Sony Changes Video Game Scene After Journalists Claim 'Hard R' Graffiti Is Racist

Sony confirmed to critics that it released an immediate update to its "Steller Blade" video game following outrage over a scene accused of displaying a "racial slur." 

See, the word "Hard" is sprayed in graffiti throughout the various areas of the game. However, one particular wall featuring the signature graffiti appears next to the "R Shop," the in-game shop in reference to the character Roxanne. 

Hence, the "R."

When placed near each other, the graffiti and shop read "Hard R." At least that is how pesky online users choose to interpret the following embargoed screenshot, claiming to have detected a subtle nod to the n-word.

Gamers and journalists were fuming.

"If only there was some kind of group you could contract to give media a--i don't know--sensitivity read and avoid creating work like this for yourself in the future," reporter Jake Steinberg posted on X.

Quickly, Sony sought to appease the mob with a statement.

‘The placement of two graphics near each other in Stellar Blade resulted in an unintentional objectionable phrase," PlayStation’s statement to IGN reads. "Shift Up had no intention of creating offensive artwork and will be replacing the graffiti for the day one patch."

The updated version of the scene shows the word "Hard" replaced with "Crime" – even though the word "Crime" written in graffiti has no association with the product.

The game doesn't suffer from the change. However, the outrage and subsequent bending of the knee was amusing. 

Amusing and cringe, that is.

First, "Hard R" isn't a racial slur. The phrase can allude to the "hard-r" form of the n-word. I guess. But the phrase itself is not racist, as journalists claimed.

Speaking of "journalists," how miserable must one be to care so much about the clearly innocent placings of two separate words in a video game?  Whose feelings could possibly be hurt by the original vision of the scene?

We are too soft, no pun intended.