Back in December 2023, Insomniac Games' roadmap was leaked online. The studio—better known for its work on Marvel's Spider-Man, Ratchet & Clank, and Marvel's Wolverine—hoped to release many ambitious video games in the future, including the release of Marvel's X-Men. However, those initial plans have already changed in major ways.
For starters, Insomniac was supposed to release story DLC for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, although that didn't end up being the case. Moreover, a Marvel's Venom spin-off was scheduled to hit shelves in 2025, but this didn't come to fruition either (even if many reports suggest the game will still be released in 2027). As such, the fate of the X-Men game was also put into question, especially after the lukewarm reception to Marvel's Wolverine. Fortunately, it looks like the mutants will have their time to shine after all.
As reported by Insider Gaming, Insomniac recently posted a job listing for the Staff Hero Designer position, which includes oversight of the development of "combat, traversal, and 3Cs (Camera, Characters, Controls) for an upcoming project" along with "delivery of design and execution for one or more playable characters."
The role description also specifies that applicants will need to "drive the creative vision, gameplay design, and execution quality of new playable hero characters." This has been more than enough to spark speculation that Insomniac will soon enter pre-production on its X-Men video game. But before we get our expectations too high, it is important to note some key details.
For starters, nowhere in the job description is it specified that the role is specifically for an X-Men game. After all, Insomniac is reportedly working on multiple other titles, such as Marvel's Spider-Man 3 and the next Ratchet & Clank entry, and both of them could also feature multiple playable "hero characters."
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 featured two playable protagonists in the form of Peter Parker and Miles Morales. Moreover, players also took control of Mary Jane, Venom, and Hailey Cooper in specific missions. Granted, the gameplay differences between the two Spider-Men weren't too striking, but they were impactful nonetheless. Similarly, Ratchet and Rivet were both playable characters in Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. So, there's a case to be made that both Marvel's Spider-Man 3 and the next Ratchet & Clank game will feature multiple playable heroes as well.
That being said, there are a few key reasons why the job listing could be referencing the X-Men game. First and foremost, Insomniac hasn't canceled any of the games on its 2023 roadmap. While DLC for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 didn't come to be, it wasn't a full-length title. Moreover, it seems Marvel's Venom merely got delayed instead of being axed. It's trickier to work with licensed IP than an original franchise, and if a deal was already struck to develop an X-Men game, it's unlikely it was backtracked unless something extreme happened.
It's important to note that Marvel's Wolverine was a commercial success, with Ampere Analysis estimating the game sold 2.35 million copies in September alone. So if a stand-alone Logan game can sell well despite the negative buzz, chances are that an X-Men game (which ideally implements all the feedback from Insomniac's latest release) could perform even better.
The last detail to consider is that Marvel's Wolverine certainly sowed the seeds for more mutants to appear in the future. Not only that, but the game also teased the eventual introduction of a major X-Men villain. It's clear the studio has bigger plans for its Marvel IP, even if they take some time to materialize.
Granted, the idea that Insomniac Games is hiring for an X-Men project is purely based on speculation and a 2023 leak. But now that Marvel's Wolverine has come and gone, the studio could reveal its plans for the future soon.
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