After nearly two years of development, EA has canceled its Black Panther video game. The game was being headed by Cliffhanger Games, a AAA development studio that was launched in 2023. Now, word has come down that EA is shutting down Cliffhanger entirely, with this game serving as a casualty of the decision.
The news was first reported by IGN. According to the report, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele sent an email to staff informing them of the decision. This move, alongside other recent layoffs and games being canceled, is being done to “sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.” Miele, speaking further, had the following to add.
“These decisions are hard. They affect people we’ve worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with. We’re doing everything we can to support them — including finding opportunities within EA, where we’ve had success helping people land in new roles.”
EA still has other projects in the works with Marvel, including the Iron Man game that was announced in July 2023. Unfortunately, fans of T’Challa will have to wait to get a standalone adventure centered on the Wakandan hero. The game ended up being a casualty of contraction in the gaming industry overall. EA is narrowing its focus. The company also laid off members of its mobile team and other divisions. So it’s not just Cliffhanger that got the boot.
Cliffhanger and the Black Panther game were headed up by Kevin Stephens of Monolith Productions. Few details were confirmed about the game, but it was said to be a third-person, story-driven, single-player game. Stephens had the following to say when the project was first announced.
“We’re dedicated to delivering fans a definitive and authentic Black Panther experience, giving them more agency and control over their narrative than they have ever experienced in a story-driven video game. Wakanda is a rich superhero sandbox, and our mission is to develop an epic world for players who love Black Panther and want to explore the world of Wakanda as much as we do.”
It has, all together, been a bit of an uneven few years for Marvel games. The Spider-Man games on PlayStation have been a resounding success. Everything else? It’s a mixed bag. Marvel Snap and Marvel Rivals were big hits in the free-to-play space. AAA titles have struggled more. Marvel’s Avengers was a huge flop for Square Enix, with Guardians of the Galaxy falling short of commercial expectations.
As for what else is coming down the pipeline, Marvel’s Wolverine is still in development, but updates have been few and far between. We also have 1943: The Rise of Hydra, which will feature Black Panther. That title was recently delayed to 2026. A Blade video game was also announced in late 2023, but no meaningful updates have been provided since.
What do you think? Are you bummed that the Black Panther game isn’t happening? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
