Insomniac has rolled out a small but pointed hotfix for Marvel’s Wolverine. Update 01.001.005 patches up crashes that a portion of players ran into after launch, and – more interestingly for the ongoing debate around the game – it dials back one of its most argued-about features: the Scent Trails.
What update 01.001.005 changes
The patch notes are short and to the point. Here’s what you’re getting:
- Fixes for common crashes that a small percentage of players have hit since launch.
- Adjusted presentation of Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators, including reduced opacity so the visuals are less intense on screen.
- Insomniac says the team is still evaluating ways to improve the Senses systems further, including exploring toggleable options in a future update.
Insomniac doesn’t spell out exact numbers, but you should notice the difference the moment you boot up after downloading the patch – the smoke trail sits lighter over the environment instead of dominating it.
Why the Scent Trail became a flashpoint
Wolverine’s scent ability is represented in-game by a smoke trail that guides you toward hidden collectibles and other important objectives. Plenty of players felt it was too aggressive, especially because there was no way to tone it down or switch it off. Insomniac’s James Stevenson confirmed that design choice earlier, explaining that the trail is a representation of Wolverine’s actual mutant tracking ability rather than a generic UI marker.
The online back-and-forth was loud enough that the studio clearly took another look. Insomniac had already responded to the game’s reception and said it planned to keep refining the experience based on feedback – this hotfix is the first concrete step on that promise.
A launch with mixed reactions
As one of Sony’s big 2026 first-party releases, Marvel’s Wolverine arrived on September 15 to noticeably more divided reviews than Insomniac’s Spider-Man games. Despite the AAA production values, some fans have pushed back on the more linear level design and on features that make the game feel more hand-holdy than they expected.
Not every post-launch change has been contentious, though. A last-minute update handed Logan his beard back, echoing his earlier design instead of the cleaner-shaven look seen in recent screenshots and trailers – a small thing that went down well with a lot of players. If you want to see how many dials the game already hands you, we covered the combat slowdown option in a separate article, and we also looked at the lore behind Logan’s self-repairing suit.
The wider “too much signposting” debate
Arguments about games holding your hand aren’t new. One of the highest-profile examples is Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and its yellow paint, used to mark climbable surfaces – a signposting technique also familiar from Resident Evil 4, Far Cry 5 and plenty of others. Some players felt it was distracting and undercut the game’s visuals, which is exactly the criticism now aimed at Wolverine’s scent trail.
What this means for you
If crashes were interrupting your run, install the hotfix first. If the smoke trail was the thing bothering you, the patch softens it but doesn’t remove it – the option to turn Senses on or off entirely is still only something Insomniac is “exploring” for a future update. For everything else we’ve published on the game, check our Marvel’s Wolverine coverage.
FAQ
The update is labeled 01.001.005 and is a hotfix rather than a full content patch.
No. It only reduces the opacity of Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators so they appear less intense. Insomniac says it is exploring toggleable options for a future update.
Insomniac’s James Stevenson explained that the smoke trail is meant to represent Wolverine’s actual mutant tracking ability, which is why it wasn’t built as an optional UI element.
Yes. It addresses common crashes that a small percentage of players have experienced since launch.
The game released on September 15 as one of Sony’s major first-party titles for 2026.