Insomniac Games' highly anticipated Marvel's Wolverine for PlayStation 5 has received a Mature 17+ rating from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB), citing content including blood, gore, drug references, strong language, and "partial nudity." The rating specifically notes that "a handful of sequences briefly depict a character's exposed buttocks."
While the ESRB description does not explicitly identify the character, speculation suggests this may refer to Wolverine himself, a character known for his transformations into a feral, unclothed state in Marvel comics and adaptations. This has been a recurring visual motif, notably tied to actor Hugh Jackman’s portrayal in the X-Men film franchise. His buttocks were briefly visible in alternate cuts of X-Men: Origins - Wolverine and more prominently in a scene in X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Other characters confirmed to appear in Marvel's Wolverine include Jean Grey, Sabretooth, Mystique, and Lady Deathstrike. The ESRB rating also indicates that players will be able to dismember enemies and that the game will feature mature language.
This isn't the first PlayStation title to feature such content. Insomniac's Marvel's Spider-Man series also included brief moments of partial nudity, such as in Ghost of Tsushima and its upcoming sequel Ghost of Yotei, where protagonists' bare rears are briefly visible. Actor Daisuke Tsuji, who voices Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima, has also expressed willingness to show skin if the rumored film adaptation moves forward.
Marvel's Wolverine is scheduled to launch on PS5 on September 15.