AAA gaming’s biggest gooner game has been rated for the family-friendly Nintendo Switch 2
One of 2024’s best action games has finally been rated for the Nintendo Switch 2, which suggests a very imminent release, but it could be heavily censored for the family-friendly console.
In 2024, PlayStation 5 gamers were treated to Stellar Blade, a high-octane action game that draws some comparisons to the likes of NieR:Automata, Bayonetta, and Devil May Cry, to name a few.
2024 was an amazing year for releases, which is probably why the game developed by Shift Up may have flown under many radars. But, even before the launch of Stellar Blade, some sections of the video game community criticised the game over the sexualisation of its lead character, Eve. This pre-launch backlash may have led to accusations that the game was censored before it launched on PlayStation 5.
READ MORE: Stellar Blade Prequel Announced, Gooner Hit Returns With New Protagonist
Will Stellar Blade be censored on Nintendo Switch 2?
During a Nintendo Direct in June 2026, it was announced that Stellar Blade is coming to the Switch 2, but at the time, no release date was announced, just that it would launch at some point this year.
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In a recent update, Reddit users have spotted that Stellar Blade has been rated by the ESRB, which could mean its launch is only a matter of weeks away. Yet, with Stellar Blade coming to Nintendo Switch 2, it does raise some concerns over censorship.
Nintendo has always been considered a family-friendly console, which is why the launch of the Resident Evil remake surprised many when it arrived on the GameCube in 2002. However, that signalled that more mature games are now welcome by Nintendo, and that attitude has continued to this very day.
That being said, perhaps more so in recent times, mature games coming to Nintendo consoles stand a good chance of being censored, whereas other consoles, such as PlayStation and Xbox, may leave them be.
How might Nintendo censor Stellar Blade?
That’s anyone’s guess at this point, but as we’ve already learned, it seems that Eve’s outfits in the game were already censored before its launch. Those outfits are still very raunchy, let’s just say.
But the true question remains, should we really be concerned over those who criticise the likes of Stellar Blade for its character designs? After all, those who have strong negative opinions about any game are very unlikely to be the target audience.
When Resident Evil Requiem launched earlier this year, gamers of all genders were thirsting over the mature Leon S. Kennedy, and no one was labelled as “gooner”. Yet, for whatever reason, there appears to be a double standard for female characters.
In January this year, one of 2025’s best games, Dispatch, launched on the Nintendo Switch. It’s a very narratively driven story developed by former developers of Telltale Games.
In the Dispatch Switch ports, nudity was edited, as well as explicit gestures and audio in a sex scene. So, it’s not outside the realm of possibility that something similar might happen with Stellar Blade; only time will tell.
We scored Stellar Blade an “Exceptional” 9/10!
“Aside from all of the potentially polarising outfits, this is an epic action adventure from start to finish that kept me engaged and wanting to come back for more. It doesn't do a great deal to reinvent the wheel, but it doesn't need to.
“This gorgeous and fun game knows exactly what it is. Stellar Blade is an absolute blast, and I’ve not had this much fun in the genre since Devil May Cry 5. If for whatever reason Stellar Blade flew under your radar, it needs to be added to your 2024 to-play list right now,” I said in my review.
Stellar Blade is out now on PC and PlayStation 5, and is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 soon.
READ MORE: All Games Should Have Censorship Options Like Dispatch, Here's Why
Topics: Nintendo, Nintendo Switch 2