Insomniac Games has released its first post-launch update for Marvel’s Wolverine, dialing back the intensity of the scent trail mechanic that became an unexpected talking point even before the game shipped. The hotfix reduces the opacity of both the Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators so they appear less prominent on screen.
The change arrives just weeks after the superhero action-adventure title launched as a PlayStation 5 exclusive, following a wave of reviews that drew widespread attention to how Logan’s tracking ability manifests visually. Players who had been debating whether the mechanic undermined exploration found their conversation reignited when journalists began describing the glowing green trail behind characters.
The ‘Fart Gas’ Debate
The controversy gained momentum earlier this month when Washington Post journalist Gene Park published reviews of Marvel’s Wolverine and referred to the scent trail as “fart gas,” a nickname born from how the visual appears trailing behind the people Logan follows. The description spread quickly across social media, prompting players to share their own observations about whether the feature could be disabled.
A portion of the online conversation centered on confusion regarding accessibility options. Insomniac’s official list of accessibility features for Wolverine includes a “Chase Assist” setting that reduces movement speed for targets during chase sequences, but it does not turn off the trail. Other navigation toggles similarly leave the scent trail intact, leading some players to question whether they had missed something.
The scent trail isn’t always on. It represents Logan’s canon mutant super senses and elite tracking ability. It only is there when he’s tracking a specific scent / sound (a person, whisky, or another clue scent) – story/mission moments or when he catches whiff of a collectible.
James Stevenson, Insomniac director of community and marketing
Ahead of the game’s release, James Stevenson took to social media to explain how the mechanic functions within Logan’s power set. His comments did not fully quiet critics, however, who referenced previous discourse around Final Fantasy’s yellow paint guides when arguing that scent trails removed any skill required for chase sequences and diminished the joy of discovery during exploration.
A Response to Feedback
Roughly a week ago, Insomniac announced it was planning to “further refine the player experience” based on feedback while insisting it remained “incredibly proud” of the game. Most observers interpreted that statement as an indication the studio intended to adjust the infamous scent trail, and the new patch has confirmed those expectations.
The patch notes posted to Insomniac’s website confirm that the hotfix adjusts the presentation of the Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators, including reduced opacity to make these visuals less intense. The team also noted it continues to evaluate ways to improve Senses in the game, exploring toggleable options for a future update.
That last detail suggests players may eventually be able to turn off Sent Trails entirely, offering a potential solution to those who found the mechanic intrusive once and for all. Beyond the visual adjustments, the same hotfix addresses some common crashes experienced by a small percentage of players since launch.
Looking Ahead
Sony has not yet announced an official sales figure for Marvel’s Wolverine, though early data suggested the PlayStation 5 exclusive sold roughly 1.9 million copies in its first three days, generating around $130 million in revenue. The game continues to draw attention from players discovering new content on their own.
Meanwhile, the community remains active with players testing everything from a motorcycle sequence to see whether Logan can die if you don’t touch the controller, to one player who managed to take Logan out of bounds and reveal previously unseen areas of the game. Whether Insomniac’s future toggleable options materialize as promised will become clear in an upcoming update.
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