Rumors have emerged that Microsoft is working to re-license delisted Marvel games. According to an insider, delisted games such as Marvel Alliance, Marvel Alliance 2, and Deadpool could return on the Xbox storefront soon.

Recent online chatter has hinted that Microsoft is in talks with Marvel to bring back delisted Marvel games on the Xbox storefront. According to an insider, Shpeshal Nick, Marvel specifically targets the Deadpool and Marvel Ultimate Alliance video games, which Activision Blizzard initially published. 

The gaming company lost the rights to the games years ago, which led it to delist and stop selling these games.

Microsoft may re-license Deadpool and Marvel Ultimate Alliance

Shpeshal Nick shared the rumors in his Xbox Era podcast episode 225, stating that Microsoft may re-license the games. Nick did not issue any timelines or dates, but speculators think that Microsoft is looking to capitalize on the rising popularity of Deadpool and X-Men Origins Wolverine.

“What I have heard is that Microsoft is working to get Deadpool and Marvel Ultimate Alliance re-activated, re-licensed, or whatever to bring those two games back. Microsoft is trying to work through the process of getting those games relicensed.”

– Shpeshal Nick

Thanks to backward compatibility, the Deadpool and X-Men Origins Wolverine games were initially compatible with Xbox One but would run on Xbox Series consoles. The two games recently witnessed an upsurge in popularity after the Deadpool and Wolverine movie premiered on Box Office.

The comic book sequel generated $1.086 billion at the global box office after 23 days of release, becoming the biggest R-rated movie of all time.

Prices of secondhand Marvel ports surge 

Deadpool Xbox One price history. Source: PriceCharting

The movie Deadpool and Wolverine’s popularity seems to have influenced the Deadpool and X-Men Origins Wolverine games. The two games witnessed a surge in prices on the secondhand market, according to the video game price tracking website PriceCharting.

The tracking website indicates that Deadpool’s complete in-box copy of the Xbox One port retails for $96, up from a $30 low recorded in November. X-Men Origins Wolverine also experienced the same price surge for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 ports.

So far, Marvel Ultimate Alliance’s story has been the exception. Unlike Deadpool and X-Men Origins Wolverine, the game has not witnessed a price surge.

In 2021, Insomniac Games announced it was developing a Wolverine video game, but the company did not issue any release dates. Insomniac Games developed Marvel Spider-Man titles for Sony PlayStation consoles, indicating ties between Marvel, Sony, and Insomniac Games. 

The ties are a major obstacle for Xbox’s and Microsoft’s plans to republish old Activision Blizzard games since Marvel retained the rights to Deadpool and Marvel Ultimate Alliance alongside the games’ characters.

Rumors of older Activision Blizzard games heading to Xbox also surfaced in 2022 from Xbox Era podcast episode 123. However, the rumors never came true. 

After Microsoft acquired Activision Blizzard in 2022, gamers’ hope for the reemergence of dead titles in Microsoft’s gaming stores increased. In June, Transformers games made their way to Xbox and PC via Steam. The games’ product pages were recreated after previously being taken down due to licensing issues.