Shift-Up has promoted Stellar Blade: Bloodrain with a seemingly fully AI-generated K-pop video featuring protagonist Evie, renewing debate over the studio’s use of generative AI. The promotional video has prompted confused and critical reactions from some fans, and matters because Shift-Up’s leadership has previously argued that AI is necessary to compete with larger rivals.

Evie sings Shift-Up’s original track ‘Wanna be in Love’ while moving through a science-fiction city shown in the game’s Summer Games Fest reveal, before footage depicts developers interacting with the AI-generated character. Shift-Up has not confirmed whether or how generative AI will appear in the game itself; Bloodrain has no release date, though a 2027 launch now appears more likely than an earlier release.