Spawnism on Roblox (Forsaken) – self‑harm incidents and recent developments (July 24 2025)

Background

• Origin of spawnism. The term spawnism comes from the lore of Forsaken (a Roblox horror game). In the game a fictional “Spawn Cult” worships a spawn‑point icon (similar to a respawn marker), believing it gives a second life. This satire was meant to caution players about blind faith in cultsgamethemedia.com. When fans created a “spawn cult” subreddit and Twitter account in May 2025, the role‑play meme quickly turned into a real‑world internet cultgamethemedia.com. Discord servers began recruiting teenagers and encouraging disturbing rituals such as carving the spawn symbol into their skin and sharing self‑harm imagesgamethemedia.com. Early posts on YouTube and Discord blurred fiction and reality and attracted players who treated the spawn point as a ritual site.

• Beliefs and practices. The cult’s narrative centres on the belief that performing painful “offerings” allows the follower to respawn after death. Common practices described by spawnists and critics include:

  PracticeEvidenceSelf‑harm by carving the spawn symbol into skinThe Gamethemedia article reports at least one confirmed case of a 14‑year‑old carving the spawn symbol into their skingamethemedia.com. The draft Wikipedia article lists self‑harm as the most common practice. Fandom commenters describe teenagers performing “blood sacrifices” and carving their skin.Shrine/altar building and blood offeringsThe draft article notes that some members build shrines in Roblox or Discord and sometimes engage in blood rituals.Deleting accounts (“avatar sacrifice”)Some spawnists delete their Roblox or Twitter accounts as a “sacrifice”.Recruitment via ARG‑style media and role‑playSpawnists use cryptic videos, puzzles and horror‑themed role‑play to lure new followers.Pain as devotionWithin spawnist circles, self‑inflicted pain is treated as a badge of honour; members share images of cuts to prove loyalty.

• Target demographic. Many posts warn that the cult targets vulnerable adolescents. A Fandom user notes that spawnist followers are “mostly vulnerable 13‑15‑year‑olds” and that they perform blood sacrifices and carve into their skin. The Anti‑Spawn Cult Federation says the movement “glorifies and promotes self‑harm, suicide, violence and grooming of minors”robloxcities.fandom.com.

Verified self‑harm incidents

• Documented self‑harm.

  • Self‑harm case (14‑year‑old). By mid‑July 2025, at least one verified incident involved a 14‑year‑old carving the spawn symbol into their skingamethemedia.com. This case has been widely cited in Fandom discussionsforsaken2024.fandom.com.

  • Multiple victims posting self‑harm images. The draft Wikipedia article notes that on Reddit there are multiple posts showing graphic images of minors who cut the spawn symbol into their skin, indicating that the practice has occurred “numerous times”. YouTube commentators quoted in the article warn that some children are “proud of it” and encourage others.

  • No confirmed fatalities as of mid‑July. Although rumours circulated that someone had died because of the cult, the draft article states there is “no substantial evidence” to support the claim. Gamethemedia similarly notes that while self‑harm incidents were real, there were no confirmed fatalities by July 14gamethemedia.com.

• Rumours and unverified claims. Some posts mention unverified reports of a death. The draft article references a Roblox drama YouTuber claiming someone “lost their lives” because of the cult, but it notes the lack of evidence. Many Fandom users compare spawnism to fictional hoaxes and caution that the “respawn” claim is falseforsaken2024.fandom.com.

Community and platform responses

Official statements and platform actions

• Forsaken developer’s response. The creator of Forsaken (Hytok0) issued a public announcement stating that spawnism is not real and that TwoTime’s story is a mockery of blind belief. Hytok0 warned that followers were misinterpreting the fictional lore and urged them to seek help. The developer’s message emphasised that players who support spawnism would be banned and that moderators actively work to shut down spawnist servers.

