New Hogwarts Legacy update makes the game far less scary

New Hogwarts Legacy update makes the game far less scary
Warner Bros. | Avalanche Software

Written by 

Tom Chapman

Published 

5th May 2023 15:16

It's not just Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man that's a no-go for those suffering from Arachnophobia, as the likes of Respawn's Star Wars Jedi: Survivor and Avalanche Software's Hogwarts Legacy bombard you with those eight-legged creepy crawlies.

Hogwarts Legacy isn't exactly a horror game, but for some, it'll make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Before the magical adventure was even released, wannabe wizards spotted that spiders would be a part of our trip to that famed school. Thankfully, Arachnopboes could soon be safe from Aragog's ancestors. 

Hogwarts Legacy includes Arachnophobia mode

While a lot of us might've put down our controllers having polished off our Potions class, Avalanche Software has delivered patch notes that confirm an Arachnophobia mode that will be familiar to those who watched 2004's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

Heading to the game's accessibility menu in-game, you can toggle the Arachnophobia mode. Enemy spiders will be given a munch friendlier appearance, their creepy sounds are reduced, and you can make spider corpses invisible when they're bested.

This ties to Prisoner of Azkaban because you might remember when Professor Lupin taught his Defence Against the Dark Arts class to use Riddikulus. Ron's fear of spiders was squashed when the spider boggart was turned into a cute critter with rollerskates.

Spiders are a big problem in video games

Hogwarts Legacy Arachnophobia mode isn't quite perfect, as Collisison still works when in this mode to avoid you getting stuck. Also, the frightening visage of the spiders won't be changed in the game's Field guide. Still, YouTuber WizardPhD has shown off the Arachnophobia mode in its adorable glory.

Responding to the squishy spider mode, one spider-phobe wrote, "It definitely takes the fear of spiders away. I used to have a fear but I'm over it now but for anyone that does it helps." Another cheered, "Yayyy I can finally play again!!"

Not everyone was a fan, as a third concluded, "I was hoping it would be the opposite..I hate spiders but thatd be cool if they jumped into your face on the screen too..or have to fight a 20ft tall spider."

We've previously covered a Hogwarts Legacy mod that turns spiders into boxes, but unless you were playing the Wizarding World on PC, it wasn't much good for those on PlayStation and Xbox. Following Jedi: Survivor's own spider-free mode, it looks like Hogwarts Legacy is opening the school's doors to Arachnophobes. 

Tom Chapman
About the author
Tom Chapman
Tom is Trending News Editor at GGRecon, with an NCTJ qualification in Broadcast Journalism and over seven years of experience writing about film, gaming, and television. With bylines at IGN, Digital Spy, Den of Geek, and more, Tom’s love of horror means he's well-versed in all things Resident Evil, with aspirations to be the next Chris Redfield.
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