Surprise, surprise. Just as everyone thought that James Howlett (that’s Wolverine’s real name, by the way, for the more casual fans out there) was going to Berserker Barrage his way into PlayStation 5 consoles next year, it appears that Insomniac Games isn’t about to drop off the Spider-Man hype train just yet.
Not long after Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 went home with zero awards at The Game Awards despite setting a new record for PlayStation and winning the hearts of critics, Insomniac found itself the victim of an unfortunate hack.
While the exact repercussions of this incident remain unseen, it has revealed details about the first-party Sony studio’s upcoming pipeline.
The speculation about a Venom game began to circulate following the release of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Many noted that Tony Todd, the voice of Venom, was used sparingly in the sequel. As per Todd, the game only used a fraction of his voicework. This sparked discussions about a potential DLC or a standalone spin-off, similar to Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The rumors gained further traction when Jon Paquette, a senior narrative director at Insomniac, hinted at the studio’s interest in developing a Venom game.
Now, here’s the kicker – the speculation became a reality following the ransomware attack, spearheaded by Rhysida.
After Sony refused to pay the hacking group, it released 1.67 terabytes of data containing sensitive information about Insomniac’s upcoming projects. Among this data was a detailed outline of the studio’s future titles, including Marvel’s Venom, slated for a Q2 2025 release, presumably for the PS5. The game is expected to retail at $49.99 and feature an all-new storyline that bridges the gap between Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 3.
The slide describes Marvel’s Venom as a standalone experience with around 8-10 hours worth of content along with 12 missions and 3 bosses. Furthermore, it confirms that players can switch between Venom and other Spider-Man, battling through the Carnage-infected boroughs of New York City.
The leaks also revealed plans for future Insomniac titles, including the already announced Wolverine game, set for a Fall 2026 release, and the threequel, targeted for a late 2028 launch. Marvel’s Spider-Man 3 is rumored to be split into two parts, with a multiplayer component, possibly providing a live-service model for continuous content updates. Finally, an X-Men game is anticipated for 2030, and a new Ratchet & Clank title is expected in Fall 2029. These ambitious plans, however, may change over time, especially following Naughty Dog’s cancelation of its live-service title.
Insomniac’s focus on Marvel-licensed games makes sense following the success of Marvel’s Spider-Man. What’s perhaps the most surprising part is that Disney is letting Sony toy around with X-Men and Wolverine, two properties that it will only introduce to the MCU starting with Deadpool 3 next year.
While the revelations are a cause for celebration, the circumstances are not. The data leak is genuinely concerning, as it compromises the studio’s future plans and employee privacy.
Recent years have seen several high-profile game studios, including Rockstar Games and CD Projekt Red, fall victim to cyberattacks. These incidents underscore the need for heightened security measures to protect intellectual property and personal information.
