Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine is set to release on September 15, but a massive leak in December 2023 revealed that Insomniac Games had been developing a standalone Marvel's Venom game for quite some time. Nevertheless, since the project has not been officially announced, fans are still speculating whether it is still in development.
According to well-known leaker Nate the Hate, the game Marvel's Venom is still in development. "As far as I last knew, Marvel's Venom is still in development. As for when it will be announced, I am not clear."
The December 2023 leak was caused by a Rhysida ransomware attack, which resulted in approximately 1.3 million Insomniac files being leaked. Among them was a very detailed studio roadmap, with Marvel's Venom prominently listed at the top.
The leaked plan showed that Marvel's Venom would release in 2025, followed by Marvel's Wolverine in 2026, Marvel's Spider-Man 3 in 2028, a new Ratchet & Clank game in 2029, and a Marvel X-Men game in 2030,
Additionally, there is a brand-new unannounced IP planned for release in the early to mid-2030s.
According to the leaked materials, the game's full title was originally Venom: Lethal Protector, taken from the 1993 comic that gave Venom his most famous nickname. Project slides indicate that the game's story follows directly after Marvel's Spider-Man 2 (players of this game know that Venom played a significant role in it) and will lead into Marvel's Spider-Man 3.
Leaked internal documents even showed that the game's budget was only $120 million, far less than the $300 million for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, suggesting that the game length might be shorter, closer to Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
In fact, the leaked information also included details about the game's scale: a single-player campaign (approximately 8-10 hours long) with 12 main missions, as well as optional content such as bases, crime events, and collectibles.
Following the leak in late 2023, foreign media outlet MP1st broke the next major rumor last year, confirming that Marvel's Wolverine will release in 2026 while Marvel's Venom is still in development. Sources pointed out that the symbiote's host will be Eddie Brock rather than Harry Osborn, and that this version of Venom will look closer to his comic book appearance.
Nate the Hate's latest confirmation again hints that we will eventually get to play this game. However, the specific timing is more complicated.
The leaked Insomniac Games schedule showed that Marvel's Venom was originally supposed to release before Marvel's Wolverine, but it has clearly been delayed. Late next year seems reasonable, but that slot for Sony first-party titles might already be taken by Naughty Dog.exe's Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet. However, considering that based on available information, this game might be a mid-sized title, it's not impossible for both games to release simultaneously in Fall 2027.