Don’t take everything you see online at face value. After Marvel’s Wolverine became the butt of jokes on social media, with widely shared clips mocking the game’s “fart trail” UI and lackluster chase sequences, it appears to have performed strongly from a sales standpoint. According to new data from industry analyst group Circana, Marvel’s Wolverine was September’s best-selling game in the United States across both physical and digital formats. That is no small feat for a console exclusive already burdened with an infamous reputation.
September was a busy month for game releases, with eight of the ten bestsellers launching during that period. Sports titles performed as expected, with NBA 2K27 taking second place, EA Sports FC 27 in third, and Madden NFL 27 in tenth. Fire Emblem: Fortune’s Weave came in at fourth — again an impressive feat given it was a console exclusive — followed by The Blood of Dawnwalker, Wardogs, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Halloween: The Game, and Ace Combat 8.
While these figures capture only U.S. sales, Sony has released last month’s EU PlayStation Store numbers, where Wolverine came in second behind EA Sports FC 27. Previous sales data from Ampere Analysis suggests Wolverine sold particularly well on disc, with 35% of sales being physical. Given that Sony is ending disc production for PlayStation games starting in 2028, the game’s success in that format doesn’t align well with the company’s narrative that its customers are no longer interested in physical releases. Overall, Ampere’s data estimated that Wolverine sold around 2.35 million copies in September.
Why did Wolverine get so much backlash?
After years of hype and anticipation, Marvel’s Wolverine launched to lukewarm reviews, with many critics taking issue with its repetition, shallow gameplay, and weak storytelling. While the game wasn’t outright panned, and some praised its visuals and spectacle, it didn’t receive anywhere near the glowing praise that many of Sony’s other AAA first-party titles have earned in recent years.
If that wasn’t enough, Wolverine became entangled in the backlash over Sony’s decision to end support for discs. This PlayStation exclusive was being promoted around the same time that Sony made its poorly received announcement, with fans of physical media flooding the comment sections of anything PlayStation-related — Wolverine included — to make their dissatisfaction known.
Perhaps the main reason Wolverine was drubbed is that it proved an easy target for trendy clips. It embodied many game design elements players have come to resent, such as overexplaining where to go next (scent trails) and overprioritizing cinematic presentation instead of gameplay.
Have thoughts, questions, or benchmarks on this topic? Join the discussion on our forums.
Join Discussion ➔
Sohbete katılın