There are only two days left until Stellar Blade's official release, but a new discovery in several reviews has left the game's developers in an uproar after players found artwork in the game that "inadvertently" referenced a racial slur.
Stellar Blade – Launch Trailer | PS5 games
During several playthroughs, users were perplexed to see graffiti on the walls that, combined with a nearby neon sign, appeared to be referring to a racial slur. The graffiti was originally supposed to simply say the word "hard" and could be found in multiple places throughout the game.
Sony says 'Hard R Shop' graffiti in #StellarBlade was 'unintentional', has since been removed pic.twitter.com/DbrCvlZm0F
But the artwork was displayed next to a neon sign directing players to Roxanne, who works as an information broker. Together, the two elements created a reference to a racial slur that forced developers to apply a quick hotfix before the game’s public release on Friday, April 26. The new image has since replaced the old version, but the effect of the latter image remains.