Summary
Following a massive data breach that saw information on Insomniac Games’ future projects leaked to the internet, gamers have had no shortage of things to discuss. Not only has the leak provided information on PlayStation’s wider business dealings, such as news about X-Men’s exclusivity to the brand until 2025 and sales information for all of Sony’s recent exclusives, but fans now know a great deal aboutMarvel’s Wolverine. Alongside the gameplay, plot, and cast leaks for that game, Insomniac fans now know of four other titles that are in the works from the developer - and anotherSpider-Manproject that may sadly never release.
As disappointing as the leak may be for classic Insomniac fans, it is thrilling for those who love Marvel, as gamers now know that a standalone Venom game is in the works in addition to an X-Men project.Marvel’s Spider-Man 3and a newRatchet and Clankround out the list of slated titles that will release up to 2030, though a new IP is mentioned for 2031/2032. Unfortunately, whileX-Men and Venom gamesare great surprises, and it is nice to seeMarvel’s Spider-Man 3confirmed, players now know that a co-op title dubbedSpider-Man: The Great Webhas seemingly been lost forever. This is a shame for both fans and Sony, as it could have easily been the live service success the latter has been craving.
The Great Web Could Have Been a Dream Come True For Spider-Man Fans
What Was Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Great Web?
Marvel’s Spider-Man: The Great Webwas supposedly meant to be a live service, four-player co-op experience that received constant support from Insomniac Games. It would have brought back Miles and Peter while introducingthe recently teased Silkand Spider-Gwen, with artwork depicting Gwen in her usual costume but with some green accents in her hair and on her suit. Whether other characters would have been included is unclear, as Spider-Man Noir is featured in an image from the game, but this may be due to the title’s supposed character creation elements.
As indicated by some of the imagery from the leak, players would have been able to choose their backstory via set narratives like “Accident in the Lab,” and “Wrong Place, Wrong Time.” These origin stories would alter stats like strength, agility, and so on, while also providing a specialty role like Support. When crafting their Spidey origin story, players would also come up with a loss that motivates them to be a hero and choose other traits. Gamers may also have been allowed to design original costumes, as some of the concept images from the game featured unique designs for Miles and Peter. Since the game would have seemingly explored a multiverse opened byScarlet Witch, perhaps players would be able to design their own versions of Peter, Miles, Cindy, or Gwen that come from different universes.
Perhaps most devastating of all is that Insomniac Games seemed to have a clear plan in place to support the title. The first year of content would have focused on the villain Knull, with the three-month seasons referred to as “Issues” like how comic books are split up. Each would have brought in a villain like Venom or Mysterio before the year’s final season offered the payoff with Knull. A battle pass concept leaked as well, and given how much players lovealternate suits inMarvel’s Spider-Man, many would surely have been determined to buy and complete any battle pass the game received.
Some ideas fromSpider-Man: The Great Webmay survive, as the leak suggests thatMarvel’s Spider-Man 2and3will have multiplayer modes. However, it is unlikely that such a mode will be as in-depth as this live service project, as it will likely lack the regular content updates and character creation tools depicted in the images.
Spider-Man: The Great Web Could Have Been The Live Service Game Sony Has Been Chasing
Though players do not know for sure that The Great Web was canceled, as many are just assuming it is because it is not mentioned on Insomniac’s slate of upcoming games, if the project has been abandoned it is a huge mistake on Sony’s part. Not only hastheMarvel’s Spider-Manfranchise sold tremendouslythus far, guaranteeing that a live service title would have a big audience, but fans have wanted to see characters like Gwen and swing around New York with a friend for some time now. Each player creating their own Spider-Hero seems like a winning concept, while the seasonal content and presence of a battle pass should have made for a solid foundation.
Whether the game was abandoned because of Sony moving back toward singleplayer games following fan backlash, Bungie evaluating the project and advising against it like with thenow-canceledThe Last of Us Online, or Insomniac having too much to juggle with all its other games, it is truly a shame that this idea could be lost forever. Sony has been desperate for successful live service games, which is understandable given the huge budgets of singleplayer releases likeMarvel’s Spider-Man 2, and this could have been the game it was searching for. With a terrific premise and a viable post-launch strategy, not only is it a tragedy that fans will not get to playThe Great Web, but it will also go down as a huge missed opportunity for Sony if the game is never revisited.
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is one of the biggest names in entertainment today. The superhero first appeared in the Marvel comic Amazing Fantasy #15 before becoming a leading figure in the Marvel comic-book universe.Spider-Man has also featured in numerous films and a plethora of video games, most notably Insomniac Games' Spider-Man (2018) and Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
