[UPDATE: The gamer's ex-girlfriend has clarified her reasons for breaking off the relationship to the Houston Press, and says that she has never dated his brother.]

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Insomniac Games, the designers of the runaway hit Spider-Man PS4, will be removing an Easter egg that was intended to help one fan propose to his girlfriend, after receiving word that the fan was dumped. This is only the start of the sad story, however, which showcases how one romantic gesture can go bad and spiral out of control.

The tragic tale reached the public as a result of an Easter egg hunt in the new Spider-Man PS4 game. The new game is full of numerous references and tributes to moments from the classic Spider-Man comics, as well as earlier Spider-Man games, movies and animated series. However, one location in the game perplexed Spider-Fans - a marquee bearing the phrase "Maddie, will you marry me?" This prompted a scouring of the Internet for clues as to the meaning of the mystery sign, to see if this was randomly added in to lend flavor to the virtual world or an honest proposal hidden inside the game.

Related: Spider-Man PS4 Includes A Surprise Marvel Cameo

Detectives on Reddit were eventually able to solve the mystery of the marquee, tracking down a Twitter user who had asked the creative team at Insomniac Games if they could help him with proposing to his girlfriend. The company was agreeable and the marquee was set up. Unfortunately, it was at this point that what was meant to be a romantic gesture and a symbol of how far one man would go to proclaim his love went horribly wrong.

Spider-Man PS4 Proposal

The specifics are muddled, but it is definitely known that "Maddie" dumped her boyfriend. Some say this occurred several weeks before Spider-Man PS4 was released.

In either case, it was a reversal worthy of "the ol' Parker luck" from the classic Spider-Man comic books. Thankfully, the fan has apparently elected to take the lemons life has thrown at him and make lemonade. When Insomniac Games reached out to him and asked him about removing the Easter egg with the next patch for Spider-Man PS4, he instead asked them to change the marquee so that it paid tribute to his grandmother - the woman who bought him his first comic book as a child and then bought him a copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 - the first appearance of Spider-Man in comic book history.

More: Every Unlockable Suit In Marvel's Spider-Man PS4 Game

Source: luccasalomone11/Reddit