Sony’s ownership of Spider-Man (well, technically, just the movie rights to the character and the universe, but that’s not the point) is well-known. And, while it has made excellent use of it in recent years at the global box office and in video games, it doesn’t appear that it’s stopping at that. In fact, Sony wants more, at least, in gaming.
Apparently, Sony has secured the exclusive video game rights to the X-Men. This exclusivity, as revealed through one of the biggest data breaches in recent memory, grants Sony the ability to develop and publish X-Men games until 2035. This deal positions Sony favorably again its competition, namely, Xbox.
The leaked documents from Insomniac Games, acquired through a ransomware attack, unveil Sony’s comprehensive if anti-competitive plans for the X-Men franchise. The deal prohibits Marvel from releasing or announcing any new X-Men games on console, PC, or streaming platforms, preventing the use of the X-Men as exclusive to non-PlayStation console platform. This agreement effectively reserves the X-Men universe for Sony’s gaming initiatives, allowing characters to appear in multi-family Marvel games but restricting their use as exclusive selling points on other platforms.
So, the gist is, the X-Men will be synonymous to the PlayStation brand for the next decade (and change), which is quite a long time, all things considered.
Despite the length of the exclusivity, Sony isn’t one to rest on its laurels. Insomniac’s roadmap, as detailed in the leaks, shows an ambitious plan to capitalize on this as soon as possible. The studio envisions multiple X-Men sequels and has aspirations for multiplayer components in its future projects. The roadmap starts with the release of the Wolverine solo game in 2026 on PlayStation 5 followed by other X-Men-themed games, some featuring online multiple elements, all the way through the end of the exclusivity deal.
If successful, don’t be surprised if Marvel and Sony strike a new deal to extend the existing agreement. But, that’s a big if, and Sony, while shrewd for striking while the iron is hot – the X-Men are expected to join the MCU in full force soon – it can’t afford to take things easy.
Each X-Men game is allocated a development budget of $120 million and $30 million for marketing purposes, alongside a $9 million recoupable advance for all three projects. The licensing terms also outline conditions for termination. If any X-Men game fails to sell at least six million units between PlayStation 5 and PC in its first year, either Sony or Marvel can terminate the agreement. Such a termination would entail financial repercussions, including a $9 million compensation payment from Sony to Marvel.
Keep in mind that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 had double the budget of either planned X-Men game, so don’t be surprised if Sony and Marvel decide to spend more going forward, especially if the first outing prove financially fruitful.
Sony’s strategy behind securing the X-Men rights aligns with its broader business model, which focuses on attracting as many players as possible into its ecosystem, selling more PlayStation 5 units, and boosting PS Plus subscriptions.
Outside of gaming, Marvel, as mentioned earlier, is on the verge of finally using Disney’s FOX merger by bringing the X-Men over into its multi-billion-dollar cinematic universe. Deadpool 3, the lone flagbearer for the MCU next year, is just the start.
PlayStation’s ability to create X-Men games exclusively could complement Marvel’s film efforts, creating a commercially synergistic relationship between the cinematic and gaming universes.
The situation also raises questions about Microsoft’s strategy in securing similar deals. While Microsoft owns Bethesda, which is developing a Blade game through Arkane Lyon, the Xbox manufacturer might have to pursue other Marvel or DC characters, if it already hasn’t, to keep pace with Sony’s acquisition of the rights to the X-Men franchise.
For now though, the closest thing anyone is to playing as or watching one of the X-Men is Deadpool 3 next year.
