"Marvel's Wolverine" has released new animated images again—is it really coming this year?

When it comes to a character like Wolverine, I’ve always had mixed feelings. Back when I was playing domestic wuxia games, what captivated me most was that brutal, close-quarters intensity—the kind where every punch feels bone-deep. It was like Yang Guo’s loneliness after losing his arm, and like the chill of a blade grazing past you in Meteor, Butterfly, Sword. Later, when I got into superhero games, I realized there actually weren’t many that could truly capture that sense of “wildness, brutality, and pain.” So every time I see Marvel’s Wolverine, I can’t help but take a second look.

This latest bit of news isn’t huge, but it’s the kind of thing that can easily whet players’ appetites all over again. Today, Insomniac posted an animated clip from an old trailer on social media. In it, Wolverine is locked in combat with an enemy, with surging lava right beneath his feet—the visual impact is immediate and intense. The official post was also paired with the line, “These moves are too hot,” which clearly shows they’re continuing to build hype for the game.

More importantly, the currently available information once again mentions that Marvel’s Wolverine is expected to launch in the second half of this year. For players who’ve been waiting for updates, that matters more than simply posting a single image. Plenty of people in the comments are already struggling to contain their excitement, and that kind of community response actually says a lot: the Insomniac name has genuinely earned a strong level of trust.

Speaking of the game itself, Insomniac’s biggest strength in adapting Marvel properties has never been gimmicks, but rather its action presentation and understanding of character. Even though this time it’s just a GIF from an old trailer, you can still see that Marvel’s Wolverine wants to emphasize the explosive force of close-range combat. It’s not floaty fighting, and it’s not the kind of staged, pose-heavy brawling either—it’s more about pressure and danger. That matters a lot, because if Wolverine doesn’t fight brutally enough, the whole flavor falls apart. It’s like a blade that should have come out of the sheath bloodied, only to end up as a stage prop instead—that kind of thing is genuinely disappointing.

Beyond the nostalgia, what I care about more is this “second half of the year” release window. If it really does launch smoothly, then this year’s action-adventure lineup is going to get a lot more exciting. Players today are no longer so easy to fool when it comes to superhero adaptations. IP recognition alone isn’t enough anymore—combat feel, level design tension, and narrative execution all have to hold up. The fact that Insomniac keeps teasing it like this suggests, at the very least, that development is progressing relatively steadily.

Judging from the tone of the player community, everyone seems to be on the same page right now: it’s not blind hype, but a desire to see more actual gameplay and confirm whether this game can really deliver. That’s a mindset I agree with too. No matter how exciting the marketing is, it all has to come down to playability in the end. Chinese players have been burned too many times over the years by empty promises—watching the spectacle is one thing, but actually opening your wallet is another matter entirely.

But looking at it calmly, at least the signals released this time are positive: Insomniac is still actively speaking up, and the release window still points to the second half of this year. For players who enjoy action games and are drawn to this kind of hard-edged character, Marvel’s Wolverine is definitely worth keeping an eye on. If more substantial gameplay footage comes later, it could very well become one of the most eagerly anticipated comic-book adaptations of the year. Hopefully this time it won’t just be all heat and flames on the surface—when we finally get our hands on it, I hope it can deliver that same exhilarating feeling of a claw strike landing with the kind of impact old-school wuxia games once had when every move felt inspired.