New leaks have revealed that Treyarch's canceled Ultimate Spider-Man 2 game would have featured an expanded map and made Green Goblin a playable character. Although the project was scrapped nearly 20 years ago, the newly surfaced details suggest it could have been a much more ambitious game than the initial Ultimate Spider-Man.

Ultimate Spider-Man is widely regarded as a classic and one of the best open-world games set in New York. When it launched in 2005, players praised its impressive visuals and creative gameplay, including the ability to play as both Spider-Man and Venom. Sadly, despite the game's decent critical and commercial performance, Treyarch still halted development on the sequel, leaving many fans disappointed. The newly uncovered details about the canceled follow-up, however, only deepen that disappointment, as the second Ultimate Spider-Man now sounds even more compelling on paper.

According to YouTuber Spidey Santa, the canceled Ultimate Spider-Man sequel would have featured an infamous Spider-Man villain as the deuteragonist: Norman Osborn, the Green Goblin. The map was set to expand with new areas like the Brooklyn neighborhood, Newton River, and the Naval Shipyard. As for the story, it was reportedly going to be inspired by the Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of a Goblin comic. For those curious about the leaks' source, Spidey Santa explained that the details came from a Treyarch artist who wished to remain anonymous.

Canceled Ultimate Spider-Man 2 Details

• The map had the new Brooklyn area.
• The story was loosely based on the Ultimate Spider-Man: Death of a Goblin comic.
• Wolverine was set to return.
• Doctor Doom had a role in the story.
• Daredevil and The Hand were planned to appear.
• Green Goblin was intended as the second playable character.
• Kitty Pryde (Shadowcat) was included as a supporting character.

One of the more intriguing details allegedly planned for Ultimate Spider-Man 2 was the introduction of snowy weather. According to the leaks, winter and snow were originally intended to be part of the first game's open-world environment. However, Treyarch reportedly chose to hold off on the feature, likely to save time and resources during development. Interestingly, some dataminers have found snow-related files in the original game, suggesting the studio may have already experimented with the idea before shelving it for the sequel.

Toward the end of their half-hour YouTube analysis, Spidey Santa discussed possible reasons behind the cancellation of Ultimate Spider-Man 2. They claimed to have spoken with several Treyarch developers about the decision to stop development. Based on these conversations, they suggested the project was added to the list of canceled open-world games likely due to the initial title's underwhelming sales or because the studio was stretched too thin. At the time, Treyarch was juggling work on Spider-Man 3 and Call of Duty 3, which seemingly pushed the studio to its limits.