Wolverine Tops September Sales Despite Mixed Reviews

Critics were lukewarm on Marvel's Wolverine, but players clearly came out for it. The action-adventure from Insomniac, the studio behind the Marvel's Spider-Man games, finished as the best-selling new game in the US for September, and it managed that feat while launching roughly halfway through the month.

That is a notable result for a game that didn't win over reviewers. Mixed scores often cap a title's commercial run, especially for single-player adventures that depend on word of mouth. Wolverine appears to have sidestepped that problem, likely helped by the strength of the Marvel brand and Insomniac's track record with superhero action games. Shorter sales windows usually hurt a launch, so finishing first with only the second half of the month to work with makes the performance more impressive.

The number also matters for Sony. According to the report, the game brings the publisher launch revenue it hasn't seen since Helldivers 2 arrived in early 2024. For a company that has leaned heavily on its first-party studios to anchor its release calendar, a big opening for a new franchise is a welcome signal. It shows that Sony can still generate blockbuster interest from original or licensed properties outside its existing live-service and sports lineups.

Sales charts only tell part of the story, though. Whether Wolverine becomes a long-term seller will depend on how well it holds up over the following months, how often it goes on sale, and whether its reception improves as players finish the campaign and share their opinions. A strong first month is a solid start, but it doesn't guarantee a durable hit.

For now, the takeaway is simple: a game that critics found uneven still sold better than everything else released in September. That gap between reviews and sales is worth watching as the industry continues to weigh critical praise against what players actually buy.