Continuing 2018’s run as the year of the crossover, some clever gamers have spotted sever IT Easter Eggs in Far Cry 5.

Following the cult-obsessed inhabitants of Hope County, Montana, Ubisoft’s fifth installment of the popular franchise serves as an open world horror-style Grand Theft Auto. Alongside Raving Rabbids bobbleheads, an alternate ending to Far Cry 4, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds’ frying pans, players have already clocked at least two references to Stephen King’s 1986 novel and the subsequent TV movie/Andy Muschietti’s 2017 blockbuster adaptation.

While it isn’t quite Bill Skarsgård voicing an unhinged Hope Country maniac, there is a (not-so) subtle reference to Pennywise the Dancing Clown. Game Rant spotted the faithful homages to IT and it has since gone viral, as Far Cry fans try to spot them for themselves.

The first involves a section of the map near John’s crop circle that seems to have been plucked directly from Muschietti’s movie. There is an eerie sewer pipe guarded by a shiny red balloon. A trip inside won’t result in being snared by IT’s deadlights, but the warning of the balloon is enough to put most off entering. The second is a little harder to find but is well worth the work. Heading to O’Hara’s Haunted House, players are forced to tread the halls and navigate the jump scares to find another red balloon at the end. Sat on a chair next to the balloon is a note that reads “Clown thoughts” and contains a haunting message:

“You have the fear of god you need the of THE DEVIL you need to FEAR IT you take a young person and take their body and mind you use their empty corpses to find more young people whose bodies you can steal no no NO no no you will wish your mind was scooped out of your body because when IT is through with your bodies YOU WON’T WANT THEM ANYMORE.”

The handy capitalization of “IT” quite literally spells out the nod to Pennywise for anyone who didn’t get the reference. There may be even more Pennywise clues lurking out there in Hope County, but only time will tell what comes out of the woodwork of Far Cry 5. There are endless hours of fun and horror to be had with the game, and it looks like we have only just begun to scratch the surface.

There will undoubtedly be other horror movie references, but given that Muschietti’s terrifying horror movie became one of the most successful ever, it is no surprise that IT continues to influence the genre after it has left theaters. Interestingly, not a single child can be found in Far Cry 5, leading some to guess that even if Pennywise himself doesn’t feature, the game could be placed in some post-IT timeline where the world has gone to hell. Everyone knows about Stephen King’s expanded Kingverse, so who knows, maybe Far Cry 5 is now part of that as well?

More: 16 Secrets Behind The Making Of IT

Source: Game Rant