Insomniac Wolverine game will release in 2023, according to Microsoft regulatory filing

The most substantial claim for the release date of the upcoming Insomniac Wolverine game has been made, and it’s from a source you might not expect; that’s because Microsoft, not Sony, is the one who asserted that the Insomniac Wolverine game will release in 2023, in a regulatory filing posted this week by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The CMA is the latest in line to analyze the proposed $68 billion Microsoft/Activision merger, one which Sony has criticized in recent months as an unfair business practice that would give Microsoft a monopolistic advantage in the video game console wars, particularly due to its potential exclusive ownership of the Call of Duty franchise. (Microsoft has since rebutted these claims, citing that they have no such plans to make Call of Duty exclusive to Microsoft or Xbox due to the fact it would “simply be unprofitable” to do so.)

Of course, from all this dispute, some unlikely revelations have been made — namely the news that the Insomniac Wolverine game will release in 2023. In the aforementioned regulatory filing from the CPA, Microsoft described Sony’s market position, especially in the area of exclusive games.

“In considering Sony’s market position, it is important to take account of its large portfolio of high-quality exclusive content. This includes prominent titles such as The Last of Us, Ghosts of Tsushima, God of War, Spider-Man, Demon’s Souls and the Uncharted series. These exclusive titles accounted for approximately 17% of consumer spend on PlayStation over the period 2019-2021. In 2021, PlayStation had at least 286 exclusive titles generating revenue, as compared to Xbox’s [redacted] exclusive titles.”

The document continues with Microsoft describing Sony’s plans for exclusive titles in 2023, including one very prominent Marvel character with adamantium claws.

“PlayStation also has a spate of first- and third-party exclusive titles lined up for launch in 2023, including Spider-Man 2, Wolverine, Horizon, Final Fantasy XVI and Forspoken,” the document reads. Insomniac’s Wolverine game was described as being “very early in development” with no definitive release date when it was announced alongside Insomniac’s

Spider-Man 2, so it’s likely that if the news that the Insomniac Wolverine game will release in 2023 is true, practicality and common sense dictates that it would do so towards the end of 2023.

Insomniac’s Wolverine is a “standalone game being directed by Brian Horton (creative director) and Cameron Christian (game director), who recently led the creative efforts on Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales,” Ryan Schneider, Head of Franchise Strategy & Studio Relations at Insomniac Games said during the game’s teaser trailer reveal.

“Our goal here is to not only respect the DNA of what makes the character so popular, but also look for opportunities to make it feel fresh and truly reflect the Insomniac spirit,” Horton continued. “Even though Marvel’s Wolverine is very early in development, from what I’ve seen of its emotional narrative and cutting-edge gameplay (see what I did there?), the team is already creating something truly special.”

Do you think the legal filing from the UK’s CPA and Microsoft confirms that the Insomniac Wolverine game will release in 2023? Sound off in the comments.