Gamers were disappointed last month when Sony's PlayStation Showcase featured the first gameplay reveal of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 but failed to provide a release date for the highly anticipated sequel. Well, thankfully, we didn't have to wait too much longer for the announcement to be made.
Insomniac Games announced during the Summer Game Fest today that Marvel's Spider-Man 2 will be on October 20, 2023. As a reminder, it's exclusive to PlayStation 5.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 creative director Bryan Intihar joined host Geoff Keighley on stage, revealing the official box art for the game while also sharing some new artwork for the game's two main villains: Kraven and Venom.
"Kraven's very different from any character we've done," Intihar explained. "He's not powered by magic or tech, he's just the best hunter in the world, and he's coming to New York for his greatest hunt. And what's better than all of the Marvel characters that live inside the city -- Peter [Parker], Miles [Morales] and others. So he's on the hunt."
The Venom artwork, which drew cheers from the crowd, led to a conversation about the alien symbiote, which will also play a big role in the game. Intihar was pressed if he could reveal the identity of Venom in the game. While he kept it a mystery, he did confirm that it is not Eddie Brock's Venom.
"Our goal was to tell an original story, something you haven't seen in the comics or movies yet. Obviously, we love Venom for a reason. All those things you love about the character are going to be there, but how the story plays out, who's Venom you'll have to play the game," Intihar teased.
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 figures to be one of this year's biggest games. Pre-orders for the game are set to open on June 16, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. local time. Anyone who pre-orders the game will receive an early unlock Arachknight Suit for Peter with 3 additional color variants, an early unlock Shadow Spider Suit for Miles with 3 additional color variants, an early unlock Web Grabber gadget, and 3 skill points to get you started.
The Standard Edition of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 costs $69.99, but there are some special editions also available. The Digital Deluxe Edition costs $79.99 and comes with all of the pre-order incentives plus 10 unique suits (5 for Peter, 5 for Miles), additional Photo Mode frames and stickers, and 2 additional skill points. The Collector's Edition, which costs $229.99, includes a voucher for the Digital Deluxe Edition, as well as a Steelbook case, and an extraordinary, high-quality 19-inch statue featuring Spider-Men battling Venom.