The Spider-Man Graphics Downgrade Controversy, widely known as 'Puddlegate,' erupted in late 2018 just before the release of Insomniac Games' Marvel's Spider-Man. Fans on Reddit and Twitter compared gameplay footage from E3 2017 to the final build, pointing out that certain puddles in the environment were smaller or missing, and lighting effects seemed less intense. While developers explained that these changes were stylistic or due to optimization rather than a 'downgrade,' the internet turned it into a massive meme. It is now used as a shorthand to mock 'nitpicky' gamers or to highlight the disparity between marketing hype and the final product in the video game industry.