Microsoft has claimed that Insomniac's PlayStation 5 exclusive title, Marvel's Wolverine, will be released in 2023. Marvel's Wolverine was announced at the September 2021 PlayStation Showcase alongside a trailer for Insomniac's other Marvel title, Marvel's Spider-Man 2.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is clearly well into production and although very little has been seen of the superhero sequel, Insomniac recently reassured fans that Marvel's Spider-Man 2's 2023 release date is still on track following concerns after a year had ed with no updates. The last update on Marvel's Wolverine, however, was that it was still very early in development, and unlike Marvel's Spider-Man 2, no release window had been provided.
Despite Marvel's Wolverine not having a release window, Microsoft has recently claimed that the title will be released in 2023. As reported by Call of Duty players would switch to Xbox following the acquisition. In part of this week's filing, Microsoft tried to persuade the CMA to allow Activision Blizzard’s acquisition, and when discussing Sony's market position and how the company will not be significantly impacted, it claimed “PlayStation also has a spate of first and third-party exclusive titles lined up for launch in 2023, including Spider-Man 2, Wolverine, Horizon, Final Fantasy XVI and Forspoken”. Currently, every title listed has been confirmed for a 2023 release except for Marvel's Wolverine.
Marvel's Wolverine Is Set To Be A More Violent Title Than Marvel's Spider-Man
While not much has been revealed surrounding Marvel's Wolverine, comments from the studio have indicated that the title will be more violent than Marvel's Spider-Man. The Princess Bar-set teaser trailer certainly backed up these claims with its many Easter eggs, as it indicated through various posters and signs that Marvel's Wolverine could be set in Madripoor, a city overrun by criminal factors. An eyepatch seen next to Logan at the bar also suggested that Insomniac Games may be adapting Wolverine’s Patch storyline, in which Logan donned the Patch mantle after believing his fellow X-Men had died. Throughout this arc, Logan resorted to more violent ways of dealing justice without the likes of Professor X around to keep his rage in check, and if these hints do lead to a Patch adaptation, Insomniac's title should offer players a look at the darker side of the Marvel Universe than Marvel's Spider-Man did.
Whether the mention of Marvel's Wolverine was a mistake on Microsoft's part, or the company has information not currently available to the public is yet to be seen. Currently, with what Insomniac has said surrounding the title's development most fans were likely expecting the title to come out in 2024, a year after the Venom-focused Marvel's Spider-Man 2, although a late, holiday 2023 window might not be out of the question. Although currently there has been no official statement by Sony or Insomniac regarding the Marvel game's release date, given the high profile of Microsoft's CMA case it would be unsurprising if the developer or publisher addresses the claims soon.
Sources: UK Competition and Marketing Authority, Tech4Gamers (via VGC)
