What happens when masters of their fields collaborate? Masterpieces are created, and success showers in. So when Marvel, Insomniac Games, and Sony Interactive Entertainment came together to create video games exclusively for PlayStation consoles, it’s no surprise that a successful IP was born, which has since spawned several video games, comic books, and novels. Their collaboration has redefined PlayStation exclusives with blockbuster titles like Marvel’s Spider-Man, Miles Morales, and the upcoming Marvel’s Wolverine.
The resultant AAA games have, so far, sold millions of copies, received high scores from critics, and won numerous awards. The upcoming projects have extremely high buzz, and everything is going as it should for everyone involved.
So, in this blog, I’ll discuss everything that has happened in this venture between Insomniac Games, Marvel, and Sony, what they have created, what’s to come, and much more.
Key Learnings:
- Marvel, Insomniac games, and PlayStation, three of the industry’s biggest players, have been collaborating to develop video games based on Marvel comic book characters.
- So far, they have released 3 major titles in their Marvel’s Spider-Man series, and their next title is Marvel’s Wolverine.
- Tasting critical and commercial success with each project, Insomniac faced a torrid setback from a ransomware attack that led to major data leaks.
- Despite this, the prospects look really strong, with tons of projects planned for the next decade.
The Parties Involved: Insomniac Games, PlayStation & Marvel
Insomniac Games:
Firstly, let’s talk about the studio responsible for making these games.
Headquartered in Burbank, California, Insomniac Games has been responsible for many iconic game series, even before it released Spider-Man in 2018. The most iconic in their lineup include franchises of Spyro the Dragon, Ratchet and Clank, and Resistance, along with 2014’s Sunset Overdrive.
The independent studio was acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment in 2019, becoming part of PlayStation Studios for $229 million. This move provided Insomniac with greater access to PlayStation Studios’ resources and innovative technology. In January 2025, Ted Price retired as the CEO, and his position was filled by Ryan Schneider, Jen Huang, and Chad Dezern as co-studio heads.
PlayStation Studios:
This is the video game publishing division of Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) LLC, which is the video game subdivision of Sony Group. This is the studio that oversees video game development across all SIE-owned PlayStation console studios. Other examples include Santa Monica Studio, Bend Studio, Sucker Punch Productions, and various others.
Marvel Games:
Now, when people hear ‘Marvel,’ they instantly assume that one is talking about the movies. But the corporation is much bigger than just these entertainment projects. They also sell comic books, merchandise, and video games, for which Marvel Games is responsible..
Now, Marvel has been pretty active with various games across different platforms, especially with its star character, Spider-Man, who has been featured in several games over the past decades, primarily alongside the released Spider-Man films. In addition to their own games, Marvel characters have also consistently appeared in other games such as Fortnite.
How Insomniac Games Partnered with Marvel and PlayStation
This partnership began all the way back in 2014. Marvel Games’ Vice President prematurely terminated the long-term partnership with Activision due to dissatisfaction with their results and games. He set out on his quest to find a gaming studio that would create an award-winning IP for him, and eventually landed at Sony Interactive Entertainment, which led him to Insomniac Games.
After several meetings with CEO Ted Price, the Insomniac team was given the option to choose any Marvel character. The team eventually chose Spider-Man for various reasons, and work began on creating a AAA video game centered on one of the most popular comic book characters ever.
Bryan Intihar was hired as the game director, and Yuri Lowenthal was cast in the titular role. And after 4 years of development, the first title, Marvel’s Spider-Man, was released on September 7, 2018. Since its success, other titles set in the same universe have been released and are planned for future releases, with long-term plans for this partnership.
Released Projects of Insomniac Games with it’s Partnership
| Project | Release Date | Platforms | Creative Director (s) | Protagonist |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man | September 7, 2018 | Ps4, Ps5 and Windows | Ryan Smith, Brian Horton, Bryan Intihar, Marcus Smith | Peter Parker |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales | November 12, 2020 | Ps4, Ps5, and Windows | Brian Horton | Miles Morales |
| Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 | October 20, 2023 | Ps5 and Windows | Bryan Intihar, Ryan Smith | Peter Parker, Miles Morales |
| Marvel’s Wolverine | Fall 2026 | Ps5 | Marcus Smith, Mike Daly | James “Logan” Howlett |
Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018)
Background: This is the first collaboration between the companies, and production began in 2014, with Bryan Intihar serving as the game’s creative director—the choice of Spider-Man as the protagonist was driven by his relatability to the audience. Developed on Insomniac’s proprietary engine, it became the first licensed title in the company’s 22-year history. First shown at E3 2016, the game was released exclusively for PS4 on September 7, 2018. Since then, the game has been remastered for PS5 and Windows.
