How are people playing Spider-Man 2 early? Answered

Can you start shooting webs early too?

Spider-Man slinging through the clouds above New York
Image via Sony

Spider-Man 2 is one of the most highly-anticipated releases of October and the year 2023 in general. While players only have to wait a few more days to get their hands on the long-awaited sequel, some fans have noticed others playing Spider-Man 2 before its Oct. 20 release date.

Recommended Videos

Naturally, this has raised some questions, as die-hard Spider-Man fans want to access the game early too. Of course, this scenario isn’t exclusive to Spider-Man 2, with members of any community usually finding a way to start playing a new game earlier than anyone else. This is often done through illicit methods, which can land people in trouble with the publishers and even law enforcement.

In regards to Spider-Man 2 specifically, though, let’s see how some players are slinging their way through New York before Oct 20.

Can you play Spider-Man 2 early?

Spider-Man 2 launches on Oct. 20. Image via Sony

If you are seeing someone play through the full game of Spider-Man 2 early, then it’s likely one of a few things has occurred.

The first and most likely answer is the person you are seeing play early received a special code from the developers. This code allows them to download and play the full game without having to wait for the release date. It’s often that content creators, video game reviewers, and journalists receive these codes to prepare coverage for the game when its release date rolls around.

However, not everyone has to be a content creator or reviewer to play Spider-Man 2 early. Other players might have bent the law to access a physical copy of the game. More often than not, these physical copies come from retailers that have received large shipments of the game to sell in their stores. While most of the copies make it onto the shelves, sometimes people manage to slip one of the copies into their possession in one way or another. This is highly illegal and can land you in serious trouble.

Other than that, there aren’t many additional ways that people could be playing Spider-Man 2 early. If you are seeing people play early, though, I would advise simply not paying attention to them, especially if you want to save yourself from potential spoilers.

Author
Image of Joey Carr
Joey Carr
Joey Carr is a full-time writer for multiple esports and gaming websites. He has 6+ years of experience covering esports and traditional sporting events, including DreamHack Atlanta, Call of Duty Championships 2017, and Super Bowl 53.