Marvel’s Wolverine looks like it could be a major highlight of a stacked September, but if you look online, many people are already calling the game dead on arrival for a number of reasons. One of the primary complaints stems from Marvel’s Wolverine being a linear single-player action game instead of an open-world one like Marvel’s Spider-Man 2–which ironically, was chided for being just that prior to release by people online who claimed to have open-world fatigue.
That’s hardly surprising, given how platforms like X literally pay users for manufacturing drama that, in turn, drives engagement. Insomniac’s community and marketing director, James Stevenson, has called out the toxic nature of these websites, and how they reinforce negativity loops.
“I think the wild way this algorithm amplifies and forces negativity upon you has me reconsidering my philosophy on telling devs to look or post here,” Stevenson wrote. “It’s a relentless onslaught that I cannot believe is good for anyone’s mental health nor representative.”
Stevenson also pointed out that X was flooding his feed with negative content, which he attributed to the site’s algorithm. A recent study by the University of Toronto found that X’s recommendation algorithms heavily favor high-engagement content, inflammatory political posts, and polarizing posts, something a number of users have become experts at generating. The more engagement they create, the better their odds of generating revenue through the monetization of their profile via the Original Content Rewards Program. It’s similar to the seedier side of YouTube, where engagement-baiting thumbnails and bad-faith takes are explored through various videos.
Insomniac was also on the receiving end of toxicity back when X was known as Twitter, as prior to the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man, Reddit users claimed one shot of the game included fewer puddles than were shown in the same scene at E3 2018. Insomniac would later poke fun at “Puddlegate” with an update that allowed players to add as many puddles as they could ask for via stickers in the game’s photo mode.
It’s also not too surprising to see Marvel’s Wolverine caught up in online toxicity, as just about anything related to PlayStation has become a focal point for people to vent their frustrations at following Sony’s decision to end disc production in 2028. As other replies have pointed out, online hate– manufactured or genuine–doesn’t equate to real life, and the best option might be to just ignore the haters, not exactly easy when you’re trying to find constructive and thoughtful criticism from players instead of a social media dogpile for various flimsy reasons.
Marvel’s Wolverine launches on September 15 for PS5, and so far, early previews suggest that it’ll be a rock-solid entry in Insomniac’s library of superhero games. “It’s undeniable that Insomniac’s take on Logan is firmly planted in familiar game design, but Wolverine is clearly doing more than just fitting a typical story of the character in it,” managing editor Tamoor Hussain wrote in GameSpot’s Wolverine preview.
Sony also announced a limited-edition Marvel’s Wolverine PS5 bundle, console covers, and a new DualSense controller inspired by the game, which will be available to preorder soon.