Dozens if not hundreds and potentially even thousands of gamers are cancelling their PlayStation Network subscriptions in protest of censorship in Stellar Blade.
Eve in Stellar Blade (2024), Shift Up
The official Stellar Blade account on X promised on April 21st that the game would be uncensored in all countries when it was released. The account posted, “Stellar Blade offers the same uncensored version in all countries, including the Japanese version.”
「Stellar Blade」 offers the same uncensored version in all countries, including the Japanese version.
ステラブレードは、日本版を含むすべての国で検閲されていない同じバージョンを提供しています。#StellarBlade #PS5 #Uncensored pic.twitter.com/dJojSgZH9y— StellarBlade (@StellarBlade) April 21, 2024
Gamers discovered that the game has indeed been censored with a number of the outfits that players can obtain for the main protagonist Eve being altered. The most prominent is a Holiday Bunny outfit.
Rodrigo Ybañez on X
On top of this outfit and others being changed, the game also appeared to reduce the amount of gore and specifically blood splatter as pointed out by X user MangaLawyer.
MangaLawyer on X
READ: Sony Replaces The Word “Hard” With “Crime” In ‘Stellar Blade’ After Being Accused Of Racism
As reported by P9cker_girl, Stellar Blade Director Kim Hyung-tae acknowledged the censorship at a launch event. He said, “We are aware of the issue. The version we ended up showing was a day-one patch version It’s not an answer that will satisfy users anyway. Internal discussions are ongoing.”
p9cker_girl on X
She also shared video footage of his comments.
footage of the event was released to reddithttps://t.co/gI4bout8I8
— packergirl (@p9cker_girl) April 26, 2024
Following these changes, former World of Warcraft Team Lead Mark Kern announced an 8-step plan and petition to get Sony and developer Shift Up Corporation to restore Stellar Blade to the game it originally marketed.
As part of that 8-step plan Kern called on gamers to cancel their PlayStation Network subscriptions and share it to social media using #FreeStellarBlade.
The plan to get Stellar Blade censorship removed (condensed version of pinned tweet):
– Contact Shift Up offices, send physical mail as that carries more weight in Asia:
14F, Apro Square, 55 Seocho-daero 77-gil, Seocho-gu, Seoul, 06611, Korea
– Email them at cs@shiftup.co.kr…
— Grummz (@Grummz) April 27, 2024
Numerous gamers have done so. Sitri444 posted, “Canceled my subscription. Undo the censorship, PlayStation [and] Sony #FreeStellarBlade.”
Sitri444 on X
Patrick Doolin wrote, “#FreeStellarBlade. Just ended my subscription enough censorship.”
Sootythunder3 on X
WilliamVariz posted, “#FreeStellarBlade if you censor games, I’ll stop paying that’s simple.”
WilliamVariz on X
Realdavidgrace wrote, “Censorship is bad. Cancel PlayStation Plus #FreeStellarBlade.”
Realdavidgrace on X
“I am done with PlayStation and this censorship! I payed for shift up’s version of Stellar Blade not your censored version! #FreeStellarBlade,” wrote Chris Roberts.
Christoff_25 on X
Ian_killing posted, “#FreeStellarBlade. PlayStation, your hypocritical practices are bulls**t. You advertised an uncensored game to garner pre-orders, and on day one censor it quietly. Either reinstate the game as it was advertised or continue to lose subscriptions.”
Ian_killing on X
X user Cyael has shared screenshots from these individuals and others reporting they cancelled their PlayStation Network subscriptions. He wrote, “Guess what the only people gaslighting me have in common. Go on. Guess. PlayStation, I’ll cover you and your Korean studio Sabotage permanently. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make it worse.”
Guess what the only people gaslighting me have in common. Go on. Guess. @Playstation I’ll cover you and your Korean studio Sabotage permanently. I wouldn’t be surprised if they make it worse. pic.twitter.com/XUorL85JWa
— Cyael (@Cyael) April 27, 2024
On top of these individuals who have publicly shared they have cancelled their PlayStation Network subscriptions, over 18,000 individuals have signed Kern’s Free Stellar Blade petition on Change.org.
The petition states, “Stellar Blade is a phenomenal new game that just launched on Playstation 5 worldwide. But it has a problem. The content has been censored from the original trailer version posted by Sony. We, as gamers, want this content back. We relied on it, we made the game the #1 pre-order worldwide because of it, and this is the true game we want.”
“Stellar Blade is more than a game, it has become a cultural beacon for freedom of expression in a time where Game Publishers like Sony are censoring games more than ever,” he continues. “Stellar Blade was a breath of fresh air and gamer rallied behind it because it meant things were changing, getting better, and the voice of creative freedom was ringing loud and clear. But for reasons unknown, the game was censored, changes were made. What we received after our good faith purchase was not the same as advertised.”
Kern concludes the petition, “We believe in the game, we believe in Shift Up, and we are asking to get the game we believed in. Revert the censorship changes, patch the game, and you will find that even more gamers will join you and support you!”
Eve in Stellar Blade (2024), Shift Up
What do you make of these gamers cancelling their PlayStation Network subscriptions and signing this petition to free Stellar Blade?
