‘Red Dead Redemption 2’ Developer Speaks on Viral “Spider Dream Mystery”

Summary

• A complex web of spider carvings and time-sensitive clues were discovered in Red Dead Redemption 2 in late 2025.
• Former Rockstar QA Adam Butterworth expressed shock that the community located the “impossible” secret
• The mystery involves disappearing webs, directional pole carvings, and a question mark on a mountain

The Red Dead Redemption 2 community has unearthed what appears to be the game’s final frontier of secrets, dubbed the “Spider Dream Mystery.” After seven years of silence, the discovery of time-sensitive spider web carvings and cryptic directional prompts has reignited the player base. The find was so obscure that it prompted a rare response from former Rockstar developer Adam Butterworth, who worked on the game’s Quality Assurance team.

The hunt began when players located a spider carving on a telephone pole near Cornwall Kerosene & Tar, which pointed to a series of ephemeral webs that only materialize between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.. Following the breadcrumbs north leads to shootable poles revealing “W” and “NW” inscriptions, eventually guiding players toward a mysterious question mark etched into a mountain. The intricacy of the steps — requiring precise timing and specific sightlines — suggests a level of depth previously unseen in the game’s easter eggs.

Butterworth’s reaction to the discovery was telling. Taking to social media, he admitted, “Absolutely wild people have found this. I remember hearing about this and thinking it would never be discovered.” His comments effectively confirm the legitimacy of the hunt, dismissing fears that the clues were merely cut content or texture glitches. However, the lack of a tangible reward at the end of the trail has led some to speculate the “NW” inscription references audio programmer Nickolas Warseck, marking the entire journey as a complex developer signature rather than a quest for loot.

With GTA VI on the horizon for late 2026, this late-stage discovery serves as a testament to Rockstar’s obsessive attention to detail, proving that even after nearly a decade, their worlds still hold secrets waiting for the right eyes to find them.

A completely new mystery has been found in Red Dead Redemption 2 for the first time and the community is losing its mind over it.

This is a real easter egg, designed by Rockstar and has gone completely unnoticed for 7 years.

A spider's symbol was found on a telegraph pole in… pic.twitter.com/PkeDhJKaLg

— Synth Potato🥔 (@SynthPotato) January 4, 2026

Absolutely wild people have found this. I remember hearing about this and thinking it would never be discovered 😂 https://t.co/CxWpnRXoPQ

— Adam Butterworth (@Adam76511able) January 5, 2026