[#item_full_content] [[{“value”:”👃 Insomniac Games released an update for Marvel’s Wolverine allowing players to toggle scent trails, audio clues, and nightmare roots
😤 The changes address widespread player complaints about handholding and intrusive gameplay features
🤔 Questions remain over why this feedback wasn’t addressed before the game launched to a 77 Metacritic score
🤷♂️ While the update improves the experience for new players, it won’t alter the initial critical reception
Walmart: Marvel’s Wolverine
Best Buy: Marvel’s Wolverine
Amazon: Marvel’s Wolverine
After achieving a rather disappointing Metacritic score of 77 – a far cry from its previous efforts – developer Insomniac Games has released a new update for Marvel’s Wolverine that addresses one of the game’s most controversial aspects: scent trails.
The Shortcut is a reader-supported publication and the No.1 consumer tech site on Substack. To receive our newsletter, access paid content, and help support our work, consider becoming a subscriber 🙏
Subscribe
More specifically, the new update lets you toggle the game’s scent trails, audio clues, and nightmare roots on or off, which were deemed far too intrusive by players. Previously, a patch was deployed that toned down the intensity of the scent trails.
Marvel’s Wolverine was widely criticized for taking away player agency and for too much handholding. It even drew ridicule from unlikely sources, like Mountain Dew’s social media account.
[
Mountain Dew®@MountainDew
How do I turn this off
7:20 PM · Sep 17, 2026 · 3.99M Views
1.43K Replies · 7.97K Reposts · 107K Likes
](https://x.com/MountainDew/status/2100666095656943850?s=20)
Clearly, Insomniac Games has taken the feedback to heart. However, it begs the question as to how such a high-profile, multi-million dollar project missed these glaring issues before the game shipped. I asked this very question to James Stevenson, Insomniac’s community and marketing director, on X, but didn’t receive a reply.
[
James Stevenson@JamesStevenson
As I have said we continue to listen and work with the team to address feedback and requests.
Insomniac Games @insomniacgames
Today, we deployed a hotfix for Marvel’s Wolverine that includes new toggles for Scent Trails, Audio Clues, and Nightmare Roots, along with fixes for community-reported crashes and bugs. Read more: https://t.co/4s9Q3W90ou
1:19 AM · Sep 26, 2026 · 58.9K Views
248 Replies · 98 Reposts · 1.87K Likes
](https://x.com/JamesStevenson/status/2103655787503460813?s=20)
“Genuine question: why wasn’t any of this feedback received before the game was released?” I said. “It’s great that you’re making changes now, but I think you need to overhaul your QA/testing teams as this was all preventable.”
[
Adam Vjestica@ItsMrProducts
@JamesStevenson Genuine question: why wasn’t any of this feedback received before the game was released? It’s great that you’re making changes now, but I think you need to overhaul your QA/testing teams as this was all preventable.
1:21 PM · Sep 26, 2026 · 321 Views
1 Reply · 5 Likes
](https://x.com/ItsMrProducts/status/2103837391043624960?s=20)
There are likely two outcomes: either the overbearing nature of the scent trails wasn’t flagged during development – which is concerning – or the issue was raised and ignored – and that’s far more worrying.
Still, the game is certainly better after the update, which means new players will get a better day-one experience. However, it won’t magically fix Wolverine’s Metacritic score average and the bad press the game has received since launch.
Up next: Wolverine PS5 controller and console update: this is what’s still in stock
Subscribe
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. He also runs a retro gaming YouTube channel called Game on, boy! Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.”}]] 
Read More