Paradox Interactive has announced a new feature for the grand strategy game Stellaris, aiming to make the game more inclusive. The upcoming 4.3.3 update will introduce an “arachnophobia mode,” allowing players to replace unsettling spider-like images with neutral alternatives.
Update 4.3.3 also brings various technical improvements, refined AI, and balance adjustments to the game systems. The Stellaris developers explained that they have carefully classified certain in-game portraits as “spider-like” and provided an alternative replacement for each of them.
The Arachnophobia mode functions as a client-side setting: it changes portraits only for the player who enables it. In multiplayer, other players will continue to see the original “spider” portraits unless they activate the option themselves. It’s important to note that despite the visual change, in-game events will still react as if the original spider-like creatures were present, based on their initial classification within the game’s logic. Additionally, there is a technical possibility for modders to create a reverse mode, potentially replacing all portraits with spider-themed designs.