<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The story of four teens shrunk down to bug size continues with Xbox's </span><em><span>Grounded 2</span></em><span>, but this time the kids are trapped inside a huge park with new dangers and objectives.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="http://9news.com.au" rel="" target="" title="9news.com.au"><span>9news.com.au</span></a><span> caught up with Justin Vasquez, Creative Director at Eidos Montreal and Miles Winzeler, Producer at Obsidian Entertainment, to talk "scary spiders" and all things </span><em><span>Grounded 2</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Grounded 2</span></em><span> is in early access for </span><a href="http://9news.com.au/xbox" rel="" target="" title="Xbox "><span>Xbox</span></a><span>and PC currently, which the creators say allows them to build the game alongside the community.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/developers-take-us-step-by-step-through-the-creation-of-baby-steps/7dde235d-058f-4d76-b978-fe368ce443ca"><strong><span>Baby Steps is the new title wowing gamers with its frustrating gameplay</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Community feedback in the early access model was such a key component to Grounded 1's success," Vasquez said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The community rallied behind this amazing game, this amazing fantasy," he said, attributing community feedback to making the game what it is today.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Last week, the game unleashed a new update.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/technology/interview-with-creators-of-xbox-game-grounded-2/6238f728-477f-4f03-a9ed-39e3feaf8165" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><em><span>Hairy and Scary</span></em><span> sets players up to take on a colossal tarantula named AXL — a big nope from me. Thankfully, </span><em><span>Grounded 2</span></em><span> builds upon the arachnophobia mode from the first game and allows players to reduce AXL to nothing but a blob.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"We have an arachnophobia slider that basically reduces different elements that are phobia triggers on the spiders in game so they can become increasingly more blob-like, lose the extra limbs and the fangs and, you know, enjoy the game," Winzeler told 9news.com.au.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/technology/pax-australia-set-to-see-80000-gamers-take-over-melbourne/d17146e2-1e93-4688-847a-d5168ec9b5bd"><strong><span>More than 80,000 gamers to descend on Melbourne</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"The first area of the picnic area that we released in early access was designed to feel a lot like the backyard, because we wanted players, especially returning players, to feel secure that this was still going to be the core Grounded experience that you've come to know and love," he said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"With the community garden, it's that really great mix of the organic plant life and nature. But this is something that's clearly man made and crafted by humans."</span></div></div><div class="styles__Wrapper-sc-2o34ro-0 cmwkBV"><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><a href="/content/2025/02/04/11/41/most-anticipated-video-games-releasing-in-2025"><img alt="Grand Theft Auto VI" sizes="(min-width: 1024px) 636px, (min-width: 768px) 396px, 100vw" src="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/jHw05v24XBtkRdWpKopP-N1AdgA=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F04fe5421-e2f2-43e7-a8be-36aa3e025fc3" srcset="https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/jHw05v24XBtkRdWpKopP-N1AdgA=/396x223/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F04fe5421-e2f2-43e7-a8be-36aa3e025fc3 396w, https://imageresizer.static9.net.au/mPYGWrPvpmDRr1A3VYgL_yFm7oI=/636x358/https%3A%2F%2Fprod.static9.net.au%2Ffs%2F04fe5421-e2f2-43e7-a8be-36aa3e025fc3 636w"/></a></div><div class="styles__Column-sc-2o34ro-3 jJDKrX"><div class="styles__Headline-sc-2o34ro-4 hpbOlz">The most anticipated video games of 2025</div><div class="styles__Button-sc-2o34ro-1 eBjlmW"><a class="styles__ButtonLink-sc-2o34ro-2 hqpklJ" href="/content/2025/02/04/11/41/most-anticipated-video-games-releasing-in-2025">View Gallery</a></div></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>Watch more in the player above</span></strong></div></div>