Motion Twin, the studio behind Dead Cells, publicly thanked film-maker Guillermo del Toro after he said he had been playing the roguelike action game. The studio then jokingly encouraged him to use the game’s accessibility options, highlighting both Del Toro’s enthusiasm for games and Dead Cells’ reputation for being demanding.

Del Toro mentioned Dead Cells while discussing games he has played, prompting the studio’s light-hearted response on social media. Dead Cells includes an Assist Mode that lets players adjust elements such as damage taken, enemy health and the number of deaths allowed before restarting; the exchange was presented as friendly banter rather than criticism.