Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 Co-Op Multiplayer: How It Could (& Should) Work

Recent leaks hint that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 may have co-op multiplayer of some kind, featuring both of the game’s Spider-Men. Fans have speculated about whether both Peter Parker and Miles Morales would be playable in the game, and those questions may have been answered, just not in the form that many expected. If Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does indeed feature a multiplayer mode, the leaks hint at how it might function, but that isn’t necessarily the same as how it “should” function.

As of August 12, the remaster of Marvel’s Spider-Man is finally on PC, a platform that offers improved settings, fan-created mods, and the opportunity to examine a game’s files to learn more about it. In this case, such data mining has led to the potential leak of a major feature: multiplayer. While co-op has been a long-requested feature for Marvel’s Spider-Man, this is the first inkling that’s been given that Insomniac may be exploring the possibility.

As reported by TheGamer, Twitter user and modder DniweTamp looked into the PC port’s executable file, they supposedly discovered several lines of code that referenced multiplayer functionality. The code included elements such as text strings that would display upon one player’s victory in a seemingly competitive mode, references to multiple “teams“, and other variable names that indicate more than one player. Given the supposed darker tone of Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, having Peter and Miles competing against each other would make the stakes feel more contrived, but that’s exactly what the leak seems to intimate. Strings reading “(Peter/Miles) is the Superior-Spider-Man!” headlined the leak, which may point towards either a limited trial mode in which two players compete for a high score, or a competitive mode that pits players against each other directly.

Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 – How Peter & Miles Co-Op Could Work

In the event that Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 does include multiplayer, many fans are likely expecting something far from what the leaks described. Instead of competitive-focused trials or events, the prevailing sentiment has been that the PS5 Spider-Man 2 should have co-op, with one player assuming the role of Peter Parker and the other as Miles Morales. With Miles being built up in the first Marvel’s Spider-Man and in his own game, having the two Spider-Men fight side by side seems like a natural, if challenging, progression. Marvel’s Spider-Man already featured Miles and Mary Jane as playable characters (though neither had powers to account for), so combining that tempo with a protagonist-switching mechanic similar to Grand Theft Auto 5 could work surprisingly well in single-player. Each Spider-Man could have their own missions, focusing on different threats, allowing players to swap between them at their leisure to explore or advance the story, which could then be integrated seamlessly with co-op.

Of course, while the prospect of multiplayer is exciting, it’s generally best practice to not blow leaks out of proportion. Even if a multiplayer mode was being developed at some point, there’s no way to know the current state of such a feature. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 has experienced potential leaks before, but it’s always best to wait for word from the developer. Giving credence to leaks can lead to the formation of misguided assumptions, and the judging of a game by what its perfect version could have been, rather than what it is. Regardless of whether it includes multiplayer, Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 deserves to be taken at face value, on which Insomniac is sure to deliver.

Sources: TheGamer, DniweTamp