It's hard to avoid leaks these days. The internet is full of sleuths, and many creators love being seen as a credible source of exclusive information. To avoid the risk of such things spoiling the game, Insomniac decided to just reveal Wolverine was happening years ahead of release, even if it meant being asked about it well before we'd get to see it.
In an interview with TheGamer, game director Mike Daly explains the logic here. "We announced Wolverine very early because we knew it would be very difficult to keep a lid on it," he says.
"We wanted to be able to cast the crew knowing that," he adds, noting the studio's slate played a part as well. "Insomniac does take on the very difficult challenge of working on multiple games at once, and we've tried to stagger our releases so that the team can help out where they're needed the most while allowing the other projects to proceed efficiently, which is one aspect of it."
Indeed, Insomniac is a large operation. Besides Wolverine, you have the Spider-Man series, for which the developer released three installments over five years, and the Ratchet and Clank games. The latter two are massive parts of Sony's PlayStation catalog, and our adamantium-clawed X-Man's new outing has become a key tentpole for the PS5 after a generation light on first-party releases.
Being so big makes being inconspicuous difficult. With a lot of employees keeping details close to their chest while a lot of people sniff around, sometimes it's best to just be clear about what you're up to, and then absorb the attention that brings.
Sure, you could end up in the uncomfortable situation of The Elder Scrolls 6 if there were unexpected delays, but clearly Insomniac was confident in its ability to get Wolverine onto shelves. The studio's history does lend itself to being a little forthcoming.
And here we are. Wolverine comes out in September. After that, we'll have to see what emerges - Insomniac's not been that forthcoming just yet.
