Would you have liked to play a Black Panther RPG set in the lush world of Wakanda? It’s too bad that you’ll likely never get the chance.
Electronic Arts is at it again. EA just announced that its Black Panther game has been canceled and the title will never see the light of day. If that wasn’t enough, EA is also shutting down Cliffhanger Games Studio, the team that was leading the development of the game. The news has sent many fans into mourning, but EA’s decision to shut Black Panther is not unsurprising as we haven’t heard too much about the title since it was first announced in 2023.
Despite knowing very little about the game, fans were excited to return to the wonder-filled world of Black Panther and reminisce over the character from the comics and movies with this single-player game. Now, they will have to look elsewhere to indulge in this particular character. EA had teamed up with Marvel for a three-game partnership, and with Black Panther dropped and an unannounced third game in the works, we only have an Iron Man title confirmed on the cards.
It’s unclear how many fans knew the Black Panther game was under development and how many just found out after it was cancelled. Most are disappointed about the outcome either way. (Image: EA)
EA’s Black Panther Canceled, Cliffhanger Games Studio Shutdown
The action-adventure, single-player game was first revealed in 2023 as a result of EA’s partnership with Marvel, and big things were expected from what was to be an open-world game. Cliffhanger Games studio was a new team that was thrown together to develop the game, and Kevin Stephens was put in charge. He was the studio head for Monolith Productions, the team that gave us the now-offline Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor.
This isn’t the first whiff of bad news to emerge from the gaming company this year. EA has abandoned other projects and laid off hundreds of workers already, doing everything in its power to cut down on its expenses. From the cancellation of Titanium and the firing of the Respawn team to the reorganization efforts at BioWare, most news coming out of EA has been heartbreaking to witness.
The company also mandated that its employees return to the office for more face-to-face work, but it does not appear that they’re being given too much time to actually work.
Why Was EA’s Black Panther Cancelled?
The exact details around this recent Black Panther game update remain hazy but we know that the primary reason has to do with EA’s desire to tighten up its investments. IGN was the first to report on the game cancellation and the Cliffhanger Games Studio shutdown after it gained access to an internal email shared with staff by EA Entertainment CEO Laura Miele.
The email explained that these major changes were being made to “sharpen [the company’s] focus and put creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.” It’s clear that EA is working to restore the business to its former glory after recent releases have fallen short of their sales target numbers. With Black Panther canceled, it seems there was little reason to keep the studio on with no project on the table.
Ever since the fate of EA’s Cliffhanger Games Studio was revealed, devs from the team have taken to social media to express gratitude towards their colleagues and revel in the honor of having worked on such a beautiful project together.
From the conversation, it is apparent that the team was extremely proud of what they had worked on so far, so it is very unfortunate that we will never get to witness the results. Morale is at an all-time low among the developers now left at EA, with a large number of them unsure whether their projects and teams will be the next to go.
It Seems Wakanda Is Not Forever for Some Folks
With the Cliffhanger Games Studio shut down and a Black Panther game no longer on the cards, we’ll have to look elsewhere for some more content about the warrior. If you’re looking for some good news, Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra by Skydance New Media and publisher Plaion is expected to feature Black Panther alongside Captain America. The game is set for release in 2026, so if you want more Marvel video game content, keep your eyes peeled.
There’s also the Marvel Rivals game available right now. While it doesn’t feature Black Panther just yet, Ultron just made a debut in the game and it may not be long before more characters are added to the game. It’s not quite the single-player open-world content promised by EA’s now-canceled Black Panther game, but it’s a fun experience nonetheless.
EA will likely pick a third Marvel game to work on to keep up its end of the partnership with Marvel, but the details have not been revealed. For now, we’re hoping this marks the end to the EA job cuts and studio shutdowns, and that all the announced projects will come to fruition soon enough.
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