Insomniac Games released a hotfix for Marvel's Wolverine that makes the game's Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators less prominent, IGN reported, following weeks of criticism of a tracking effect one critic had nicknamed "fart gas."
According to the patch notes Insomniac posted to its website, update v.01.001.005 adjusts the presentation of the two indicators, including reducing their opacity so the visuals are less intense. The same hotfix addresses several common crashes that the studio said a small percentage of players had experienced since launch.
The notes also said the team is continuing to evaluate ways to improve the Senses system, including exploring toggleable options for a future update. That wording leaves open the possibility that players will eventually be able to switch the scent trails off entirely, though Insomniac did not commit to it.
How the complaint took hold
The scent trail is a visual effect that appears behind characters Logan is tracking. Debate over it resurfaced after reviews of the game were published earlier this month, when Washington Post journalist Gene Park described the effect as "fart gas" because of the way it trails behind the characters Logan follows.
Players were also confused about whether the effect could be disabled. IGN reported that Insomniac's list of accessibility options includes a Chase Assist setting that reduces the movement speed of targets during chase sequences, but that neither it nor the game's other navigation toggles removes the trail. Others compared the feature to the yellow paint used to guide players in Final Fantasy games, arguing that it strips the challenge out of chase sequences and the sense of discovery out of exploration.
Before the game launched, Insomniac director of community and marketing James Stevenson had defended the design on social media, describing the trail as part of how the character's powers work.
The scent trail isn't always on. It represents Logan's canon mutant super senses and elite tracking ability.
Stevenson said the trail appears only when Logan is tracking a specific scent or sound, such as a person, whisky or another clue, during story and mission moments, or when he picks up the scent of a collectible.
Earlier this week, Insomniac said it planned to further refine the player experience based on feedback, while describing itself as incredibly proud of the game. According to IGN, most players read that statement as a signal the scent trails would be adjusted, which the hotfix has now done.
Sony has not announced official sales figures for the PlayStation 5 exclusive. IGN cited early data suggesting Marvel's Wolverine sold 1.9 million copies in its first three days, generating around $130 million in revenue.
