Marvel's Spider-Man is a collection of superhero action-adventure video games, media projects, and a shared universe created by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) for PlayStation consoles and Windows. The games are based on characters from Marvel Comics and draw inspiration from the long history of comic books and other media adaptations. The series mainly follows Peter Parker and Miles Morales, who fight crime in New York City as Spider-Men while managing challenges in their everyday lives.
Marvel Games discussed making third-party games with SIE, which led to Insomniac Games being chosen to take over the Spider-Man license from Activision in 2014. The first game, Marvel's Spider-Man, and its downloadable content (DLC) expansion, The City That Never Sleeps, were released for PlayStation 4 in late 2018. These were later combined into a remastered version for PlayStation 5 in November 2020 and for Windows in August 2022. A spin-off game, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, was released for PlayStation 4 and 5 in November 2020 alongside the remastered version, with a Windows version coming in November 2022. A sequel, Marvel's Spider-Man 2, was released for PlayStation 5 in October 2023 and for Windows in January 2025. A third game, Marvel's Spider-Man 3, is currently being developed.
The series takes place in a shared universe, similar to the Marvel Universe in comic books, and includes other games by Insomniac Games that connect to the Spider-Man story. Marvel's Wolverine, a game focused on the character Wolverine, is scheduled for release on PlayStation 5 in September 2026. A standalone Venom game, following his appearance in Marvel's Spider-Man 2, is also in development. Marvel's X-Men, a game centered on the X-Men team, is planned for release.
The main games in the Marvel's Spider-Man series have been successful and well-received by critics and players. They are praised for their stories, characters, world design, voice acting, graphics, and gameplay. Additional books and comics have been released to expand the game's universe. The version of Peter Parker created by Insomniac Games appears in the comic book event Spider-Geddon (2018), which places the series on "Earth-1048" within the Marvel Comics multiverse. Peter Parker also appears briefly in the animated film Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023), with Yuri Lowenthal revoicing his role.
Conception and development
Video games featuring Marvel Comics characters were mostly developed and published by Activision since 1998. Spider-Man appeared in many games as the main character or a supporting character since 2000. However, Marvel Games vice president Jay Ong said in 2016 that the agreement between Marvel and Activision required games to be made quickly to match upcoming Marvel movies. Ong said it was hard to create high-quality games under these conditions because there was not enough time. Dissatisfied with the results, Marvel Games ended their partnership with Activision in 2014, just before the release of The Amazing Spider-Man 2. During a meeting, Activision asked Ong, "What will you do with this IP after you get it back?" Ong responded that he needed to "find a better home for it," and an Activision representative joked, "Good luck finding your unicorn."
To improve the Marvel intellectual property, Ong aimed to find a publishing partner that did not focus on low-quality licensed games and instead wanted to build a strong game franchise. Marvel considered companies like Microsoft Studios, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Nintendo. Nintendo was not chosen at first because of technical limits on the Nintendo Switch and its focus on its own characters, though they later worked on Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order (2019). Microsoft declined the offer to focus on its own games, but later partnered with Marvel on Marvel's Blade through Bethesda Softworks. Eventually, Ong met with Sony executives Adam Boyes and John Drake to propose a partnership. They hoped to create games that could compete with the Batman: Arkham series and drive adoption of Sony’s PlayStation platforms.
Sony agreed to the deal, and their Vice President of Product Development, Connie Booth, met with Insomniac Games CEO Ted Price to discuss the project. Price was neutral about making a Marvel game, as Insomniac had only worked on original games before. However, his team was excited about the idea. Marvel allowed Insomniac to choose any character, and they selected Spider-Man because of his relatable story as both a hero and a regular person. The team found the task challenging due to Spider-Man’s popularity and the many existing stories about him, but they welcomed the opportunity. Art director Jacinda Chew researched Marvel materials to learn more about the character.
Creative director Bryan Intihar said, "Spider-Man is the most relatable hero. It’s harder to connect with a billionaire like Tony Stark or a god like Thor. Peter Parker makes mistakes and has ups and downs in his life, which we can all relate to." Price added that Spider-Man is "so human and popular." He also noted that the game could use technology from Sunset Overdrive, which had a dynamic movement system. This was the first licensed game developed by Insomniac in its 22-year history.
When Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was announced for PlayStation 4 and 5, Sony vice president Simon Rutter called it an "expansion and enhancement" of the original game. Insomniac later described it as a standalone game, similar in size to Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, which was a smaller expansion for the Uncharted series. The game included a new story, villains, and quests.