Synopsis: Set in an alternate reality known as Earth-1048, the game features an entirely new story while containing the comic book characters. It features Peter Parker as the protagonist, who must contend with the threat posed by Mister Negative while juggling his civilian life as a scientist. The game also features prominent Spider-Man villains from the comics. Additionally, the game features the necessary supporting characters, such as Aunt May, Mary Jane, and Miles Morales, who also start exhibiting powers.
Available on: Ps4, Ps5 and Windows
Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020)
Background: Following the success of the first game, development began on a shorter, smaller standalone title focusing on Miles Morales as the protagonist. Released as one of the first exclusive titles for PlayStation 5, the PS5 version took advantage of the console’s newly introduced features. The game was released on November 12, 2020.
Synopsis: With Peter Parker and Mary Jane gone on a work trip, Miles Morales takes on the Spider-Man duties in his new neighbourhood of Harlem. With Roxxon Corporation and a mysterious villain called Tinkerer with his army in play, Miles must stop these factions while navigating his civilian life and journey to become the second Spider-Man fully.
Available on: Ps4, Ps5, and Windows.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (2023)
Background: Following on from the extreme critical and commercial successes, the team at Insomniac Games wanted to introduce iconic villain, Venom, and follow a symbiote storyline for this instalment. Bryan Intihar and Ryan Smith served as the Creative Directors. The game was intended to be tonally darker than previous projects, and would see both Spider-Men taking on the protagonist duties against a coterie of new and returning villains. The game was released exclusively for PS5 on October 20, 2023.
Synopsis: When Kraven the Hunter comes to New York looking for super-powered individuals, he comes into conflict with both Spider-Men. Conditions worsen when an extraterrestrial symbiote latches itself onto Peter, leading him down a darker path. The game features more villains from the comics, such as the Lizard, Mysterio, and Sandman, as well as returning villains from previous games.
Available on: PS5 and Windows
Marvel’s Wolverine (2026)
Background: Seeing the success, the 3 parties involved wanted to venture beyond the Spider-Man characters, and develop licensed properties on others from Marvel comic books. And, the team at Insomniac Games continually chose Wolverine, due to narrative likeness to Spider-Man and status as a comic book character. Thus, the game was announced in 2021 alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man 2. Brian Horton and Cameron Christian serve as the creative directors, and Liam McIntyre will play the titular character. The game will also feature other comic book mutants and is set in the same continuity as the Spider-Man games. It is expected to be released in Fall 2026.
Synopsis: TBA
Available on: TBA
Other Media:
Comic books and tie-in books: To market the video games, Marvel Comics released several tie-in books and comic book miniseries. These featured characters from video games served as the basis for additional stories. Additionally, graphic novels have also been released for the games.
Toys and merchandise: Action figures of the characters are available for purchase in collaboration with Diamond Select Toys. Additionally, Funko Pop Vinyl figures have also been released. All these figures feature different characters and their designs featured in the video games.
Appearances in other projects: The games’ protagonists have also appeared in several other media, such as movies and video games. The advanced suit design for Peter Parker has notably appeared in several other projects.
The Success In Statistics
While all this theoretical data is great, the real success is measured with crucial statistics, as economics has the final say. So, the following are some facts and figures to support this:
- Selling over 3.3 million units in the first three days, Marvel’s Spider-Man became the fastest-selling title in PlayStation’s history. Since then, it has sold over 33 million units worldwide.
- Marvel’s Spider-Man also received high critical scores from the gaming publications. Combine this with the awards that it won and its position on various end-of-year lists (that too in 2018: a stacked year for gaming!), and the partnership was off to a great start.
- As of June 2023, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales has sold over 14.4 million units worldwide, turning a 270% ROI with $270 million in profits. Combine this with high scores from various publications and tons of nominations at awards, and it was another success….
