Marvel's Wolverine Will Be a Linear Adventure, Not an Open World Game, Says Insomniac

Marvel's Wolverine received a new gameplay trailer at Sony's State of Play earlier this week that showed the game's visceral, gory combat and shared some details about the story. But developer Insomniac Games has not yet detailed the structure of the game. In a new interview, however, the studio has confirmed that Marvel's Wolverine will be a story-driven, single-player linear adventure and not an open-world game.

Marvel's Wolverine Will Not Be Open World

Speaking to IGN after the gameplay trailer was released, Marvel's Wolverine game director Mike Daly said that the Insomniac did not set out to make an “open world game or a sandbox game.” Wolverine will be a story-driven, single-player linear adventure, unlike the studio's Spider-Man games, which present an open-world New York City to explore.

“I can say we did not set out to make an open world game or a sandbox game,” Daly said in the interview. “What we really wanted was high octane, high intrigue, linear single-player adventure, and the missions reflect that in their structure.”

While Marvel's Wolverine might have a larger open world to explore, the game will take players on a globe-trotting adventure, with levels set in various locations, each with its own distinct environment. Daly said each level will bring a change of pace and alter how players navigate and explore the space.

The story-driven adventure will be linear, but players will get optional content, as well, including collectibles.

“The areas have different paths you could take. Stealth is optional; you could do it or you could not do it, you could jump straight into combat. And you can poke your nose around the nooks and crannies of the world to find things here and there, and some optional content and collectibles along the way,” Daly said.

Insomniac has not yet confirmed the length of the single-player story in Marvel's Wolverine. The game is set to launch exclusively on PS5 on September 15, 2026. Marvel's Wolverine is now also available to pre-order on PlayStation Store.