After a ransomware group leaked over 1.3 million internal documents from Insomniac Games, including footage from their upcoming “Wolverine” game for PlayStation 5 and details of their rights to X-Men characters, the game studio has issued a statement.
Insomniac Games Statement
Insomniac Games shared the statement on X (formerly Twitter).
It reads:
Thank you for the outpouring of compassion and unwavering support. It’s deeply appreciated.
We’re both saddened and angered about the recent criminal cyberattack on our studio and the emotional toll it’s taken on our dev team. We have focused inwardly for the last several days to support each other.
We are aware that the stolen data includes personal information belonging to our employees, former employees, and independent contractors. It also includes early development details about Marvel’s Wolverine for PlayStation 5. We continue working quickly to determine what data was impacted.
This experience has been extremely distressing for us.
We want everyone to enjoy the games we develop as intended and as our players deserve. However, like Logan… Insomniac is resilient. Marvel’s Wolverine continues as planned. The game is in early production and will no doubt greatly evolve throughout development, as do all our plans.
While we appreciate everyone’s enthusiasm, we will share official information about Marvel’s Wolverine when the time is right.
On behalf of everyone at Insomniac, thank you for your ongoing support during this challenging time.
Insomniac Games
“Marvel’s Wolverine” was first teased two years ago at the PlayStation Showcase with a short trailer.
“Marvel’s Wolverine” follows Insomniac’s popular “Marvel’s Spider-Man” video game series. Three Spider-Man titles have been released since 2018.
The leak revealed that Insomniac and Sony have exclusive rights to use the X-Men as starring characters in video games for more than a decade. A leaked roadmap includes four games based on X-Men characters, all set to launch by 2035 and sell through at least 2038, with the possibility to continue beyond that if the deal is profitable for all parties. Several stipulations keep Marvel from using X-Men characters in certain ways for other games and no party can terminate the deal for convenience.
The X-Men have a complicated rights history in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, too. Though Disney bought Marvel in 2009, they could not use X-Men characters or reference mutants in Marvel Studios films as 20th Century Fox owned the film rights.
Disney purchased 20th Century Fox (now 20th Century Studios) in 2019. Wolverine, portrayed by Hugh Jackman, will make his first MCU appearance in “Deadpool 3” next year. A revival of the 1990s “X-Men: The Animated Series” called “X-Men ’97” will premiere on Disney+ in 2024 after a delay. The Fox acquisition also gave Disney access to the Fantastic Four, who will star in their own MCU film in 2025.
When it comes to theme parks, Disney has limited use of Marvel characters due to a pre-existing agreement between Marvel Comics and Universal Destinations & Experiences. X-Men characters appear at Universal Islands of Adventure but not at Disney Parks.
Are you excited for “Marvel’s Wolverine” from Insomniac Games? Let us know in the comments.
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