Last week, EA cancelled a Black Panther game that was in development at Cliffhanger Games and ultimately shut the studio. The reason for this decision wasn’t immediately available at that time, leaving many confused. A new report has now shed more light on the reason why EA took that decision.
According to a Bloomberg report by Jason Schreier, the announcement left the studio and its employees in “shock” because they had been actively hiring new employees. in fact, it was said that the Black Panther game recently hit an internal milestone.
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Nevertheless, Schreier said sources close to the game’s development believed EA executives “were frustrated that the game had not yet left pre-production phase after nearly four years in development”.
Development on the Black Panther game started in 2021. However, it was officially announced in 2023. According to the report, the studio recently started increasing staff count—which is usually the case when full production begins. The report claimed “many of the workers” at Cliffhanger Games were hired within the last 12 months, while many had just been on the job for weeks or months.
EA has yet to disclose the number of employees affected by this decision. Cliffhanger Games was developing the Black Panther game in collaboration with Marvel Games.
EA maintains a “strong” relationship with Marvel despite the Black Panther game outcome
EA has brushed aside the insinuation that the shutdown of the Black Panther game may have affected their relationship with Marvel Games. The publisher confirmed that EA is still working on 3 Marvel Games, with Iron Man being the first in line.
In an IGN report, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele confirmed that their partnership with Marvel “remains strong” and that their “multi-title, long-term collaboration continues.”
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A spokesperson from Marvel also emphasized that the relationship Marvel Games has with EA is a “long-term creative collaboration” that focuses on the “original storytelling” of beloved Marvel characters.
The Iron Man game, which will be the first product of the IP romance between EA and Marvel Games, is an Iron Man game, which will feature an “original narrative that taps into the rich history of the character, channeling the complexity, charisma, and creative genius of Tony Stark”.
Following what happened to the Black Panther game, do you think the Iron Man game is at risk of also being cancelled? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.
