Overview

Marvel's Wolverine Gameplay Criticism, also known as Wolverine Game Controversy or Wolverine Game Memes, refers to online criticism, backlash and mocking memes surrounding the 2026 action-adventure video game Marvel's Wolverine, developed by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Following its release in mid-September 2026, the video game received generally positive reviews from critics, while also attracting criticism and backlash from many players over its gameplay, which was widely perceived as overly simplistic, hand-holding and far too easy.

As reviews and gameplay footage circulated online, some players argued that the game had been overhyped and criticized aspects of its combat, level design and narrative, as well as comparisons to Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man series of games. In particular, Wolverine garnered significant backlash over the "Scent Trail" feature (with players calling it "fart gas") that is used to guide players with a blue line to objectives and items. Additionally, the game's quick-time events (QTEs) sparked controversy, with players showing parts of the game where it was impossible to lose or it played itself.

In the days surrounding its release, many users began creating memes about Wolverine, mocking its difficulty, game design and other aspects as it generated discourse across social media, similar to the criticisms about the contentious game Mixtape in May 2026.

Background

On September 15th, 2026, Insomniac Games' action-adventure video game Marvel's Wolverine was released for the PlayStation 5. Based on the Marvel Comics character Wolverine, the game stars Australian actor Liam McIntyre as Logan and is set before the formation of the X-Men. Unlike Insomniac's open-world Spider-Man games, Wolverine features a largely linear, narrative-driven campaign centered on intense melee combat and cinematic set pieces.

Marvel's Wolverine follows Logan as he becomes involved in a conflict surrounding missing mutants, bringing him into contact with characters including Sabretooth, Mystique, Jean Grey, Nathaniel Essex and Bolivar Trask. Gameplay primarily consists of close-range combat using Wolverine's claws, healing abilities and rage-based attacks, alongside exploration, platforming, puzzles and optional challenges.

Leading up to its release, the game received generally positive but mixed reviews from critics, earning lower aggregate scores than Insomniac's three Marvel's Spider-Man games. Some reviewers praised its visuals, performances and depiction of Wolverine, while criticism from other critics focused on its repetitive or simplistic combat, linear level design and aspects of its story and characterization.

Shortly before release, its Metacritic^[1] score stood in the high 70s, compared with scores ranging from 85 to 90 for Insomniac's previous Spider-Man titles.

Online Reactions

As Marvel's Wolverine and its initial critic scores went viral online around the video game's release in mid-September 2026, it inspired significant criticism from users as it garnered attention on social media, with many posting memes, reactions and negative reviews.

On September 10th, 2026, YouTuber Skill Up uploaded a video comprised of their review and thoughts on the game, titled "I do not recommend: Marvel's Wolverine (Review)." The video garnered over 3.4 million views, 90,000 likes and 23,200 comments in five days, with Skill Up ultimately concluding that Wolverine had numerous issues.

In particular, Skill Up's quote from the review, "That will be the legacy of this game, I think. A wake-up call and an expiration date for this philosophy of AAA game design that feels the need to coddle the lowest common denominator at the expense of the rest of us. I don't recommend this," received notable attention in the following days.^[2]

Also on September 10th, X / Twitter^[3] user academiadgamers tweeted a clip from the game showing a quick-time event (QTE), demonstrating how even if they didn't press a single button during it, they didn't fail and the game did it for them. The post garnered over 3.5 million views and 32,000 likes in five days.

Em Marvel's Wolverine, se você não apertar o botão durante o QTE, você não falha: o jogo "aperta" por você.pic.twitter.com/vtGUX3bsm6

— Academia dos Gamers Oficial (@academiadgamers) September 10, 2026

That same day, Twitter^[4] user kewlbot then posted another example of gameplay showing the highly criticized "scent" ability in the game that marks objects and collectibles with a large blue aura, joking that the devs "made a wolverine game for the average TikTok user." The tweet received over 4.6 million views and 47,000 likes in five days.

oh god they made a wolverine game for the average tiktok user pic.twitter.com/hnx60zSa03

— kewlbot 🍏🍎🍏🍎🍏 (@kewlbot) September 10, 2026

Later on September 10th, 2026, Twitter^[7] user and journalist Gene Park coined the term "Wolverine fart gas" in a viral tweet discussing the game's scent trail tool, which garnered over 2.9 million views and 16,000 likes in five days.

i don’t think you can turn off the Wolverine fart gas. this is after today’s update. i’m at the same spot where Skillup follows Jean Grey’s fart gas and you can see her fart gas in the background of the menu where those options are turned off, but Jean’s fart gas particles stay https://t.co/seHs52VNBY pic.twitter.com/WRdx0bjqkK

— Gene Park (@GenePark) September 10, 2026

On September 11th, 2026, Redditor Makoto_Kurume shared a Problems, Stress, Pain meme to the /r/dankmemes^[5] subreddit, mocking the game and calling it "mid," garnering roughly 2,000 upvotes and 90 comments in four days.

As the game and the scent trails feature continued to be widely mocked online, Forbes^[6] writer Paul Tassi published an article on September 12th on the discourse surrounding the controversy, titled "Insomniac Explains Wolverine’s Already-Infamous ‘Fart Gas Trails.’"

One aspect of the game has already been turned into a meme, a so-called “fart gas” trail, a path of smoke on the screen that leads to a specific location, a term coined by The Washington Post’s Gene Park that has now become part of Wolverine’s lexicon. The idea is that it’s just yet another overly-intrusive guide, and while some of the hand-holding in the game can be turned off in settings, the fart gas stays.

Also on September 12th, 2026, Twitter^[8] user epppyyy mocked the game and its $70 price tag in a meme, comparing it to the mobile game Subway Surfers and garnering over 1.8 million views and 70,000 likes in three days.

They're ripping wolverine apart😭 pic.twitter.com/k24ZQ9Lz2g

— eppy (@epppyyy) September 12, 2026

Later that day, Twitter^[9] user EndymionYT posted a Red Dead Redemption 2 Kid Kicking meme about the internet bashing the game, receiving over 812,200 views and 46,000 likes in three days.

How the entire internet is treating Insomniac’s Wolverine right now pic.twitter.com/LPYOQ5yH2s

— Endymion (@EndymionYT) September 12, 2026

On September 13th, 2026, Redditor InterestFew6412 posted a meme to the /r/memes^[11] subreddit, editing a screenshot from the game to include numerous markers, assists and other visual elements from games to help guide a player, garnering over 5,300 upvotes and 130 comments before it was removed by mods.

On September 14th, Twitter^[10] user Xgmaeseeker shared a clip of a streamer playing a segment of the game involving a motorcycle chase where the player could succeed without touching the controller, garnering over 1.1 million views and 12,000 likes in a day.

No hands required on controller for chases and QTE parts in the new Wolverine game. pic.twitter.com/hrTjGJFpee

— Mo (@Xgmaeseeker) September 15, 2026

Also on September 14th, 2026, Redditor Round-Good1179 posted a clip from the game to the /r/MemeVideos^[12] subreddit, referencing the Focus, M meme and garnering over 4,900 upvotes and 80 comments in a day.

Search Interest

External References