During the development of Marvel's Spider-Man, Insomniac, Marvel, and Sony discussed future games based on other Marvel characters. The team suggested a game featuring Wolverine, who shares Spider-Man’s strong moral compass. After the success of Spider-Man, Insomniac proposed the idea to Marvel and Sony. Marvel's Wolverine is currently being developed alongside Spider-Man 2 (2023), which was announced in September 2021. Bryan Intihar and Ryan Smith are the game’s creative and game directors, returning from their roles on Spider-Man.
Between 2022 and 2025, Sony released Spider-Man Remastered, Miles Morales, and Spider-Man 2 for Windows after their initial launches on PlayStation, with help from Nixxes Software, which Sony acquired in 2021. In February 2026, it was reported that Wolverine and future games would no longer be released for PC, as Sony stopped supporting PC versions of single-player PlayStation Studios games.
In December 2023, Insomniac Games was attacked by the group Rhysida, who stole about 1.67 terabytes of data, including development documents, financial plans, and employee information. Rhysida threatened to release the data seven days after the attack and held an auction for it, starting at 50 Bitcoin (about $2 million). Sony said it would investigate the incident but did not expect it to affect other parts of the company. After the deadline, stolen materials, including production assets for Wolverine and other games, were published online.
Video games
Marvel's Spider-Man is the first game in the series. It was released for the PlayStation 4 in September 2018. The story happens eight years after Peter Parker becomes Spider-Man. It focuses on a villain named Mister Negative, who plans to take control of New York City's criminal groups. When Mister Negative threatens to release a deadly virus with the help of a group of escaped villains called the Sinister Six, Spider-Man must stop him and save the city. He also deals with personal challenges as Peter Parker. He is helped by Mary Jane Watson, a former coworker and ex-girlfriend, NYPD captain Yuri Watanabe, and Miles Morales, the son of NYPD officer Jefferson Davis.
Insomniac added a downloadable content (DLC) called The City That Never Sleeps, which includes three episodes released monthly from October to December 2018. This DLC takes place a few months after the main game. It follows Spider-Man fighting a new crime wave led by a physically strong mob boss named Hammerhead, with help from expert thief Felicia Hardy and Silver Sablinova, who runs a mercenary group called Sable International.
Marvel's Spider-Man Remastered includes the original game and all three episodes of The City That Never Sleeps. It also has improved graphics and features two game presets: "Fidelity Mode" for better visuals and real-time ray tracing, and "Performance Mode" for smoother gameplay and higher frame rates. A third option, "Performance RT," was added later to enable ray tracing while improving performance. Other improvements include faster loading times using the console's SSD, support for 3D audio and DualSense controller feedback, and a new in-game model for Peter Parker, motion captured by Ben Jordan. Additional suits, such as the "Black and Gold Suit" and "Hybrid Suit," inspired by suits from the Spider-Man: No Way Home movie, are also included.
The remaster was released worldwide for the PlayStation 5 in November 2020 as a launch title. It was bundled with the Ultimate Edition of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Players can also upgrade the PS4 version of Miles Morales or buy the remaster separately. It supports cross-saving between the PS4 and PS5 versions of Marvel's Spider-Man. The remaster was available for purchase on the PlayStation Store in May 2023, with upgrades for original PS4 owners. A Windows version, developed by Nixxes Software, was released in August 2022 on Steam and the Epic Games Store. It includes features like NVIDIA DLSS and DLAA support, compatibility with ultrawide displays, and options for unlocked frame rates.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales was released for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 in November 2020 and for Windows in November 2022. It follows Miles Morales, who gains spider-like powers after the first game and is trained by Peter Parker. When Peter and Mary Jane go on a trip to Symkaria, Miles becomes the sole Spider-Man in New York. He must protect Harlem after it is caught in a conflict between the Roxxon Energy Corporation and the Underground, a criminal group led by the Tinkerer.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 was released for the PlayStation 5 in October 2023. It shows Peter Parker and Miles Morales balancing their personal lives with their duties as Spider-Men. When a group of mercenaries called the Hunters, led by Sergei "Kraven" Kravinoff, turn New York into a hunting ground, Peter and Miles fight villains. Peter also encounters Venom, a symbiote that bonds to him and affects his actions.
In September 2023, narrative director Ben Arfmann discussed the possibility of future games. Senior creative director Bryan Intihar later said a third game could be "pretty epic," comparing the story of Spider-Man 2 to the movie Captain America: Civil War. Co-writers Benjamin Arfmann and Britney Morris confirmed that Miles Morales would be the main Spider-Man in future games. In December 2023, details about future titles, including Marvel's Spider-Man 3, were leaked during a ransomware attack. The game was planned for a 2028 release, possibly split into two parts.
In September 2021, Insomniac announced a new game, Marvel's Wolverine, set in the same universe as the Spider-Man games. It will be released for the PlayStation 5 in September 2026.
