Marvel’s Wolverine has made an unusually strong start on PlayStation 5, with Alinea Analytics estimating approximately 1.9 million sales during its first three days. The market-data firm places Insomniac Games’ exclusive at number six among the highest-grossing PS5 releases of 2026 so far.
The estimate also puts Wolverine ahead of several recent Sony-published prestige releases during their equivalent opening period, including Death Stranding 2 and Ghost of Yōtei. Alinea’s head of market research, Rhys Elliott, said in a post shared on X on September 18 that online negativity does not necessarily reflect the commercial picture.
Wolverine’s estimated first three days
Alinea Analytics’ estimated three-day revenue ranking for PS5 games released so far in 2026 is:
- Resident Evil Requiem – $231 million
- 007 First Light – $199 million
- 2K27 – $164 million
- Crimson Desert – $160 million
- Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced – $133 million
- Marvel’s Wolverine – $130 million
- EA Collect Football 27 – $116 million
That result is particularly notable because Wolverine is available only on PS5. Its estimated opening revenue is also higher than the equivalent launch figures Alinea recorded for other recent PlayStation Studios titles:
- Ghost of Yōtei: $121.9 million, or 6.3% below Wolverine
- Death Stranding 2: $51.7 million, or 60.3% below Wolverine
- Astro Bot: $34.6 million, or 73.3% below Wolverine
- Stellar Blade: $32.7 million, or 74.9% below Wolverine
- Rise of the Ronin: $25.7 million, or 80.3% below Wolverine
- Helldivers 2: $18.9 million, or 85.5% below Wolverine
A strong launch despite a mixed reception
The early figures suggest that Wolverine’s commercial appeal has outweighed a muted critical response. Initial reviews included some weaker scores, while the game’s aggregate rating on Metacritic was also described as disappointing. Online criticism focused heavily on quick-time events, objective markers and other elements viewed as restricting player freedom.
Even so, Alinea’s estimate indicates that Wolverine’s opening momentum trails only Spider-Man 2 among Insomniac’s recent superhero releases. The comparison is not unexpected: Spider-Man is a more broadly recognised Marvel character than Wolverine, giving that series a substantial popularity advantage.
For readers following the wider business of interactive entertainment, our arcade news and gaming coverage looks at how major releases influence the industry beyond individual sales charts.
The longer-term question
Three-day revenue provides an important snapshot, but it cannot establish how Wolverine will perform over the rest of its commercial life. Its long-term sales may change as more players finish the game, discuss its design and decide whether the controversy surrounding its presentation reflects their own experience.
That makes the release an important test for Sony’s blockbuster strategy. The company’s first-party model depends on delivering high-profile exclusives that attract players, support hardware sales and encourage upgrades. The result could become even more significant if the next PlayStation generation proves substantially more expensive for consumers.
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