Shift Up, the studio known for Stellar Blade, continues to develop the successful mobile and PC project Goddess of Victory: NIKKE, regularly adding new events and content.
During a broadcast dedicated to the game's third anniversary, director Hyung-seok Yu spoke about the future of NIKKE, but also specifically noted that "there is no place for hate in the project." According to him, Shift Up will never allow "hate speech or similar attitudes to penetrate NIKKE."
The company stated that it has improved internal quality control procedures to prevent similar situations from happening again. Although details were not disclosed, fans believe this refers to a scandal that occurred in August.
At that time, a festive illustration caused a strong reaction in the Korean community: two heroines were depicted with their hands folded in a shape resembling a "crab gesture," which in Korea is associated with a hint of a "small penis." Shift Up apologized, released a modified version of the image, and gave players in-game bonuses.
But many fans fear a repeat of such situations, and against the backdrop of these concerns, the studio decided to publicly state its position against hate.
