The team behind EA’s Black Panther game was working on a vertical slice before it was killed this week. That’s according to a new report by Bloomberg that sheds some light on what the canceled project was shaping up to be, including its story based around the alien Skrull and the evolution of Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor’s acclaimed nemesis system.
Bloomberg reports that developers at Cliffhanger Games were caught off-guard by the sudden cancellation of the game and closure of the studio. Given just 30 minutes’ notice before the news was announced by EA in an internal meeting, the studio had apparently just recently successfully passed one of its development milestones and was working toward a vertical slice that would show a chunk of the game in action.
The story reportedly revolved around playing as T’Challa, Killmonger, or Shuri as each vied for the mantle of Black Panther which would grant them superhuman powers. The game would also feature fights with the shapeshifting Skrull showcased in Marvel’s popular Secret Invasion comic-book crossover event. The gameplay was also aiming to incorporate elements of the Nemesis system from Shadow of Mordor such that enemies might remember past encounters with the player and relationships with aspiring Black Panther rivals might evolve.
It appears the most likely reason EA may have decided to walk away from the project was the lack of progress after several years of prototyping, even as some of those laid off in Cliffhanger Games’ closure had only just arrived at the studio earlier this year as it scaled up its development capabilities. Several developers spoke up about the project online this week following its cancelation.
“Well, it was a good run while it lasted,” posted software engineer Ted Snook. “Found out today that Cliffhanger Games is shut down by EA. We had a great team, and the project was starting to get some momentum. This industry is just so brutal.” Narrative designer Ricky Llamas added, “What stands out to me about this studio is how open folks are to having frank conversations and working through our problems together. It helps create a healthy dynamic that’s rare to see.”
EA’s latest cancellation comes amid a recent wave of hundreds of layoffs and as the publisher “narrows its focus” on its biggest franchises like The Sims, Battlefield, and Apex Legends. At the same time, the company claimed its three-game deal with Disney remains in effect, and it still plans to eventually ship two more after EA Motive’s Iron Man comes out in the years ahead.
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