• Platform bans and moderation. By mid‑July, Roblox, Discord and YouTube banned spawnism content and servers, with penalties including account termination and contacting law enforcement. Community reporting groups also formed to flood spawnist hashtags with debunking postsgamethemedia.com. The draft article notes that law‑enforcement–aligned groups like “Shatter the Spawn” collaborate with digital safety organizations to take down spawnist servers.

• Mental health outreach. Gamethemedia reports that after the crisis point in early July, official advisories paired platform bans with mental health resources, such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifelinegamethemedia.com. Posts and articles repeatedly encourage spawnism followers to seek professional help,.

Community reactions and activism

• Anti‑Spawn Cult Federation and activism. The Anti‑Spawn Cult Federation formed to protect minors; its manifesto states that the spawn cult glorifies self‑harm, suicide, violence and groomingrobloxcities.fandom.com. It urges concerned parents to join the fight to stop dangerous activities and provide rescuerobloxcities.fandom.com. On July 21 2025, the federation reportedly attacked spawnism “churches” in game worlds to dismantle themrobloxcities.fandom.com.

• Micronational bans. Several micronations banned spawnism. The micro‑nation Shaynolia declared spawnism illegal and prohibited spawnist symbols as of July 18 2025reddit.com. Aberland issued a “Ban Protocol” on July 17 2025: spawnism was prohibited, victims would not be criminalized but referred to therapy, and the spawn symbol was bannedreddit.com.

• Reddit proclamation. The r/SpawnismExposed community published a Proclamation of July 11 2025 calling for the “total extermination” of spawnism. The proclamation explains that spawnism is a self‑harm cult that misleads followers with false claims of respawning and encourages children to carve spawn symbols into their skinreddit.com. It calls for social media platforms to ban spawnist content, for promoters to be reported and offered deprogramming, and for awareness campaigns and support systemsreddit.com.

• Fandom and community warnings. Many Fandom discussions warn that spawnism is not real and implore followers to stop self‑harming. One user (posing as the character TwoTime) states that he is “not real” and does not want to influence self‑harm. Another user warns that spawnists are mostly vulnerable teenagers performing blood sacrifices and urges them to rethink.

Latest news as of 24 July 2025

• Spawnism’s decline. By late July 2025, spawnism’s influence was waning due to coordinated moderation, law‑enforcement interest and widespread debunking. The Gamethemedia article notes that community action helped contain spawnism by mid‑Julygamethemedia.com. Draft discussions on Wikipedia emphasise that many spawnist servers have been taken down and that a leader of one spawnist group was allegedly apprehended.

• No confirmed deaths. Despite rumours, there is no evidence of fatalities attributed to spawnism up to July 24 2025gamethemedia.com. Verified harm consists of self‑inflicted cuts and psychological distress. Unverified claims of a death remain anecdotal and unsubstantiated.

• Ongoing warnings and mental health outreach. Official messages continue to emphasize that spawnism is fictional and harmful. Platforms maintain bans on spawnist content, and community members direct potential victims toward mental health resourcesgamethemedia.com.

Conclusions and recommendations

• A fictional cult with real‑world harms. Spawnism began as a satirical element of Forsaken but was misinterpreted by some fans. Recruiters exploited vulnerability and curiosity to encourage self‑harm rituals and other disturbing acts. There is no truth to the belief that one can “respawn” by harming oneself; the spawn symbol is a .png image, not a path to immortalityforsaken2024.fandom.com.

• Clear mental‑health risk, not a legitimate religion. Authorities and community leaders agree that spawnism glorifies self‑harm and preys on minorsrobloxcities.fandom.com. Followers should be approached with compassion and offered professional help rather than criminalizationreddit.com.

• No deaths but ongoing vigilance needed. As of July 24 2025, there are no confirmed fatalities, but multiple cases of minors harming themselves. Platforms, parents and educators must remain vigilant, foster digital literacy and provide mental‑health resources.

• If you or someone you know is struggling: The U.S. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline offers free, confidential help. Text or call 988 to connect with counselors.