So far, the only game publicly acknowledged by Insomniac and Sony is Marvel's Wolverine, which is among many games that were probably announced too soon. Marvel's Wolverine was unveiled in 2021 alongside Spider-Man 2, but Insomniac has remained quiet regarding the game, as its initial teaser remains the only trailer so far. Wolverine is expected to be yet another single-player outing, though, and I'm betting on a different game supposedly in development at Insomniac being the apparent multiplayer game.

Insomniac Games Is Hiring A Mission Designer For Multiplayer Games

It Sounds Like It's In Early Production

On Insomniac Games' careers page, a position has been opened for a Mission Designer. Most of the listing is fairly straightforward, with the studio looking for someone with moderate experience to work on "level, mission, and open world activity design." The key sentence is the following: "The candidate will work with design, engineering, art, and animation teams to create varied and compelling mission experiences, from initial block out to final playable content for both single and multiplayer games." This could be fairly standard phrasing, but it's at least noteworthy that both are listed.

I Think Insomniac’s Leaked X-Men Game Will Be Multiplayer

It Makes More Sense Than The Developer's Other Projects

Insomniac Games was targeted by an unfortunate hack in December 2023, which, most consequentially, resulted in a lot of developers' personal information being held for ransom. Among the leaked files was an internal development roap that showed the company was working on five games set to be released after Marvel's Spider Man 2. The table below lists all five in their expected release order, but it should be noted that this shouldn't be taken as confirmation of Insomniac's slate – games are subject to delays and cancellations, and so far none have been confirmed aside from Wolverine.

2031 and 2032 are then blocked out on the timeline for "New IP." Of the five named games, X-Men sounds the most likely to include multiplayer elements. The mutants are numerous and varied in their powers, and could make for a compelling co-op game, or a competitive PvP experience if Professor X and Magneto's factions are pitted against each other. It would also line up with the phrasing of the job listing, which makes it sound like level design is just getting underway, if it's even started yet at all.

A multiplayer X-Men game from Insomniac sounds pretty enticing, though it is also a bit concerning. The most obvious route is a co-op action game, but Marvel's last attempt was the now-delisted Marvel's Avengers. That game's failure tainted the single-player ensemble affair of Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy by association, which underperformed for publisher Square Enix and led to developer Eidos-Montreal's sale to Embracer. Prospects may be looking up after the success of Marvel Rivals, but it would still be new territory for Insomniac. I think many would agree with me when I say a single-player X-Men game from Insomniac would be preferred.

I Wish Insomniac’s Multiplayer Hire Was For Resistance’s Comeback

Marvel Saturation Has Hit Gaming

Ratchet & Clank seems to be almost the only thing keeping Insomniac from turning into a Marvel developer. New IP seems to be on the horizon, but there's no telling what will come to fruition five-plus years from now. Working with Insomniac's existing catalog, I would much rather see Resistance revived than an X-Men multiplayer game. The Resistance trilogy was a highlight of the PlayStation 3 generation, and has sadly been shelved since 2011. It had some interesting multiplayer gameplay, and a smaller multiplayer spin-off could be a great way for the franchise to make a comeback.

Insomniac has seemingly moved away from first-person shooters, though, and spends all of its resources on third-person action games. It's tough to blame the studio, the Marvel's Spider-Man series has been a tremendous success, and I particularly love Spider-Man 2. It's also possible that this single mention of multiplayer in Insomniac's Mission Designer job listing is simply bog-standard industry phrasing, and the studio isn't actually making a multiplayer game. I wouldn't be upset to get a multiplayer X-Men game, but it makes me a little sad to the multiplayer titles Insomniac Games used to put out.

Source: Insomniac Games

Insomniac Games

Insomniac Games presents Marvel's Spider-Man, the first major unique Marvel superhero entry from the Infamous/Sly Cooper developer. Players take on the role of Peter Parker a brand-new unique storyline as he lives his life in New York City. This Peter has been Spider-Man for a number of years already, so players will be playing a non-origin story for the Web-Crawler. Here, Peter works closely under the tutelage of Dr. Otto Octavius as they develop life-changing bionic limbs for disabled persons. Peter will battle familiar foes and partner with friends new and old to stop a new gang lead by the mysterious Mr. Negative before it's too late.

Marvel's Spider-Man is a single player action/adventure game that shares similar combat mechanics as the Batman: Arkham series. Players will swing, zip, crawl, and punch their way through familiar real-life landmarks and Marvel Universe locations as they traverse a replica of New York City. Marvel's Spider-Man has seen a spin-off sequel starring a new hero titled Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and the story will continue in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, set for debut in 2023. The universe will also be shared with Insomniac's Wolverine game, with no release window announced.

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