EA has revealed a new game development studio, Cliffhanger Games, which will create a third-person single-player AAA Black Panther game in collaboration with Marvel Games. The team’s mission is to “build an expansive and reactive world that empowers players to experience what it is like to take on the mantle of Wakanda’s protector, the Black Panther.” Kevin Stephens of Monolith Productions is leading Cliffhanger Games, and the team currently comprises leaders on Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and veterans from Halo Infinite, God of War, and Call of Duty.
Cliffhanger Games is currently recruiting more talent, and it is probably the entire reason why the game was announced today — to incentivize people to join up.
“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,” said Kevin Stephens. “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.”
The game is being crafted to ensure fidelity of Wakandan technology and culture, and Stephens emphasized that all of this will be in the service of creating a story-driven adventure. So if you’re a Black Panther fan, there’s plenty to be excited for here, but the EA game has no release window or confirmed platforms since it’s still in early development.
Meanwhile, it’s important to note that a completely different AAA Marvel game is currently in development at Amy Hennig’s Skydance New Media, a game where Captain America and Black Panther team up to fight in World War II. So we have now gone from zero AAA Black Panther games to two.