In October 2023, senior narrative director Jon Paquette discussed the possibility of a Venom spin-off game after its appearance in Spider-Man 2. A standalone Venom game was later leaked as part of an internal roadmap. However, in April 2026, Miles Morales's voice actor confirmed that the Venom game and a related DLC were canceled after the death of actor Tony Todd in 2024. Later reports suggested the game might still be in development as of March 2026.
Another game, Marvel's X-Men, was leaked as part of the same internal roadmap. It is expected to continue the story of Marvel's Wolverine and be the second game in an X-Men trilogy.
Other media
The music for all currently released games in the Marvel's Spider-Man series was created by John Paesano. The soundtracks for Marvel's Spider-Man and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales are available in digital streaming and physical vinyl formats through a partnership with Mondo. Three vocal tracks were included in the Miles Morales soundtrack: "I'm Ready" by Jaden Smith, and "Where We Come From" and "This is My Time" by Lecrae. A vocal track for Marvel's Spider-Man 2, titled "Swing" by EarthGang featuring Benji, was released on streaming platforms in September 2023.
Marvel's Spider-Man: City at War was published by Marvel Comics in March 2019 as their first comic under the Gamerverse label. It is a six-issue comic that adapts the main story of the game while adding details about specific events. The comic was written by Dennis Hopeless, with art by Luca Maresca and color art by David Curiel.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Velocity, published in 2019, is a five-issue comic that tells an original story set between the events of the main game and the downloadable content campaign, The City That Never Sleeps. It explores the origin of Peter Parker's Velocity Suit, his encounter with the villain Swarm, and a separate investigation by Mary Jane Watson and her colleague Ben Urich into a character named Haley Harvey, also known as the Speed Demon.
Marvel's Spider-Man: The Black Cat Strikes, published in 2020, is a five-issue limited series that adapts the events of The City That Never Sleeps. Dennis Hopeless and Luca Maresca returned as the writer and artist, respectively. The comic also expands on Peter Parker's relationship with Felicia Hardy, adding scenes not shown in the game's DLC.
As part of Free Comic Book Day in 2023, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Marvel released a one-shot comic that introduces the events of Marvel's Spider-Man 2. It was published on May 6 in local comic shops and digitally on the Marvel Unlimited app. The comic was written by Christos Gage, who previously worked on Marvel's Spider-Man, with art by Ig Gaura. The story follows Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and Mary Jane Watson as they balance their responsibilities and face a criminal named The Hood who uses magic.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Hostile Takeover, written by David Liss, was published by Titan Books on August 21, 2018. It is a prequel novel that takes place before the main game, detailing Peter Parker's efforts to expose Wilson Fisk's criminal activities, his encounter with the vigilante Blood Spider, and his confrontation with Maya Lopez/Echo, who believes Spider-Man killed her father.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales – Wings of Fury, written by Brittney Morris, was published by Titan Books on November 10, 2020. It is a prequel novel set between the events of The City That Never Sleeps (2018) and the game Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020). The story follows Miles Morales and Peter Parker as they work together to capture Adrian Toomes/Vulture, who has escaped from prison and is aided by his granddaughter, Tiana Toomes, who uses the alias "Starling."
Marvel's Spider-Man: The Art of the Game, written by Paul Davies, was published by Titan Books on September 11, 2018. It includes concept art, character designs, and details about locations, costumes, and technology from the game, along with insights from the developers and artists involved.
Marvel's Spider-Man Script Book, written by Jon Paquette, Christos Gage, and Benjamin Arfmann, was published on February 11, 2020. It features the original script of the game, along with art and commentary from the writers.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales – The Art of the Game, written by Matt Ralphs, was published by Titan Books on February 23, 2021. It includes concept illustrations and in-game designs of characters, technology, locations, gadgets, and costumes from the game's development.
Appearances outside the games
In 2018, Peter Parker from Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man appeared in the crossover event Spider-Geddon, which followed the 2014 story Spider-Verse written by Christos Gage and published by Marvel Comics on September 26, 2018. This event took place in the universe called "Earth-1048" within the Marvel Multiverse. In the story, Peter teams up with the Superior Spider-Army, led by Otto Octavius (also known as Superior Spider-Man), to fight the Inheritors and save Spider-People across the multiverse. The events of Spider-Geddon happen after the game's story and introduce a version of Tarantula from this universe. Otto Octavius also leaves a message for his game version, hinting he might become Superior Spider-Man again.
Peter's Advanced Suit from Marvel's Spider-Man appears in Spider-Lair alongside alternate suits worn by Peter Parker from Miles Morales' reality in the animated film Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018). Peter from the game also appears physically in the sequel Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (2023) as "Insomniac Spider-Man" from Earth-1048. He is part of the Spider-Society led by Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099), with Yuri Lowenthal briefly returning as his voice actor. Other versions of Peter Parker with the Advanced Suit are shown in the same style as other characters in the film. Gameplay from Marvel's Spider-Man 2 is shown in a scene at Miles Morales' dorm, where his friend Ganke Lee is seen playing the game on a PlayStation 5.
