With the X-Men MCU Reboot, It’s Time to Bring Back the Best X-Men Games Too

August 13, 2026, 5:00pm

Though the details are still relatively scarce, a new X-Men movie is officially happening. This will officially bring the mutants into the Marvel Cinematic Universe in full form. I, for one, am pretty excited. I’ve loved the X-Men since my early days watching X-Men: Evolution on Cartoon Network. Naturally, that means I eagerly watched every live-action movie and, of course, played every X-Men video game I could get my nerdy little hands on. I’m already on record saying we need a new X-Men game, and no, Marvel’s Wolverine doesn’t count. But with the cinematic reboot incoming, the timing to return to the best X-Men games has never been better.

Videos by ComicBook.com

Nearly 21 years ago, Raven Software’s X-Men Legends 2: Rise of Apocalypse released. At the time, we had no way of knowing it would be the last truly great X-Men game. But we did have good reason to believe it would be solid, thanks to the developer’s track record with X-Men: Legends. After launching this hit, Raven Software went on to deliver more of its impressive Marvel team-up action games via the Marvel Ultimate Alliance series. But even after the full-roster Marvel game’s dubious return in 2019, we never got a new X-Men Legends. And it’s long past time we did.

The X-Men Are Too Big to Be Relegated to a Few Spots in a Broader Marvel Roster

It is, frankly, tragic we haven’t really had a solid X-Men game since Legends 2. The X-Men work best in all their messy glory as a team full of interconnected dynamics and complicated relationships. So, even if individual X-Men have popped up in the gaming world in the last 20 years, we’ve missed a lot of what makes the characters great. Yes, we have Storm, Scarlet Witch, Magneto, and more in Marvel Rivals. And yes, they do have some great dialogue with one another. But there, they’re couched as part of a broader Marvel universe. The focus isn’t on the stories that the X-Men alone can tell.

Of course, we do also have Marvel’s Wolverine coming up. You could argue that it’s an X-Men video game, and on the most basic level, you’d be right. But we don’t know quite how much the rest of the mutants will factor into things. We’ve seen Jean Grey and Mystique, so it does seem like Insomniac’s game will deliver a few more iconic characters from the X-Men franchise. But will they be playable? That looks unlikely. So even if other X-Men make an appearance, I think Marvel’s Wolverine will be far more about Logan than it is a true, expansive X-Men game.

Whether they’re appearing as part of a larger roster in a fighting game like Marvel Tokon or popping up as part of one hero’s broader story, the X-Men deserve to shine in their best format. The X-Men Legends games were great because they played into the team dynamics of our favorite mutants. They let players build and control team-ups of iconic X-Men characters, while playing through a story that belonged to that universe alone. No messy, bigger MCU-style shenanigans required. And it just worked. The Marvel games we’ve had in recent years have been great, but they’ve not centered on the X-Men. It’s time to bring the mutants back with their own video game, immediately.

X-Men Legends 3 Could Capitalize on Renewed Hype Alongside the MCU Reboot

Sadie Sink’s showing as Jean Grey in Spider-Man: Brand New Day gave me more hope for live-action X-Men movies than I’ve felt in years. Much as I found plenty to like in prior adaptations, I’m an X-Men: Evolution lover at heart. I’m very much here for a live adaptation that centers on younger X-Men. If every character is as complicated and nuanced as this version of Jean Grey, the upcoming X-Men reboot could be the best live-action version yet. And that means it could spark a renaissance for the X-Men above and beyond general MCU hype.

Basically, what I’m saying is that the time is about to be ripe for a new X-Men: Legends-style RPG starring our beloved mutants. Even if there’s not quite enough time to get the game launched right alongside the new movie, X-Men hype could well be at its highest in the years that follow. After all, it’s unlikely Marvel will stop at one X-Men movie. That’s a train that’s likely to keep on chugging. So, why not add a video game tie-in to give fans even more ways to step into the X-Men universe?

Ideally, let’s bring Raven Software back into the fold. The most recent Marvel Ultimate Alliance struggled largely due to its Switch-exclusive status. But there’s no denying that Raven Software’s lack of involvement probably hurt the game, as well. If the original developers returned and gave us X-Men Legends 3, I would be shocked if it didn’t essentially print money. But even if that pipe dream can’t become reality, we need a new X-Men RPG that lets us explore the team’s messy dynamics in all their glory. And we need it soon.