During the second stage of the 2026 NBPL Spring Tournament for Naraka: Bladepoint, Chinese commentator Zha Zha appeared on stream covered head-to-toe in black body paint. Western observers have labeled the stunt blackface, while Chinese context ties it to in-game stealth tactics. The appearance followed controversy over her previous outfits.
Zha Zha, also known as 喳喳 or Cha Cha, painted her skin black while wearing a black outfit during the tournament stream earlier this month. She performed a sneaking emote upon entering, referencing a popular player strategy in Naraka: Bladepoint where characters use dark skins to hide in shadows, especially for the stealthy thief Matari. High-ranked players often customize faces to appear completely black for advantages like climbing trees or lurking in dark corners, a practice dating back to at least 2022 Reddit discussions. Chinese fans call these 'Shadow Person' or 'Shadow Criminal,' inspired by a Detective Conan character. This has become a min-maxing habit mocked by event organizers, according to a Reddit user MrMerryMilkshake commenting on the stream. The stunt came shortly after accusations that NBPL organizers forced Zha Zha into revealing clothing. She addressed this on Weibo, stating, “No one has ever forced me to wear inappropriate clothing on official broadcasts to appear in public.” She added, “The reason I chose a short skirt was to present a better on-camera look for viewers.” Zha Zha regularly cosplays Naraka: Bladepoint characters on NBPL streams. English-language coverage has sparked debate on X, with users calling it blackface in response to misogyny claims. Viral clips from April 12 show her appearance, while posts on April 16 highlighted the controversy.
