Spider-Man 2 Patch Brings Back Nelson and Murdock Sign: ‘Guess They Paid Their Rent’

A fan-favorite Easter egg from Insomniac’s Spider-Man series is back where it belongs after a recent patch to Spider-Man 2. The real question is, why did it go missing in the first place?

Day one players may recall the first game featured a plaque for the law offices of Nelson and Murdock near Josie’s Bar, a landmark in Hell’s Kitchen that commonly appears in the Daredevil comics. But after booting up Spider-Man 2, gamers were quick to discover that a plaque with no text was left in its place, which we inferred meant Nelson and Murdock moved out.

Last month, we spoke with Bryam Intihar, senior creative director at Insomniac Games, on a spoilercast episode of Beyond where the Insomniac executive gave us a coy response when we initially badgered him about the removal of the Easter egg.

“That’s a good question,” Intihar said. “Stay tuned. Good find though.”

Guess they paid their rent… https://t.co/SzXFEXWaqZ

— Bryan Intihar (@bryanintihar) November 2, 2023

Now the sign is back like nothing happened.

“Guess they paid their rent,” wrote Intihar in response to a Tweet from IGN announcing the Easter egg’s return.

“This is villain level teasing,” one fan replied to Intihar on Twitter/X. And we don’t disagree.

IGN has reached out to Sony for comment. But in the meantime, it looks like this is the most confirmation we’re going to get that Insomniac has something Daredevil-related in the works.

This is villain level teasing @bryanintihar pic.twitter.com/8j1t1fce1e

— Mr Casual (@CasualAvenger) November 2, 2023

While other superheroes have been alluded to throughout the Spider-Man games (Doctor Strange, Black Panther and The Fantastic Four, to name a few), it certainly seems like Insomniac’s been doubling down on references to the blind hero. IGN’s gameplay editors previously discovered a strange Easter egg while exploring the Upper West Side District, which they reported might be another sly reference to the Daredevil franchise.

A garage door marked with a red symbol in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may seem innocuous to players at first glance, but a look through the windows would reveal a villain hideout, filled with weapons, swords and skulls. Fans are speculating the hidden room could belong to The Hand, an ancient group of ninjas that frequently fight Daredevil.

Screenrant found even more Daredevil references in the first Spider-Man game, such as a Daily Bugle article with Ben Urich’s name in the byline. Urich is a reoccuring character in both the Spider-Man and Daredevil comics, best known for helping Daredevil take down Kingpin and the Green Goblin.

The publication also spotted a Nelson and Murdock business card that players can collect from one of Peter’s backpacks. In addition, Clinton Mission Shelter and Fogwell’s Gym are two landmarks players can access in Marvel’s Spider-Man, which reference niche locations relevant to Daredevil’s origin story.

All signs point to something brewing at Insomnic Games, and fans think it’s going to be either a stand alone Daredevil game or DLC based on the popular hero.

Please tell me you guys have plans for a Daredevil game or a DLC where we can play as him.

— Hal Jordan (@LanternJordan_) November 2, 2023

“Please tell me you guys have plans for a Daredevil game or a DLC where we can play as him,” another user responded to Intihar on X.

Insomniac has said they’re not opposed to making a Venom spin-off if fans want it, and a Wolverine stand alone game is already in development. There’s no ruling out the possibility of a future for Matt Murdock in the hero game franchise.

Katie Reul is a freelance writer at IGN.