Evie gets a K-pop debut in Stellar Blade: Blood Rain, but the AI video divides fans
Shift Up's original "Wanna be in LOVE" video introduces Evie through a 3:37-minute stylized idol performance and discloses AI-assisted production before the sequel arrives.
Shift Up introduced Stellar Blade: Blood Rain protagonist Evie with an original K-pop-style song and music video. The clip presents her as an idol, but its use of AI-generated and AI-altered material has already divided the game’s fanbase.
Called “Wanna be in LOVE” feat. EVIE, the three-minute-and-37-second video gives Evie a stage persona before players meet her in Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. Instead of showing gameplay or story scenes, it focuses on her performance, personality, and visual design.
The official video also includes a clear disclosure that AI was used in production. The notice says the video was created using game resources from Stellar Blade: Blood Rain and regenerated with AI support. Its closing credits include logos for Shift Up’s Second Eve Studio and AI Labs.
The clip moves from Evie’s performance through post-apocalyptic scenery into apparent behind-the-scenes footage featuring a production crew wearing Shift Up shirts. It also includes an especially unusual detail: Evie displays a keychain labeled “K-Pop Demon Hunters” alongside an image of Derpy the Tiger. The video does not explain how the item connects to Stellar Blade or Shift Up.
Shift Up CEO Kim Hyung Tae shared the music video on X, presenting it as an official original song from Stellar Blade: Blood Rain.
“Wanna be in LOVE” feat. EVIE
from Stellar Blade : BLOODRAIN official original Song MUSIC VIDEO 4K💗#StellarBlade #BLOODRAIN #Shiftup #EVIE #OST #kpop #Idol #Enjoy pic.twitter.com/C9zU1YN4wz— Kim Hyung Tae, 김형태, キム・ヒョンテ (@jamm3rd) July 31, 2026
Some viewers criticized the video after spotting facial expressions and animation effects they associated with generative AI. One fan argued that Shift Up could have produced something better than the final result in a post criticizing the video’s AI-assisted presentation.
Another reaction described the music video as generic and synthetic while claiming that it was produced with game assets and AI assistance from Shift Up A.I. Labs. That criticism appeared in a fan post about the project’s production.
The response has also included a broader concern about Shift Up’s use of AI. The Blood Rain reveal trailer had previously faced accusations of containing generative-AI material, making the music video feel to some fans like part of an ongoing creative direction rather than an isolated experiment.
One prominent Stellar Blade fan account asked where the artistry had gone from a company founded and run by artists, adding that it felt “profoundly disappointed” in a post about the video.
Not everyone disliked the direction. A separate viewer called the video unexpected but fun, praised the song, and pointed out that it may offer an early look at locations from the upcoming sequel in a positive reaction to the release. The track itself has generally drawn a more positive response than the video’s AI-assisted visuals.
Evie’s introduction goes beyond the game
AI aside, “Wanna be in LOVE” gives players their first extended look at Evie outside the main game narrative. The video frames her as a K-pop performer and shows pieces of the world surrounding Stellar Blade: Blood Rain.
Its city visuals draw on China-inspired urban settings, including architecture associated with Chongqing and Hong Kong’s Monster Building. One scene shows Evie eating buldak while dressed in her distinctive outfit. The original song also gives the character an identity separate from the sequel’s story, which may help make her more recognizable before the game launches.
Shift Up’s choice of a music video instead of a standard character trailer points to a broader promotional approach for Stellar Blade: Blood Rain. Future character content, songs, or social campaigns could build on the same idol concept, although the AI disclosure means each new release may face the same debate.
For now, Evie’s debut has put Stellar Blade: Blood Rain back in the conversation without revealing how she will fit into the sequel’s gameplay or story. The sequel still does not have a confirmed release date.
What do you think of Evie’s K-pop debut and the video’s AI-assisted production? Share your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on X, Bluesky, YouTube, and Instagram.
Stellar Blade: Blood Rain
Developed by SHIFT UP
