Venom Rises: Insomniac's Standalone Shock

Insomniac Games is still working on the web-slinging world. Many fans thought the studio would take a break after the massive success of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 before starting its next major project. But new leaks and reports from people who work in the industry suggest something much more exciting: the long-rumored Venom game is real and still being worked on. And this time, Eddie Brock is the main character.

Although the studio canceled the planned DLC for Spider-Man 2, recent reports from mpfirst.com and internal Insomniac documents indicate that the project is still moving forward. At first, Spider-Man: Venom was going to be a smaller spinoff, like Miles Morales.

However, it's now a full game that will be released sometime after Wolverine in 2027. Early reports indicated that the game would be released in the second quarter of 2025; however, Insomniac has since changed its release date and pushed it back. People also say that the game is growing a lot more than it was supposed to. 

The first leaks indicated that Venom would be a standalone game lasting 8 to 10 hours, featuring a dozen main missions, three major boss battles, and numerous side quests and collectibles. However, now that the DLC has been canceled and the team has had to restructure, sources indicate that they are aiming for something more akin to a 20-hour epic: a full Marvel adventure with the same polish and depth of storytelling that Insomniac is known for.

The leaked internal slides and development notes give a clear picture of the chaos that is about to happen.

Eddie Brock has been confirmed as the main character in the game, stepping out of Spider-Man's shadow to take on the lead role. Forget about Tom Hardy's live-action version; this Eddie looks and feels more like the comic book version: raw, sad, and violent.

However, the biggest shock is that Carnage is confirmed as the main villain. There are rumors that Cletus Kasady, the crazed serial killer from Spider-Man 2, will return in full symbiote form and cause more trouble in a city already in chaos. Insomniac's version of Carnage won't just be another boss fight, according to sources.

He'll be a danger to both the mind and the body throughout the story, and he might even start his own group of followers. The "Carnage cult" part appears to be based on storylines originally intended for Spider-Man 2's cut DLC, which was intended to showcase his complete transformation.

But Venom isn't the only one of these creatures. There is also mention of Anti-Venom in the story, but not the version Peter Parker is familiar with. Instead, it seems that Eddie Brock himself will get the white symbiote powers, which will make his internal struggle even more interesting. Will Eddie lose control of the monster inside him again, or will he finally learn how to control it?

These new layers make the Venom story darker and more introspective. It's a tragic character study that shows Peter Parker's hero's journey in a twisted, monstrous way. And since there are hints that Peter might still show up, maybe in connection with Anti-Venom's origin, fans could be in for an emotionally charged crossover that hasn't happened in the Insomniac universe yet.

At first, it seemed like bad news that Spider-Man 2's DLC content was canceled.

However, it appears that the move may have freed up Insomniac's time and resources to focus entirely on Venom's world. Initially, the DLC was intended to reveal how Kasady became Carnage, potentially hinting at Venom's future. Now, it seems that all of those ideas have been incorporated directly into the new game, making its scope, characters, and story more in-depth.

According to the leaks, the Venom game will have more than one playable character. Venom will be there, but Peter Parker is also expected to show up. Some theories even suggest that Yuri Watanabe, also known as Wraith, could become a playable character. One rumor that really catches the eye says that players might be able to control Carnage for a short mission, giving them a taste of pure symbiotic chaos.

The tone of the game has become darker and more complicated as the plans have changed. It's not just a story about a monster fighting a villain; it's also about who you are, how you get corrupted, and how you can be saved. Imagine swinging across a New York City skyline that is blood-red and has whole neighborhoods that are sick with a disease that helps other diseases.

People say the game has the same open-world structure as the Spider-Man games, with side missions, challenges, and crimes. But this time, the city itself could be a threat. 

One of the most interesting aspects revealed in the leaks is that Venom will connect Spider-Man 2 and Spider-Man 3. It is said that the story is linked to a bigger symbiote mythology, such as Knull, the god of symbiotes in the cosmos. If it's true, that's a big deal. Adding Knull would raise the stakes from street-level crime to something on an interstellar scale, possibly setting up the next trilogy's main villain.

Insomniac appears to be weaving together its own Marvel universe. Fans might be seeing the studio's version of a "gaming cinematic universe" with Wolverine and Spider-Man 3 likely following after Venom. The Venom story could be both a sequel and a setup, tying together all of their superhero stories.

Reports also indicate that Tony Todd, the renowned voice actor who portrayed Venom in Spider-Man 2, recorded significantly more lines than were ultimately used in the main game. According to people who know, only about 10% of his performance was used, so the rest could easily be used in the standalone Venom adventure. That's great news for fans who loved Todd's performance, especially since he delivered it in such a scary way.

Wolverine is already well into development and is slated for release in late 2026. For this reason, Venom is expected to be released in the fall of 2027, which is approximately a year after its original release date. This is exactly how Insomniac typically operates: they switch between major projects. Venom is likely to be a full-length game that lasts between 20 and 25 hours. It will have cinematic storylines and brutal battles driven by symbiotes. This is different from Miles Morales, which was a shorter side story.

The pricing model that was leaked early on is similar to the Miles Morales model, with a standard and an ultimate edition. The ultimate edition comes with Spider-Man 2. It's hard to say if that's still true, especially since the game is getting bigger. But one thing is for sure: Insomniac wants to make something as good as their main Spider-Man games, not worse.

Fans of Marvel's darker side would love to swing through a ruined city as Venom, fight Carnage, and deal with their own monstrous instincts. With Insomniac's storytelling skills, this is going to be one of the most talked-about superhero movies of the decade.

This might change how we think about Marvel games in the future. Eddie Brock, Carnage, and Anti-Venom are all coming together in one explosive story in Insomniac's Venom game, which started out as a small spinoff. 

But the real question is, when the symbiote finally takes over, will you accept the power or fight the pull of the darkness?