SUMMARY
- Spider-Man 2 has had a slow post-game with a lack of content updates.
- Players seem to have run out of patience and sending violent threats to developers.
It’s 2024, and fans take their video games seriously. They are aware of what a game should look like and they have their own set of expectations for a game. However, it’s not every time that the game developers would be able to meet every expectation. Besides, the makers have their own distinct vision while creating a video game and sometimes that differs from the rest of the community.
In such cases, the disappointment of fans is quite natural. Negative feedback, review bombing, criticism, and mocking of the developers on the internet have become a usual thing now, and to a certain point, it is even acceptable. But the problem arises when some fans decide to give their disappointment and anger a different form, such as threats to developers.
Spider-Man 2 developers receive threats
The most recent case of developers receiving threats has occurred at the office of Insomniac Games, the developers of the highly acclaimed PlayStation 5 exclusive game Spider-Man 2. Multiple members of Insomniac’s game development team have reported receiving violent threats from Spider-Man 2 players.
Sending violent threats to game developers over game development things is childish and just plain fucking stupid.
— Aaron Jason Espinoza (@TheAgentOfDoom) February 1, 2024
The players apparently demanded updates to the superhero game of 2023. A lot of information about Insomniac Games was leaked after a malware attack on the company’s systems in December 2023.
The leaks also included details that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 DLC content, as well as a New Game Plus mode, could be coming. However, it seems like fans have no patience in awaiting confirmation of updates from the developers and decided to take matters into their own hands.
Developer Insomniac team members shared their responses to online harassment on social media. They particularly highlighted the issue of receiving violent threats demanding new content for Spider-Man 2. Advanced senior community manager Aaron Jason Espinoza posted on X about the “childish” tricks of gamers, who are indulging in sending “violent threats” to game developers.
Don’t do this. We know you want updates and info. We’re working to get things to you as fast as we can, given the extraordinary circumstances our team has faced. https://t.co/YoQDevOXjD
— James Stevenson (@JamesStevenson) February 1, 2024
The Insomniac community and marketing director, James Stevenson, also supported the statements, stating that the development team is well aware of what fans want and they are already working on it, in spite of challenges. The December 2023 leaks served as a massive blow to the company since it publically put out a lot of information.
This included Insomniac Studios‘ internal plans, projects, and even employee details, which they would never want to be out. Thus, the developers have been urging fans to stay patient as they continue to work on giving players what they want.
Other instances of fan threats
Unfortunately, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 developers are not the first or only members of the video game industry to have reported receiving violent threats from players. Stephanie Tyler Jones, Spider-Man 2 face model, has also reported incidents of stalking from aggrieved gamers. Similarly, The Last of Us Part 2 voice actor Laura Bailey has voiced incidents wherein she was subjected to violent comments from fans concerning her performance as Abby.
On the other hand, the developers of Palworld also recently received death threats from Pokemon fans, because the latest game takes heavy inspiration from Nintendo’s IP. Talking of Nintendo, even an industry giant hasn’t been spared.
Last year Nintendo was forced to withdraw multiple live events and gaming competitions planned to be held in Japan after they received threats of mass violence. This kind of toxicity from fans towards developers has been an alarmingly increasing issue in the video game space. On the other hand, there are several communities that encourage positivity among fans and promote productive and healthy ways of sharing feedback with developers.
Spider-Man 2 fans may have to wait a bit longer for new content. During these times staying patient and showing support to the developers would be expected. Fans’ demands and expectations of updates to their games are understandable. However, using toxic behavior to get this done is not justified.