Sony Censors LGBTQ Content in Marvel's Wolverine for Middle East Regions

Insomniac Games' Marvel's Wolverine appears to have LGBTQ content removed for players in the Middle East, according to reports shared on X and Reddit and spotted by Kotaku.

Players noticed that references to the marriage between non-playable characters Mystique and Tyger have been scrubbed from the game in affected regions. A Reddit video captured the censorship: wedding photos are blurred when picked up from Mystique's locker, and voice lines where the characters refer to each other as their wife or express love are muted. Subtitles for these lines are replaced with asterisks.

Reports indicate the censorship applies to "Middle East versions" of the game, though it remains unclear whether this affects every Middle Eastern country or if other regions are also impacted.

This mirrors Sony's previous modifications to 2023's Marvel's Spider-Man 2 for Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which included removing pride flags and a side quest featuring a gay couple. Homosexuality is illegal and censored in both countries.

Such regional content restrictions are not unique to Sony. Publishers including EA and Roblox Corporation have faced similar challenges when releasing games in countries that restrict LGBTQ depictions, including Russia, where homosexuality is also outlawed.

Game Developer has reached out to PlayStation for comment on the Wolverine censorship.