GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftThe next World of Warcraft expansion features an ancient race of spider people, so ahead of The War Within, the MMO is getting an arachnophobia mode to turn them into crabs insteadWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
GamesMMOWorld of WarcraftThe next World of Warcraft expansion features an ancient race of spider people, so ahead of The War Within, the MMO is getting an arachnophobia mode to turn them into crabs insteadWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Blizzard)
World of Warcraft’s The War Within expansion spotlights one of the MMO’s most ancient yet unexplored races: a group of antagonistic arachnoids known as the Nerubians. While that’s exciting for lore heads everywhere, it also requires Blizzard to solve an age-old design dilemma – what about the players who don’t like spiders?
“When we announced the Nerubian-centric themes of War Within at Blizzcon, we heard trepidation from portions of our community who love WoW but were worried they wouldn’t be able to experience it,” Hazzikostas says.
“Honestly, prior to that, we heard concerns about it from within our own team. Some people genuinely felt uncomfortable with these elements of the game that we were building together. And so we set out to try to find a solution that would still preserve the fidelity of the game but really make it more approachable, more accessible.”
(Image credit: Blizzard Entertainment)
If you’ve been out of the loop, the Nerubians are an ancient race of spider-folk native to Northrend who once ruled over the kingdom of Azjol-Nerub. They were a big deal once upon a time until the Lich King sent them packing to the arctic wastelands. That all works just fine for most of us as, while there are a few warriors left, there aren’t enough to make you feel consistently uncomfortable if you don’t vibe with spiders.
Expanding on the arachnophobia filter’s implementation to GamesRadar+, Hazzikostas says the team was able to start before fans raised worries at Blizzcon because staff had already voiced similar fears.
“There were a lot of concerns about what about the arachnid race,” he says. “They were a little creepy back in 2008, but in 2024 levels of fidelity that’s much more of a concern. Some folks on the team expressed ‘This is uncomfortable for me as a player,’ let alone in some cases even work on so what do we do about that?'”
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As such, Blizzard kicked off a lot of internal studies, leaning on arachnophobic players from the development team and community. While the team initially tried tweaking the design of the Nerubians what ultimately landed for them was giving them the heave-ho in favor of crab folk, and you know what? I’m for it.
World of Warcraft’s The War Within expansion is due to release this year, but you can read ourWorld of Warcraft: The War Within hands-on previewnow to find out what it’s all about.
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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2
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3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3
Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
4
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5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths”
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1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show”
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1
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2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie”
2
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3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
3
Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
4
The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
5
Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now”
1
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2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
2
Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
3
Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
4
Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”
5
Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”