Is Marvel's Wolverine Game Open World Or Linear?

One of the most anticipated games of 2026 is "Marvel's Wolverine," developed by Insomniac Games, the studio behind PlayStation's hit "Marvel's Spider-Man" series. Not counting ensemble or supporting appearances, it's been 17 years since Marvel gave Wolverine a new game, and the upcoming title puts the mutant superhero back in the spotlight. Given Insomniac's past work with Marvel superheroes, there has been debate whether "Marvel's Wolverine" will be an open-world experience like the "Marvel's Spider-Man" series. However, just as the fan-favorite X-Man and Marvel's friendly neighborhood webslinger are very different superheroes, it looks like fans are in for different gameplay experiences.

The assumption that "Marvel's Wolverine" isn't open-world doesn't come completely out of left field for fans of Insomniac Games' past superhero work. The studio's "Marvel's Spider-Man" games have each taken place within detailed, feature-rich open-world versions of New York City. However, Spider-Man video games have had an extensive history of open-world games dating back to the 2004 movie tie-in for "Spider-Man 2." By direct comparison, Wolverine has yet to star in his own open-world game, with past titles following a linear progression.

Based on comments from Insomniac itself, it appears that "Marvel's Wolverine" maintains that tradition of linear gameplay.

In an interview with IGN, "Marvel's Wolverine" game director Mike Daly observed that the development team was trying to make a game that got to the essence of the character. With that in mind, Daly clarified that the team "did not set out to make an open world game or a sandbox game. What we really wanted was high octane, high intrigue, linear single-player adventure, and the missions reflect that in their structure." This means that fans hoping for Wolverine hunting enemies in a single open-world location should recalibrate their expectations for the upcoming PlayStation 5 game.

Elaborating further, Daly pointed out that levels and enemy encounters may offer several different paths to proceed. Similarly, there are differing strategies that players can employ to advance in a given environment, rather than always being set on a strict linear trajectory. This is supported by the extended gameplay trailer included in the June 2026 Sony State of Play presentation, featuring Wolverine in the midst of a brutal rescue mission. While approaching a caravan of mutant prisoners held by cybernetically enhanced enemies, Wolverine is seen stealthily dispatching enemies before deciding to go all-out and charging into the fray.

"Marvel's Wolverine" might not be an open-world gaming experience, but players will have some freedom in how they want to approach the clawed superhero.