Marvel’s Wolverine is taking Insomniac Games’ superhero action formula in a harsher direction than its Spider-Man titles. The game features stronger language, intense violence and graphic gore, alongside a small amount of partial nudity.
The Entertainment Software Rating Board has given Marvel’s Wolverine an M rating for Mature 17+. The board warns players of Marvel’s Wolverine that it contains blood and gore, drug references, intense violence, strong language and partial nudity. The rating also notes in-game purchases.
What the ESRB rating reveals
The rating describes a third-person action game starring James Logan, also known as Wolverine, as he reunites with Team X to confront a dangerous threat. Players use Logan’s claws, melee attacks and special abilities against enemy soldiers and robots.
Combat can include slashing, stabbing, dismemberment and decapitation, with frequent blood effects and screams of pain. Rage modes enable faster, more destructive combos, while slow-motion finishers can show particularly brutal attacks, including a character being stabbed in the head.
The ESRB also says some battlefields contain torsos and limbs, while cutscenes may depict characters tearing enemies apart or decapitating soldiers. Drug-related dialogue includes a reference to fentanyl production, and the game contains strong profanity.
Content warning: Marvel’s Wolverine is rated M for Mature 17+ for Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity and Strong Language.
Partial nudity, not a full reveal
The nudity referenced in the rating appears limited to brief shots of an exposed character’s buttocks. The ESRB does not identify whose body is shown, so expectations of a full nude appearance from Wolverine should be tempered.
Hugh Jackman’s film portrayal has included a lot of butt shots, particularly in X-Men Origins: Wolverine and X-Men: Days of Future Past. The game could continue that visual tradition, although the rating alone does not confirm which character appears.
Marvel’s Wolverine explores Logan’s origin story, making a brief glimpse of Wolverine plausible. Mystique is also confirmed to appear, though there is no indication that Insomniac Games will recreate the largely nude presentation associated with the character in Fox’s films.
Release information
Whoever appears in the brief scenes, the ESRB listing confirms that some exposed buttocks will feature when Marvel’s Wolverine launches on PlayStation 5 on 15 September.
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