti in a Popular Video Game: A Case Study

Game news Inadvertently racist, the placement of graffiti in Stellar Blade was so problematic that it was removed upon release of the PS5 exclusive

Stellar Blade: one of the best games of April

This month of April, there are quite a few video games that are getting people talking. It is particularly this last week which seems to excite the players, as the releases are numerous and varied. Tennis fans finally find a good simulation of their favorite sport with TopSpin 2K25. Fans of Akira Toriyama can fall back on Sand Land, a video game adaptation of the manga of the same name. In a totally register, management and medieval universe customers can still immerse themselves in the world of Manor Lords, the most desired game on Steam before its release.

And finally, there is Stellar Blade which promises to delight fans of action and difficulty, especially while waiting for the Elden Ring DLC. The embargo on testing the game has ended and the reviews are, for the most part, very good. The press agrees that Stellar Blade does not revolutionize the genre but that the Shift Up title offers polished gameplay. This is the big strong point of the game, in opposition to a scenario and an exploration that is far too classic to hope to tickle the best.

A day one patch to correct graffiti

It was also through this testing phase before launch that a controversy arose about the game, especially in the United States. Players are invited to meet Rxoanne, the owner of a store. Its shops are indicated by an R-shaped logo to help Eve, the protagonist, locate them. Except that at one point, it is placed right next to some graffiti Hard (hard in English), as you can see in the image below.

The embargo on Stellar Blade is lifted, I can finally show you the “Hard R Shop” graffiti, I wonder how long it will take to get fixed.

This association can then evoke three things. Hard + R, it can well be pronounced Harder. An English word which means harder and which could suggest the arrival of an even more demanding challenge. We can also think that Hard and R suggest adult content, with the R used in the cinema industry to designate films reserved for adults. But it is the third interpretation that gets people talking since it evokes the particularly racist pronunciation of a racist word for black people. In a statement to IGN, PlayStation returned to the controversy.

The placement of two graphics near each other in Stellar Blade resulted in an unintentionally shocking phrase. Shift Up did not intend to create offensive artwork.

The publisher specifies that the graffiti will be replaced with an update available as soon as the game is launched. The opportunity for us to remind you that Stellar Blade has been available exclusively on PlayStation 5 since April 26, i.e. today.