Leading PlayStation developers condemn online abuse aimed at Insomniac Games following Spider-Man recasting

Leading PlayStation developers have called for fans to be respectful after Insomniac Games creative director Bryan Intihar received threatening messages related to upcoming PS5 game Spider-Man Remastered.

The studio revealed on Wednesday that it has recast Peter Parker’s face from original actor John Bubniak to Ben Jordan, a move which was met with disapproval from some members of the game’s community.

The negative response to the decision included online abuse aimed at Intihar, who has been a creative director at the Spider-Man and Ratchet & Clank studio since 2014.

Intihar responded on Twitter on Saturday: “To our Spidey fans: I totally appreciate your passion, but sending me threatening notes that you will “HUNT YOU DOWN AND WE WILL FIND YOU! YOU FIX THIS NOW!” isn’t cool. With what’s happening in today’s world, let’s be a force for good and be respectful of each other. Thank you.”

Prominent Sony Interactive Entertainment developers came out in support of Intihar and condemned the online abuse he has received, including The Last of Us creative director Neil Druckmann and God of War director Cory Barlog.

“Sigh… sorry you have to deal with this crap, Bryan,” said Naughty Dog vice president Druckmann, who was subjected to online harassment and threats earlier this year in response to The Last of Us Part 2 creative decisions.

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“Sorry you are dealing with that kind of crap, Bryan,” echoed Barlog.

“What the fuck, people?” Santa Monica Studio’s creative director wrote in a separate message. “Please, don’t…don’t do this.

“Bryan is a good person. The entire Insomniac team is filled with hard working, great fucking people.

“This is not the way. We should be better to the people who make the things we love.”

The recasting of Peter Parker’s face was revealed in the first Spider-Man Remastered gameplay footage, which shows the game running using an optional performance mode which targets 60fps.

The $70/£70 Spider-Man: Miles Morales Ultimate Edition will come with a download code for Spider-Man Remastered when it’s released this November.

Players who purchase the standard edition of Miles Morales—which has a free PS4 to PS5 upgrade path—will also be able to pay an additional $20 fee to get the Ultimate version including the remaster. Sony says “PS4 game disc owners who buy the PS5 Digital Edition disc-free console will not be able to access this offer.”

Spider-Man Remastered is not getting a physical release and PS4 saves won’t transfer from the original game to the remaster.

Further reading

1

Spider-Man comparison videos pit the PS4 original against the PS5 remaster

Insomniac says the upcoming PS5 game “is no simple up-res”