PlayStation’s Wolverine director is now helming Xbox’s Perfect Dark: Report
Insomniac Games is working on Marvel’s Wolverine, first announced at the 2021 PlayStation Showcase. There has been no update on the game or its release timeline since its reveal, but a reported leadership change has led to a new creative director and game director at the helm of the project. Brian Horton, who was confirmed as Wolverine’s creative director in 2021, has reportedly left the studio to join Xbox’s Perfect Dark reboot in the same role.
Leadership change at Wolverine
Horton has not been involved with Marvel’s Wolverine since this summer, according to a report Game fileciting two sources familiar with the matter, claimed Wednesday. The PS5 exclusive now has a new creative director in the form of Marcus Smith, a representative from Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) confirmed to Game File.
Additionally, the game director’s chair on Marvel’s Wolverine also has a new occupant. Mike Daly has reportedly taken over from Cameron Christian. The report claimed that Christian would remain at Insomniac Games, albeit in a different role. While the reasons for the leadership change were not specified, the sources told the publication that the changes stemmed from creative decisions surrounding Wolverine.
Smith and Daly previously served as creative director and game director, respectively, on Insomniac Games’ Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, which released on PS5 in 2021.
New director at Perfect Dark
Horton, meanwhile, has reportedly taken on creative director duties on Xbox’s Perfect Dark, the report said. Currently in development at Microsoft-backed The Initiative and Embracer Group-owned Crystal Dynamics, the first-person shooter reboot was announced at The Game Awards 2020 and received its first gameplay trailer earlier this year during the Xbox Games Showcase in June. Horton previously served as creative director on Insomniac’s Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales.
Marvel’s Wolverine was revealed alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 at the 2021 PlayStation Showcase. The game is confirmed to be set in Earth-1048 – the same universe as Insomniac’s Spider-Man games.
In December 2023, gameplay footage, storyboards, concept art, plot details, release timeline information, and more details of Marvel’s Wolverine were leaked online following a massive ransomware hack at Insomniac. The malicious attack also leaked private information of several Insomniac employees. In addition to the gameplay, the leak seemingly included a bootable version of Wolverine, with the main menu and chapter choices titled “Vertical Slice.”
