Marvel’s Wolverine – Nearly 1.9 Million Sales Despite Mixed Reviews

Marvel’s Wolverine has been available exclusively for PlayStation 5 since September 15, 2026 – and is apparently a sales hit, even though the Insomniac Games title received plenty of ridicule on social networks last week. According to an estimate by market analyst Rhys Elliott of Alinea Analytics, the game sold approximately 1.9 million copies within the first three days, generating about 130 million US dollars in revenue. Official figures from Sony or Insomniac Games are not yet available – these values come solely from an independent market assessment.

How Many Copies Has Marvel’s Wolverine Sold?

According to Elliott, the approximately 1.9 million units sold consist of about one million digital pre-orders and additional sales at launch. Roughly 22.9 percent of sales were physical copies – a remarkably high proportion for a pure PS5 exclusive. This estimate suggests Marvel’s Wolverine has already generated more revenue than Death Stranding 2 throughout its entire run on PS5 so far, positioning itself as the best-selling new first-party game of 2026 for the console. For comparison: Elliott states that Insomniac’s previous Marvel title generated approximately 250 million US dollars in its first three days, almost twice as much as Wolverine.

Why Is the Game Selling So Well Despite Mixed Reviews?

Critic scores are unusually mixed for an Insomniac game, partly due to repetitive combat mechanics, linear level design, and heavily simplified assistance features, which some in the community mockingly refer to as “trail gas.” At the same time, players in the PlayStation Store rate the title significantly more positively than the professional press. The brand itself – Marvel and a decades-long established X-Men character – combined with the Insomniac Games name, likely secured many pre-orders independently of the reviews, which naturally only appeared after release.

How Do We Interpret These Numbers?

Important for context: The 1.9 million copies sold are an analyst’s estimate, not a figure confirmed by Sony. Such projections are typically based on store rankings, market data, and comparative values and may differ from actual sales. From our perspective, however, this case still serves as an example of how strongly a brand and pre-orders can secure a game’s initial success, even when critical reception remains mixed. Whether the sales momentum will continue in the coming weeks, given the ongoing criticism of the combat system and level design, remains to be seen – Insomniac Games has already announced adjustments based on player feedback.

Further background on the game is available on the official PlayStation page for Marvel’s Wolverine. Reporting on sales figures and the review controversy can be found at IGN and Eurogamer.

Sources: Alinea Analytics, IGN, Eurogamer

What do you think: Do the brand and ambition justify Marvel’s Wolverine’s success despite gameplay criticism, or is this a case of hype over substance? Let us know in the comments – and stay tuned to Scene Gamers in case Sony releases official figures.

What do you think? Let us know in the comments and stay tuned to Scene Gamers for more updates!