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 received ‘critical acclaim’ upon its release, with rave reviews, and landed in the top 5 of various Game of the Year lists. It also received numerous accolades from nominations across various game awards in 2023.
- Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 became PlayStation’s fastest-selling first-party project and has sold 11 million units worldwide as of February 2024. Now, that’s success…
- As of October 2025, Marvel’s Wolverine’s gameplay trailer on YouTube has garnered over 8.3 million views on PlayStation’s main channel. And a plethora of views across other channels, signalling the game’s hype.
Read more: The Amazing Ways AI is Changing The Gaming World
2023 Rhysidia Cyber Attack: A Major Setback
In December 2023, the ransomware group Rysidia demanded 2 million dollars in bitcoin, or else it would release tons of Insomniac Games’ confidential data to the public. The studio refused to pay the ransom, and the data was therefore released, totaling 1.67 TB.
The data included a released build of Marvel’s Wolverine, employee personal information, a planned slate of games through 2032, and past sales statistics, among others. The leaked data was said to be 98% of what they possessed, with money being the sole driver for their actions.
After Insomniac’s official statement on social media, it received overwhelming support from gaming communities worldwide. This is evident by the success of previous instalments, their remastered versions, and the buzz for upcoming releases.
What’s Next: The Future Ahead
Marvel’s Spider-Man Series:
While harmful to Insomniac Games, the 2023 cyberattack did provide crucial information about the future of this series. The planned slate included games based around various Spider-Man related characters, such as Venom, as well as additional content to be released.
Also, the next instalment in the series (Marvel’s Spider-Man 3) was also found as part of the cyber attack, planned for a 2028 release. Judging by the official statements from studio personnel and sales of past projects, it’s pretty likely we will see ample content in this series.
Other Games:
Also leaked during the ransomware attack were plans for additional licensed entries featuring other X-Men characters from the comics. According to the released data, these games will be developed as part of a new licensing deal between the three parties and will feature the characters across a variety of media.
Additionally, Marvel’s Wolverine is expected to be the first in a new trilogy, centered around the protagonist. Of course, it’s all dependent on the success, but … given the buzz, previous performances, and the parties involved, it’s pretty likely this project will be a success as well.
Final Thoughts
To say that this partnership has been ‘good’ for the companies would be a huge understatement. Not only the video games, but also the other media have been hugely successful for the companies. Whether it’s critical acclaim or commercial success, the projects have excelled in every aspect.
And while the parties faced a major setback, they also demonstrated perseverance by quickly recovering and gaining everyone’s support. Going forward, the partnership aims to bear fruit over the next decade, with tons of content planned for fans and the overall gaming community.
To conclude, while there have been lows, the collaboration has been extremely successful so far, and the future forecast is looking amazing as well, and we get to bear witness…
Want to learn more about the latest tech developments and solutions? At Yaabot, we pride ourselves on being your ultimate stop for all things related to online technology, software, applications, consumer trends, AI, science, health tech, and more.
Read more: The Best Indie Games To Watch Out For In 2025
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Insomniac Games and Marvel collaborating?
Marvel Games and Insomniac Games are collaborating under a licensing deal in which Insomniac will develop AAA video games for Marvel Games. These games will be distributed exclusively by PlayStation Studios on PlayStation consoles. So far, 3 major titles, several tie-in media have been released, and several upcoming projects are to follow.
Will games only release on PlayStation consoles?
Initially, yes. The games are part of an exclusive deal between Insomniac Games and PlayStation Studios. However, previous titles have later been released for Windows as well. For example, Marvel’s Spider-Man (2018) was released on Windows and has since been remastered for PS5.
What are the upcoming games by Insomniac Games?
As of now, the next official project is Marvel’s Wolverine, which is set to release in late 2026. It will feature the comic book character of the same name as the protagonist, and the game will be set in the same continuity. Additionally, several other titles have been discussed by studio personnel as possible releases in the upcoming years, dependent on the success of current projects.
What happened after the Rhysida cyber attack on Insomniac?
Not much legally. Insomniac Games quickly removed the leaked data, but it couldn’t be completely erased from the internet. PlayStation Studios intended to launch an official investigation into the matter. Insomniac Games released an official statement indicating internal solidarity and gratefulness for the online support.
