Another PlayStation showcase has come and gone, and with it a bunch of new announcements. However, while there was a decent balance of titles for gamers of all interests, there is a sentiment among many that the presentation was generally lacking in PlayStation first party studio offerings. Fans feeling disappointed in the showcase are all puzzled by the absence of upcoming heavy hitter exclusives, most notably more information regarding Insomniac's next superhero epic, Marvel's Wolverine, based on the popular comic book character.
After the game being initially revealed almost two years ago during 2021's September PlayStatiom showcase, many players felt like the time had come for Insomniac to pull back the curtain on its latest project. To be fair, it is disappointing to have not received even an inkling of new information, but it should be stressed that Marvel's Wolverine being a no-show is not a cause for concern. It not being present at the show is likely not reflective of its development behind the scenes, with a number of factors pointing to why it is still being kept under wraps.
Insomniac's Busy Production Schedule
Although almost two years have passed since Marvel's Wolverine was first teased, it is unclear just how much time the game had been in production prior to its September 2021 reveal. It could have very well been several months to a year in the process, or right at the beginning of development. Either way, AAA game development is a massive undertaking, with these top quality titles taking several years to develop nowadays. Look no further than fellow PlayStation exclusives like The Last of Us and its sequel, having a seven-year gap between each installment.
Furthermore, Insomniac as a studio has had a lot on its plate these past few years. While a talented studio with Sony to back it up, the team can still only do so much at once. Since 2018, Insomniac has had a non-stop rollout of top tier experiences for gamers to enjoy, a feat which must require all hands on deck and an immense amount of effort from all involved. In the last few years, the team has made not one, but two Spider-Man games as well as a brand-new chapter in its long-running Ratchet and Clank series. For this reason, Marvel's Wolverine was likely just a tease at what's to come as opposed to being something in deep development alongside numerous other big budget games.
The Focus on Marvel's Spider-Man 2
Speaking of the wall crawler, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 closed off the PlayStation showcase and seemed to be unanimously considered the highlight of the entire presentation. It looks like another polished action adventure that should deliver all that fans of the webhead and high thrills enthusiasts come to expect. Naturally, to craft a game of this caliber will require a great deal of time, resources, and employees from Insomniac to deliver the best possible product. With Marvel's Spider-Man 2 taking a lot of that attention, it's unlikely much progress is being made on Marvel's Wolverine at the current time. Even though Marvel's Wolverine is being made by another team, it can be assumed that some developers are helping with Spider-Man 2 as it marches toward launch. Regardless, letting Marvel's Spider-Man 2 keep the spotlight until it releases seems like a smart marketing choice.
Insomniac has now made a name for itself as a high quality developer for superhero games, standing toe to toe with Rocksteady as a go-to name in the industry for this genre. Due to its tremendous work on Marvel's Spider-Man, the bar will be set extremely high for Marvel's Wolverine to match or exceed these expectations. Insomniac not showing off the feral mutant's latest video game adventure during the PlayStation showcase is likely due to it simply not being in a presentable state yet. The time will eventually come for Wolverine's claws to 'snikt' into action, but until then, players will need to remain patient for a little while longer.
Marvel's Wolverine is in development for PS5.