Stellar Blade: Blood Rain Trailer Sparks Concerns Over GenAI Usage

Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, the highly anticipated sequel to 2024’s Stellar Blade, was officially unveiled during the Summer Game Fest last night. It’s quickly emerged as one of the standout announcements of the non-E3 season, but some gamers online are already raising concerns about the use of AI in the debut footage.

Several users have noted that the Chinese characters seen throughout the trailer appear to be “very visibly AI slop,” with claims that some symbols in the world of Stellar Blade: Blood Rain aren’t even authentic.

Nice AI-assisted trailer, maybe heavily assisted but polished afterwards. pic.twitter.com/4OlMD3sfVy

— BX (@BxRockShooter) June 6, 2026

Others have pointed out that certain buildings in the background of some clips look a bit off. I can see where they’re coming from with some of the screenshots circulating online.

Additionally, many believe that the official key art for the game, shared by Shift Up CEO Hyung-tae Kim, also features elements generated by AI. This one is particularly convincing, as the windows on the buildings in the background seem a bit strange.

I feel it’s important to point out that this AI-generated piece of “key art” for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain is currently being shared on the social media accounts of Stellar Blade director and Shift Up CEO Hyung-tae Kim, who has publicly advocated for the use of AI-generated… pic.twitter.com/g7RWXVRsx8

— Mæster Gekko (@MGecko117) June 6, 2026

While some may view this as an overreaction, Shift Up’s support of AI has led to increased skepticism. During the company’s “2026 Economic Growth Strategy” conference in January, Hyung-tae Kim, the CEO and director of Stellar Blade, expressed strong support for the controversial technology and its potential in game development. “One person can perform the work of 100 people” when utilizing AI tools, he stated.

“We devote around 150 people to a single game, but China puts in between 1,000 to 2,000,” Kim added. “We lack the capacity to compete, both in terms of quality and volume of content.”

With heightened sensitivity around the use of AI, Kim’s comments are likely to put Stellar Blade: Blood Rain under a microscope. An outlet has reached out to Shift Up for a comment but has yet to receive a response from a PR representative for the game.