Shift Up's Kim Hyun Tae apologized for the AI music video inspired by Stellar Blade: Blood Rain

During a press conference at Tokyo Game Show 2026, Shift Up studio CEO Kim Hyung Tae publicly apologized for a music AI clip released over the summer to promote the studio’s upcoming title, Stellar Blade: Blood Rain.

The generative-AI video, which depicted the new heroine Ivy, provoked widespread fan backlash; many labeled it "AI slop" and said they were disappointed that material of that nature appeared as official content from a studio known for a strong, distinctive art style.

We conducted experiments and research on various AI applications within AI Labs. During this process, we felt the results were not bad, and ultimately released as official content what should have remained in the realm of experiments.

Since the game hasn't even been released yet, revealing such experimental elements through official channels seems to have disappointed players. I sincerely regret not properly distinguishing between the main content and internal experiments.

I apologize to those who did not like this content. Moving forward, I want to present only high-quality game content. Ultimately, we believe that showcasing pure gameplay is our most important value, so we will engage players through gameplay.

The studio head added that Shift Up does not plan to abandon AI entirely but will make a clear separation between experimental developments and the main game content.

Stellar Blade: Blood Rain is the sequel to the studio’s successful 2024 action game. No release date has been announced.