Insomniac Adjusts Wolverine's Scent Trails and Audio Cues After 'Fart Gas' Criticism

Insomniac Games has rolled out an update for Marvel's Wolverine that tones down the infamous "fart gas" effect, which had sparked widespread discussion even before the game's launch.

The debate reignited earlier this month when Marvel's Wolverine reviews went live, with The Washington Post's Gene Park dubbing the scent trail "fart gas" due to its appearance behind characters that Logan tracks.

Park noted on social media: "Jean Grey's fart gas trail is NOT part of the navigation assist option. i turned it on and there's another green line that tells you where to go. mission waypoint (yellow marker) is on as well and THAT can be turned off.2nd pic i turn off the options and the gas stays. it seems…"

Online confusion swirled about whether the feature could be disabled through accessibility settings. Insomniac's official accessibility list for Wolverine includes a "Chase Assist" that lets players reduce target movement speed during chase sequences, but it doesn't remove the trail. Other navigation toggles also fail to disable the scent trail.

Before Wolverine's release, Insomniac's director of community and marketing, James Stevenson, explained on social media that Logan's scent trail is integral to his mutant abilities. "The scent trail isn't always on," he said. "It represents Logan's canon mutant super senses and elite tracking ability. It only is there when he's tracking a specific scent / sound (a person, whisky, or another clue scent) - story/mission moments or when he catches whiff of a collectible."

Drawing parallels to the debate over Final Fantasy's yellow paint guides, some critics argued that Logan's scent trails eliminate the skill needed for chase sequences and the joy of exploration.

Earlier this week, Insomniac announced plans to "further refine the player experience" based on feedback, while maintaining it's "incredibly proud" of the game. Many interpreted this as a commitment to tweak the "fart gas," and indeed, that's what happened.

The patch notes on Insomniac's website confirm the hotfix "adjusts the presentation of the Scent Trails and Audio Sense indicators, including reduced opacity to make these visuals less intense."

So the "fart gas" will be less prominent going forward. Additionally, Insomniac is exploring toggleable options for a future update, hinting that players might eventually disable Scent Trails entirely. The full patch notes are below.

Sony hasn't officially announced sales figures for Marvel's Wolverine, but early data indicates the PlayStation 5 exclusive sold 1.9 million copies in three days, generating around $130 million in revenue. We've put that performance into context here.

Meanwhile, players are experimenting with the motorcycle sequence to see if Logan can die if you don't touch the controller. Another player managed to take Logan out of bounds, uncovering new areas of the game.

We've got 17 Essential Tips and Tricks to help you get started in Marvel's Wolverine, plus our recommendations for the 10 Best Adaptations, and a guide on How to Farm XP Quickly. Check out our full Marvel's Wolverine Walkthrough for a step-by-step guide to every mission, and make sure you don't miss a thing with our Collectibles guides, All Wolverine Suits and Claws Guide, and our thorough list of all the Easter Eggs and References we've found.