Crypt Fiends first appeared in Blizzard's Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos in 2002 as a ranged ground unit for the Undead Scourge, reanimated from Nerubian spider creatures. Like other Warcraft units, they were given several click and movement quotes that players heard repeatedly during matches, making the raspy delivery instantly familiar. Short excerpts later circulated on soundboards and in fan edits, where the line became shorthand for undead, spiders and dark fantasy orders beyond the original strategy game context.