Despite its mixed reception, Marvel’s Wolverine was September’s top-selling new game in the US, making Sony launch revenues it hasn’t seen since Helldivers 2

Despite mixed critical reviews and notable social media criticism of its design and gameplay mechanics, Marvel’s Wolverine became September’s best-selling game in the United States. The PlayStation 5 exclusive from Insomniac Games, which launched mid-month, achieved the highest launch-month dollar sales for any Sony-published title since Helldivers 2’s February 2024 debut, ultimately ranking as 2026’s 11th best-selling game overall.

Marvel’s Wolverine’s strong performance extended beyond the game itself to PlayStation 5 hardware sales. PS5 spending rose 43% year-over-year with a 22% increase in unit sales, earning Sony its highest monthly hardware dollar share since May 2025. Total hardware spending across all platforms increased 12% to $362 million in September, according to market analyst Circana, which tracked both physical and digital sales.

The game’s commercial success despite unfavorable online reception demonstrates a significant gap between social media sentiment and actual consumer purchasing behavior in the gaming industry.

Sources

• Despite its mixed reception, Marvel’s Wolverine was September’s top-selling new game in the US, making Sony launch revenues it hasn’t seen since Helldivers 2
• Marvel’s Wolverine leads US September charts, achieves highest monthly dollar sales for a Sony-published title since Helldivers 2
• Marvel’s Wolverine Proves You Shouldn’t Always Trust What You See On Social Media
• Marvel’s Wolverine Was The Best-Selling Game In September
• ‘Marvel’s Wolverine’ Soars on PS5 Sales Charts Despite Negative Buzz
• PS5 Exclusive Marvel’s Wolverine Is Sony’s Biggest Launch Since Helldivers 2
• Wolverine was US’s best-selling game in September, with PS5 sales up 43%