"The Artistic Team Behind 'Black Panther' Faces Unfair Treatment"
In a surprising move, Electronic Arts (EA) has announced the cancellation of its upcoming Black Panther video game and the closure of the studio responsible for its development, Cliffhanger Games. The decision is part of a broader company strategy to focus on its flagship franchises such as Battlefield, Star Wars Jedi, The Sims, and Apex Legends.
Cliffhanger Games, a new EA studio led by developers previously involved with the Shadow of Mordor series, had been working on a story-driven, open-world action-adventure experience centered around Black Panther. The game was planned to mark the 57th anniversary of the Black Panther comic and allow players to choose who becomes Black Panther, with options including T'Challa, Shuri, and potentially other characters.
The cancellation of the Black Panther game and the shutdown of Cliffhanger Games has resulted in layoffs and reallocation of employees within EA's mobile and central teams. However, EA is trying to support and find new roles for affected staff.
This decision is seen as unfortunate by fans given the potential of the game and the popularity of the character. The Black Panther game, starring a character from one of the biggest media franchises, could not get off the ground. The game was intended to be similar to the Nemesis System introduced in the Middle-Earth: Shadow games, featuring several playable characters, including T'Challa, Shuri, and Azari, fighting Skrulls invading Wakanda.
The cancellation is part of a larger trend of game cancellations and layoffs in the video game industry. It also raises concerns about the future of single-player projects at EA's internal teams, particularly in light of the alleged treatment of original, non-multiplayer franchises like Dragon Age.
Despite the cancellation, both Marvel and EA have confirmed that the partnership will continue with Motive's Iron Man game and at least one other project. This news may offer some consolation to fans disappointed by the cancellation of the Black Panther game.
As the opportunities for developers to have their moment in the sun, as all developers do for the games they've spent years making, feel like they're becoming increasingly rarer in the video game industry, the cancellation of the Black Panther game serves as a reminder of the risks and uncertainties that come with developing and publishing video games.
- Gizmodo reported on the cancellation of Cliffhanger Games' Black Panther video game, a story-driven, open-world action-adventure game that allowed players to choose who becomes Black Panther.
- The decision to cancel the Black Panther game and shut down Cliffhanger Games has raised concerns about the future of single-player projects at EA's internal teams, particularly in light of the alleged treatment of original, non-multiplayer franchises like Dragon Age.
- io9 highlighted the potential of the Black Panther game, with the game intended to be similar to the Nemesis System introduced in the Middle-Earth: Shadow games, featuring several playable characters, including T'Challa, Shuri, and Azari, fighting Skrulls invading Wakanda.
- Despite the cancellation, entertainment outlets like Movies-and-TV and technology websites including Gizmodo and io9 noted that the partnership between Marvel and EA will continue with Motive's Iron Man game and at least one other project, offering some consolation to disappointed fans.
