South Korean game developer Shift Up has formally apologized following controversy over a piece of artwork in their popular mobile title Goddess of Victory NIKKE, which many Korean players found to be insulting to Korean men.
The incident stems from a special illustration released to mark NIKKE’s 1,000-day anniversary. In the image, two characters made a hand gesture that Korean players recognized as a symbol sometimes used by radical feminist groups to mock men—particularly using a common slang term for male genitalia.
While the gesture may have appeared innocuous to non-Korean players, it carried a charged meaning within South Korea. The article notes that even major brands such as Apple and Renault have previously faced backlash for use of similar symbols.
In response to the uproar, Shift Up released a statement acknowledging the problem. They stated the illustration was created by an external studio and affirm that there was no malicious intent behind it. The company committed to reissuing a revised version of the illustration and provided free in-game items as compensation to players.
Additionally, Shift Up disclosed that they have established a new internal Quality Management team whose role is to strengthen content review processes to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
Despite these steps, some players remain dissatisfied and feel the response has not fully addressed their concerns. The episode has drawn attention to how even seemingly minor gestures or icons in games can carry deeply specific cultural meanings—and how developers must remain sensitive to those contexts in worldwide releases.