Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date, story, gameplay, and latest news

The superhero sequel has finally come swinging in. Here was when the Spider-Man 2 release date arrived for PS5 consoles, as well as all the news before launch

Spider-Man 2 release date PS5: Symbiote Spider-Man crouched with his arm out, with a calendar icon tucked behind it.

When was the Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date? Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was one of the most anticipated games on PS5 in 2023, and now it’s finally here. But if you wanted to know what happened before the game’s launch, including the Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date, look no further.

Considering how much of a hit the original 2018 game and its spinoff were, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 was always primed to be one of the best PS5 games for many players. Insomniac’s follow-up is certainly a success, which you can read all about in our Spider-Man 2 review for PS5.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date

The Spider-Man 2 game’s release date was Friday, October 20, 2023, only on PS5. It was announced during the Summer Game Fest 2023 stream. Unfortunately for PS4 players, the game is only on PlayStation 5 as a PS5 exclusive.

The October 20 release date was announced during Summer Game Fest and reaffirmed during the September 2023 PlayStation State of Play ‘Expanded Marvel’s New York’ trailer, Insomniac’s PS5 exclusive launched on time, as the game was announced for a 2023 release.

The game, unfortunately, isn’t available on PS4 due to hardware limitations, however, it could eventually arrive on PC in a few years. This is a common trend with Sony’s PlayStation exclusives, with the likes of The Last of Us, God of War, and Days Gone heading to PC, and even both of Insomniac’s previous Spider-Man games releasing on PC in 2022. While we wouldn’t recommend waiting around for a PC release, a port of this PS5 exclusive will almost certainly happen eventually.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 pre-orders started in June, offering exclusive bonuses, including an incredible-looking Collector’s Edition for die-hard fans of the Insomniac Games series. Fortunately, the pre-order bonus was only an early unlock of a skin for each Spider-Man.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date: An image of Sandman's face while he attacks the Spider-Men, with electricity in the air.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 story

The first cinematic footage of this game was at Sony’s PlayStation Showcase in September 2022. It gave us a first look at both Miles Morales and Peter Parker, alongside a first look at Venom in Insomniac Games’ universe.

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At the time, many were wondering who was narrating this original trailer. We predicted that it was Kraven the Hunter, and a year later in the PlayStation Showcase 2023 trailer, we were proven right. Kraven acts as the main villain of the game, a dangerous hunter on the prowl for a worthy opponent. However, he’s not only willing to challenge the Spider-Men as he’s also broken several other villains out of prison. In fact, as the launch trailer revealed, even the iconic Spidey villain Sandman makes an appearance. With the city at a boiling point, the pressure is on for Peter and Miles.

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That’s not all though, as Venom is also a major antagonist. Theories abound surrounding Venom’s identity, placing Harry Osborn, Peter’s best friend, as the man behind the gloopy mask. If so, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 PS5 could offer even more gut-wrenching and intense scenes than even the previous two games in the series.

Nevertheless, with so many villains loose in the city, both Peter and Miles will have to work together to take the threats down and save the day. As you might expect, that’s easier said than done, as Peter has a new symbiote suit that is eating away at him and creating rifts between the gang.

Ahead of the new game’s release, a Spider-Man 2 prequel comic has also been launched which follows the events of Peter Parker, Miles Morales, and MJ Watson in between the last game and Spider-Man 2 PS5. Here, they take down a new threat together, so it’s a good idea to get up to speed before finally playing the sequel.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date: Miles' Spider-Man flying above a road at high speed.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 gameplay

We got a deep dive into Spider-Man 2 PS5 gameplay ahead of release during the September 2023 State of Play. Here, Insomniac Games’ senior director, Bryan Intihar, walked us through the open-world experience, beginning with the revelation that the Spider-Man 2 map is almost twice as big as its predecessor, thanks to the additions of Queens and Brooklyn.

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Of course, more space to swing around is going to require a fresh set of wings to get you around. That’s right, the web wings have been introduced to Spider-Man 2, allowing you to both swing and glide your way through the city simultaneously, at “faster speeds than ever before”. Both Peter and Miles benefit from this, and as you can quickly switch between swinging and gliding, it’s also been confirmed that you can shift between the Spideys in the open world as you please. In fact, you can even encounter the other Spider-Man swinging around the city and battling baddies while you’re exploring.

After giving us looks at “iconic locales” such as Midtown High School and Brooklyn Visions Academy – the places of learning for Peter and Miles respectively – we quickly learned that, as we progress through the storyline, “a number of new activities and storylines” will open up to us, represented by “visual cues” throughout New York. Effectively micro-dosing activities may seem restrictive to some, but we appreciate Insomniac mitigating the sheer amount of choice paralysis we’ll undoubtedly have the moment we boot into the game for the first time.

With two wall-crawlers scurrying about the city, there’s plenty more work to be done. Some activities may be carried out by either Spidey, while others may require only Miles or Peter. Naturally, all these activities, as well as crime faction progress, are going to need a more refined tracking method – enter the ‘District Progress’ system, which provides area rewards, as well as access to fast travel between each district.

Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date: Peter's Spider-Man leaping up and attacking an enemy using robotic arms.

Speaking of rewards, progressively clearing up New York will provide you with mastery over “additional combat abilities and traversal skills”, the ability to acquire and improve gadgets, upgrades for the new ‘Suit Tech’ system, and, perhaps most excitingly, the means to unlock some of the Spider-Man 2 PS5 suits. There are “over 65” suits in total, according to Intihar, so you best get cracking when launch day arrives.

Meanwhile, the original Spider-Man 2 PS5 Gameplay Reveal trailer showed off the brand-new wingsuit for Miles and a Venom-infused suit for Peter, which initially confirmed that you will switch between them during the story. We got to see some of Kraven’s goons, the ability to deploy rope lines to use, as well as a number of Symbiote-infused powers for Peter.

The trailer also showed off a stunning set-piece with Lizard as we jumped between jet skis, boats, swung over the water, and performed acrobatic finishers.

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Well, that’s everything we knew about the Spider-Man 2 PS5 release date ahead of launch and how long we had to wait to see Peter and Miles back fighting crime. However, there are more superhero games in development from Insomniac Games – you can read about why we think Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t need to be an open world game here. You can also find out more about Marvel’s Wolverine release date and why Xbox passed on making a Marvel game to focus on its own IP here.