Insider claims Marvel's Wolverine is on track for a 2026 release even as spin-off Venom title continues development

A new rumor has cropped up suggesting that Insomniac Games’ highly anticipated Marvel’s Wolverine game is still targeting a 2026 release window for the PlayStation 5, offering a glimpse of hope for fans who have been in the dark for four years since the game's initial announcement back in September 2021, during a PlayStation Showcase.

While Marvel and Sony have pretty much remained tight-lipped on the game’s development, a new whisper made its way to the internet via an anonymous insider speaking to MP1st. The insider states that the game is still on track for its 2026 release window.

Concerns arose earlier in the gaming community when a massive 2023 ransomware attack leaked Insomniac’s internal documents, which revealed Wolverine’s 2026 launch alongside a spin-off Venom game slated for 2025.

Speculation and rumors suggested that the Venom game had been scrapped alongside Wolverine, but the recent MP1st scoop predicts the game will release in 2026, around the same time period as Marvel’s Wolverine.

The hype surrounding Marvel’s Wolverine is understandable, given Insomniac’s proven track record with Marvel’s Spider-Man in 2018, following Xbox-exclusive Sunset Overdrive’s release in 2014. Marvel’s Spider-Man became one of PlayStation’s biggest titles as it contributed the biggest share in the franchise’s lifetime sales, exceeding 50 million units worldwide.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, despite fans' critiques of feeling rushed in terms of pacing, still managed to sell over 11 million units within six months, and a staggering 2.5 million units on launch day, making it the fastest-selling first-party PlayStation Studios game of all time.

It stands to reason that Marvel’s Wolverine is still in development as following the ransomware attack in 2023, a pre-alpha build of the game was compiled and leaked online, intended for PS5 development kits.

The build was backported to run on PC and showcased a bit of early gameplay in a bar where Wolverine engages in a barfight against ninjas from The Hand organization. 

Other leaks also showed some nighttime stealth gameplay, reminiscent of Marvel’s Spider-Man, which is uncharacteristic of Wolverine, depending upon his comic book representation. However, it is notable to mention that the leaked alpha build is not a final representation of what Insomniac is envisioning for Marvel’s Wolverine, and despite mixed early reception, combat, stealth, and gameplay could change significantly, along with voice actor and face model recasts.