Upcoming video game designed to make players 'feel like Wolverine'
After years of anticipation, Insomniac Games has finally offered its most substantial look yet at Marvel’s Wolverine — revealing a brutally violent action game that aims to capture every facet of Logan, from his razor-sharp claws and healing ability to his relentless determination.
Speaking with Creative Director Marcus Smith and Game Director Mike Daly, the developers spoke to the game’s approach to violence, accessibility options, iconic Marvel villains, and why making players “feel like Wolverine” has been the goal from day one.
Aussie actor Liam McIntyre is taking up the role of Wolverine in the new game, releasing in September. Supplied/Insomniac Games
According to Smith, Aussie actor Liam McIntyre taking up the role of Wolverine wasn’t part of a deliberate pattern.
“It is funny that the best Canadian superheroes are apparently played by Australians, but that was pure happenstance,” Smith laughed.
“We put out the audition calls and Liam just bubbled up.”
McIntyre’s casting sits alongside Insomniac’s broader goal of bringing Wolverine to life in a more visceral, playable form — one that embraces the character’s violence rather than toning it down.
“From day one we knew violence was going to be a big thing,” Daly told nine.com.au.
“We don’t want to go over the top, we want to get the grounded tone of our other games… it needed to be something that what you expect as a Wolverine fan is what happens,” he said.
X-Men favourite Jean Grey teams up with Wolverine in an original, action-packed story. Supplied/Insomniac Games
That philosophy extends directly into gameplay.
Unlike Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man series, where enemies are typically incapacitated, Wolverine’s claws are designed to feel lethal, with combat built around fast, decisive kills.
“You need to feel like the claws are lethal in order to feel like you’re Wolverine,” Daly said.
However, the studio is also aware that Wolverine’s signature brutality won’t appeal to everyone.
Marvel's Wolverine Game Director Mike Daly and Creative Director Marcus Smith. Supplied
Daly and Smith confirmed to Nine that Marvel’s Wolverine will include a low-gore accessibility option.
“There are a ton of people who can appreciate Wolverine as a character who don’t want to see you eviscerating people,” Daly said.
“It will prevent you from limbing characters or removing their limbs, and in places where it’s baked into the moves or the cinematics in an unavoidable way, we’ll blur it out.”
A low-gore option will be available for squeamish players. Supplied/Insomniac Games
Beyond its combat, Insomniac is also pulling heavily from Marvel’s wider universe, bringing in iconic threats like Omega Red and Sentinels to push Wolverine beyond his limits.
“There’s Omega Red. This guy is a brute… it is an iconic face-off to see Wolverine go up against Omega Red,” Daly said.
“We’ve teased in bits and pieces that there are also Sentinels… something that you would look at and think that is not even going to be possible for Wolverine to face off against.”
The team behind the game say they're already confident in what they’ve built, even before release. Supplied/Insomniac Games
At its core, Insomniac says the goal remains simple: making players feel like Wolverine.
“From the beginning… the main mission here is to make you feel like Wolverine,” Daly said.
“The claw combat, the violent rage, the relentless determination, his heavy weight, his animalism, his enhanced senses — it’s all there.”
Smith added that the team is already confident in what they’ve built, even before release.
“It’s always one thing to watch videos and to hear us talk about it, but man, it’s a fun game,” he said.
“Even this morning… I spent five minutes just playing. It’s hard not to get swept in.”
Marvel’s Wolverine is currently in development for PlayStation 5 and is scheduled to release on September 25.
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