Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 Explained: What Actually Happened to the DLC?

Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 Explained: What Actually Happened to the DLC?

You know that feeling when you finish a massive, 20-hour blockbuster and immediately start looking for the "More" button? That's basically been the entire vibe of the community surrounding Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 since it swung onto shelves in late 2023. We got the dual protagonists. We got the wings. We got a version of Venom that honestly makes the 2007 movie version look like a bad fever dream.

But then, things got weird.

If you’ve been hanging out on Reddit or scrolling through gaming news lately, you’ve probably noticed a lot of "What now?" energy. For a while, everyone just assumed we’d get the same three-part DLC treatment that the 2018 original received. You remember The City That Never Sleeps—it wasn't perfect, but it kept the disc in the tray for months. With the sequel, however, the silence from Insomniac Games became its own kind of story.

The DLC Elephant in the Room

Let's just rip the band-aid off. Insomniac officially confirmed they have no additional story content planned for Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5.

It’s a bit of a gut punch. Especially when you consider that early leaks—the ones that came out of that massive, unfortunate cyberattack on the studio—seemed to point toward a "Beetle" expansion. Fans found debug menus with mission titles. People were ready to pay for more. But by late 2024, the studio pivot was clear: all hands are on deck for Marvel’s Wolverine and the recently confirmed PC port.

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Honestly, it makes sense from a business standpoint, even if it feels like a letdown for players. The game already cost a staggering $300 million to make. That’s "blockbuster movie" money. When you’re playing with those kinds of stakes, you don't just "whip up" a few extra missions. You move the team to the next big thing. In this case, that's likely the standalone Venom game or Spider-Man 3.

Wait, is the Game Still Worth Playing?

Absolutely. Even without an expansion, the "standard" experience is pretty dense. You’ve got:

  • Near-instant character switching between Peter and Miles.
  • A map that's double the size, adding Brooklyn and Queens.
  • Web Wings, which basically turned the game into a high-speed flight sim.

If you haven't touched it since launch, you might have missed the New Game Plus update that dropped in March 2024. They didn't just add a harder difficulty; they gave us Ultimate Levels, new suit styles for the Symbiote, and the ability to change the time of day. It’s not "new story," but it’s enough to justify a second swing through Manhattan if you’re bored on a Saturday.

Performance Modes: Making the Most of Your PS5

One thing people still get wrong is how to actually set up their graphics. If you're playing on a standard PS5, you basically have two choices: Fidelity or Performance.

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Fidelity Mode is for the screenshot junkies. It locks the game at 30fps but cranks the resolution to a crisp 4K. Performance Mode targets 60fps, and honestly, once you see Spider-Man moving at 60, it’s really hard to go back. The secret sauce here is that Insomniac kept Ray Tracing enabled in both modes. You aren't sacrificing those pretty puddles just to get a smoother frame rate.

Now, if you're one of the lucky ones with a PS5 Pro, things get even better. The "Performance Pro" mode uses PSSR (PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution) to give you the 60fps smoothness with the 4K-like clarity of the old Fidelity mode. It’s basically having your cake and eating it too.

The Miles vs. Peter Debate

There was a lot of chatter about the ending of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 and what it meant for the future. Peter Parker basically takes a "leave of absence" to focus on being just Peter for a while. This led to some weird rumors that Peter was being replaced entirely.

That’s not what’s happening.

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The game is very clearly passing the "main" torch to Miles Morales for the interim, likely to set up a Miles Morales 2 or to give Peter a dramatic return in the third installment. It’s a classic comic book trope. Peter is burnt out. His house is a mess, he’s trying to restart the Emily-May Foundation in his garage, and his best friend is in a coma. Let the man have a nap.

What We Actually Know About the Future

If you’re looking for what’s next, the roadmap is actually starting to look pretty clear:

  1. PC Port: Launched January 30, 2025. It includes all the PS5 updates out of the box.
  2. Marvel’s Wolverine: This is the big one. It’s the next major release from Insomniac, likely arriving late 2026.
  3. The "Venom" Project: Rumored to be a "half-sequel" similar to the Miles Morales standalone game.
  4. Spider-Man 3: Don't expect this until the very end of the PS5's lifecycle, or even as a PS6 launch title.

Actionable Tips for New Players

If you’re just picking up Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 today, don't just rush the main story. You’ll hit the end credits in 15 hours and feel like you missed out.

Focus on the Prowler Stashes and EMF Experiments early. They give you the rare tech parts you need to upgrade your gadgets. Specifically, the Web Grabber. It is arguably the most broken (in a good way) gadget in the game. It yanks ten enemies into a pile, and then you can just hit them with a Miles "Thunder Burst" to clear the whole group in three seconds.

Also, don't ignore the Spider-Bots. They’re a bit of a grind, but the payoff at the end of that side quest is a massive nod to the Across the Spider-Verse movie that you really shouldn't miss.

The reality of Marvel's Spider-Man 2 PS5 is that it’s a complete, finished product. In an era where every game is a "live service" trying to sell you a battle pass every three months, there’s something almost refreshing about a game that just... ends. It’s a high-quality, single-player romp that respects your time. Just don't wait around for DLC that isn't coming. Enjoy the "comfort swing," finish your suit collection, and get ready for Logan to take center stage next year.