Grounded 2 is bringing back the arachnophobia mode from its first game, and it’s not just for regular spiders, rideable spiders get the treatment too. This update is a big deal for players who get seriously creeped out by eight-legged critters, letting them adjust how spider-like these creatures appear, making the game more approachable for everyone.
After hearing tales of real-life arachnophobia reactions, I can’t help but respect how important this feature is. The game director, Chris Parker, confirmed to Polygon that the new title will include this mode, keeping in line with the first game’s slider system. This lets players tweak spiders’ appearance from realistic to almost like balloon animals, which is hilarious.
What’s wild is that Grounded 2 ups the challenge by allowing players to ride spiders. Parker admitted it’s “tricky” to apply arachnophobia mode to these rideable spiders, but reassured it’s not as complicated as it sounds. The trick? They replace spider limbs and features with cute spheres, transforming the creepy crawlies into something less scary. Clever, right?
Developers at Obsidian are also cautious about pushing spider designs too far. They test assets carefully and sometimes remove or tweak things based on community feedback, which means the game will likely have spiders that are creepy enough to fit the theme but not so much that they freak everyone out. They’re eager for that balance, and it’s refreshing to see a studio taking player comfort seriously.
Grounded 2 will enter early access on July 29 and is already available for wishlisting on Steam.