The Marvel's Spider-Man series, developed by Insomniac Games, is referenced in Astro's Playroom (2020), a PlayStation 5 launch game. The game includes hints to PlayStation franchises. In the Caching Caves area, players find an Astro Bot hanging upside-down from a web, a pose linked to the character. Peter Parker and Miles Morales appear as unlockable bots in Astro Bot's Winter Wonder level, released in a free update on December 12, 2024.
Marvel's Iron Man VR was released in July 2020 for PlayStation VR and later on Meta Quest 2 in November 2022 by Oculus Studios. Published by Sony Interactive Entertainment, the game has a story that connects to the Marvel's Spider-Man games. Director Ryan Payton mentioned that while the game is standalone, there are opportunities to link it to other Marvel games in the future.
In January 2025, an alternate skin inspired by Peter Parker's Advanced Suit 2.0 was added to Marvel Rivals (2024) to coincide with the release of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 on Windows, which included a special emote and themed nameplate. An alternate skin for Spider-Man, also inspired by the Advanced Suit 2.0, is available as an add-on for the Digital Deluxe Edition of Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls (2026) on PlayStation 5 and Windows.
Reception
The three games currently released in the Marvel's Spider-Man series have received high praise from critics and achieved strong sales. Critics have said that Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) is one of the best comic book-based games ever made. Outlets like VentureBeat and Game Informer compared it favorably to Batman: Arkham Asylum (2009), a game also praised for changing how comic book-based games were made. The game's mechanics, such as web-swinging and movement, were highlighted as improvements. EGMNOW noted that the gameplay in Marvel's Spider-Man was smoother than in Spider-Man 2 (2004). Combat was also praised for being fluid and using gadgets and the environment for attacks. IGN said the combat system allowed for creative strategies. The story was a major strength, with USGamer calling it the game's strongest feature and GamesRadar+ noting the depth of the characters' voices and performances. The Remastered version for PlayStation 5 and PC received praise for better visuals, such as improved facial and hair textures, and added features that made it closer to Miles Morales. However, replacing the facial capture model for Peter Parker with a new actor received mixed reactions. The PC version was praised for running well on the platform and working smoothly on the Steam Deck.
Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) also received positive reviews. IGN's Jonathon Dornbush praised the PS5 enhancements and the game's side content. Destructoid's Chris Carter highlighted the story and Miles' new abilities. Game Informer's Andrew Reiner appreciated improvements to combat and the depiction of Harlem.
As of May 2022, the Marvel's Spider-Man series sold over 33 million copies worldwide. Marvel's Spider-Man (2018) sold 3.3 million units in its first three days, including those bundled with PlayStation 4 consoles. This made it the fastest-selling first-party game in Sony's history and the fastest-selling PlayStation 4 exclusive until Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) surpassed it. USA Today estimated the game earned at least $198 million for Sony, more than the $117 million made by the Spider-Man: Homecoming movie. The NPD Group reported that Marvel's Spider-Man had 37% higher sales in its release month compared to all previous Spider-Man games combined. By July 2019, it became the best-selling comic book-based game, surpassing Batman: Arkham City. It also became one of the best-selling Western-developed PlayStation 4 games in Japan, behind only Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and Minecraft. The Remastered version for Windows had 63,384 players on Steam at its debut, the second-largest launch for a PlayStation Studios game on the platform.
The PlayStation 4 version of Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales (2020) sold 22,882 physical copies in its first week in Japan, making it the eighth-best-selling retail game that week. The PlayStation 5 version sold 18,640 physical copies, ranking tenth. In the UK, it was the best-selling physical PlayStation 5 launch game. In Germany, it sold over 100,000 copies in its launch month and 200,000 by December 2020. As of December 2020, it sold 663,000 digital copies across PlayStation 4 and 5. By April 2021, it had sold more copies than The Last of Us Part II and Ghost of Tsushima (both 2020). As of July 2021, it sold over 6.5 million copies. It was the twelfth best-selling game of 2020 and sixth best-selling of 2021.
In November 2020, Marvel's Spider-Man was reported to have sold over 20 million copies. By May 2022, the series had sold over 33 million copies. Marvel's Spider-Man 2 sold over five million units in ten days. As of February 14, 2024, the series sold more than 50 million copies, with Marvel's Spider-Man 2 selling 10 million units. By April 20, 2024, Marvel's Spider-Man 2 had sold over 11 million units, pushing the franchise's total to at least 51 million. By September 2024, Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales had sold around 15 million units.