They’re everywhere. Honestly, if you’ve spent more than twenty minutes running through the rusted, post-apocalyptic streets of Eidos 7 or the sandy dunes of the Wasteland, you’ve probably noticed them. I'm talking about the cat pictures in Stellar Blade. These aren't just random textures slapped onto a wall by a bored developer. They are a weird, endearing, and surprisingly deep part of the game's world-building that has sent the completionist community into a bit of a frenzy.
Eve is busy. She’s fighting Naytibas. She’s trying to save what’s left of humanity. But apparently, even in the middle of a literal extinction event, people still had time to print out photos of their tabbies and tape them to vending machines.
What is the Deal With Cat Pictures in Stellar Blade Anyway?
If you are looking for a massive stat boost or a new Nano Suit, the cat pictures might disappoint you at first. They don’t give you +10 Attack Power. They don’t make your parry window wider. So why do they matter?
The cat pictures in Stellar Blade serve as a bridge. Shift Up, the developers behind this action-heavy title, used these small environmental details to ground the world. It’s "environmental storytelling" in its most literal sense. When you find a faded, grainy photo of a kitten stuck to a crumbling brick wall in Xion, it tells you that a person lived there. Someone loved that cat.
It’s human.
Most players stumble upon these while hunting for Memory Sticks or Cans. In a game that often feels cold, metallic, and overwhelming, seeing a fluffy orange cat staring back at you from a piece of paper is a momentary breather. It’s a tonal shift. It makes the stakes feel higher because you aren't just fighting for "humanity" as a concept; you're fighting for the kind of people who took pictures of their pets.
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The Search for Every Single Image
Actually finding all the cat pictures in Stellar Blade is a task for the truly dedicated. They aren't marked on your map. Your drone won't always highlight them with a "Scan" pulse unless they are part of a specific quest interaction. Most are tucked away in the corners of ruined shops or plastered on the sides of those ubiquitous "Cryo" vending machines.
I’ve seen players on Reddit and Discord debating if there's a hidden trophy attached to them. Spoiler alert: there isn't a specific "Cat Photographer" trophy, but finding them often leads you directly to other collectibles that do count toward your Platinum run. They are breadcrumbs.
Where the Best Shots Are Hiding
You’ll find the highest density of these images in Xion, the last bastion of humanity. Since Xion is the game's social hub, it makes sense that the remnants of "normal" life are most visible here. Walk past the back alleys near Gwen’s hair salon. Check the bulletin boards.
- The Wasteland Vending Machines: Throughout the open-world sections, you'll find yellow and blue vending machines. Many of these have a specific cat photo—a white and grey shorthair—taped to the bottom right corner.
- Eidos 7 Construction Zone: Before you head down into the flooded commercial sector, check the small office shacks. There are often pinboards with multiple photos.
- The Hidden Alleys of Xion: If you follow the path toward the back of the city where the "Sisters' Junk" shop is located, keep your eyes on the shop windows.
Shift Up has a history of including these kinds of Easter eggs. If you've played Goddess of Victory: Nikke, you know they love their mascots and small, cute interruptions to the grim-dark aesthetic.
Why This Resonated With the Community
Let’s be real. The internet loves cats.
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When Stellar Blade launched, the focus was primarily on the combat mechanics—which are stellar, by the way—and Eve's character design. But within a week, "cat pictures Stellar Blade" became a breakout search term. Why? Because it’s relatable. It’s a "meme-able" moment in a game that takes its lore very seriously.
There is one specific photo of a cat sitting in a bowl that has become a fan favorite. It's tucked away in a corner of the Great Desert. Finding it feels like finding a secret handshake from the developers. It says, "We know you're looking at the small stuff, and we appreciate it."
Is There a Gameplay Reward?
Mathematically? No.
Emotionally? Absolutely.
However, there is a slight nuance here. Some of these photos are part of the broader "Gallery" or environmental data points that fill out your database. If you are a 100% completionist, you aren't just looking for the pictures; you're looking for the context. Some cat photos are located next to Body Cores or Beta Cores. If you see a cat, look around. There is almost always a loot crate or a hidden path within ten virtual feet of that image.
It’s a clever design trick. The developers know our eyes are drawn to familiar, "out of place" objects in a wasteland. By placing a cat photo near a ledge, they guide the player’s gaze to a climbing point they might have otherwise missed.
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Technical Detail and Texture Quality
If you use the game's Photo Mode, you can actually see the level of detail put into these. They aren't just blurry placeholders. You can see the tape marks. You can see the creases in the paper. It’s clear that someone on the art team spent a significant amount of time ensuring these felt like physical objects in the world.
In the PS5 Pro version (or via the high-fidelity modes on the base PS5), the textures hold up remarkably well. You can zoom in and practically read the "missing" posters if they have text on them. It’s this level of polish that separates a good game from a great one.
How to Optimize Your Collection Run
If you’re going back through the game on New Game Plus to find every detail you missed, here is the best way to handle it.
- Max out your Drone's Scanning range: This won't highlight the cat pictures specifically, but it will highlight the containers and memory sticks usually found near them.
- Ignore the Main Path: If the game tells you to go left, go right first. The cat photos are almost never on the direct path to a boss.
- Check the "Prop" density: If an area has a lot of desks, chairs, and monitors, it’s a goldmine for these little environmental clues.
The cat pictures in Stellar Blade represent a shift in how we view collectibles. We don't always need a gold trophy to make a search feel rewarding. Sometimes, just seeing a picture of a cat in a world where cats no longer exist is enough to make the journey through the wasteland feel a little less lonely.
Final Thoughts on the Feline Hunt
Don't stress if you haven't found them all. There's no in-game counter telling you that you've found 42 out of 50 cat photos. This isn't a Ubisoft-style checklist. It’s a treasure hunt for the soul. It’s about the vibe.
Next time you’re dodging a Naytiba’s heavy attack or trying to figure out a puzzle in the Abyss Levoire, take a second. Look at the walls. You might just find a furry friend looking back at you, reminding you that even at the end of the world, some things are worth remembering.
Actionable Next Steps for Completionists:
- Enter Photo Mode whenever you find a new cat image; sometimes the lighting reveals hidden "scribbles" or notes nearby left by survivors.
- Visit the "Information Dealer" in Xion (Roxanne). While she doesn't sell a "cat map," her inventory often unlocks side quests that lead you into the residential districts where these pictures are most common.
- Cross-reference your "Cans" collection. Most of the cat-heavy areas overlap with the 49 collectible cans required for the "Can Collector" trophy and the Ultimate Slimsuit reward.
- Listen to the ambient dialogue in Xion; NPCs occasionally mention their lost pets, adding a layer of melancholy to the photos you find in the wild.