Summary
EArecently had to make a difficult decision, as the company has canceled theBlack Panthergame. This isn’t the only bad news to come fromEA, though. Cliffhanger Games, the developer under EA working on the game, was also shut down in the process. This continues an unfortunate trend within the superhero gaming niche, as projects like Monolith’sWonder Womanhave also recently been canceled.
There is still a silver lining, though. According to EA’s statement announcingBlack Panther’s cancellation, EA Motive’sIron Manremains in development. In recent years, EA has been busy expanding its portfolio by diving deeper into major franchises like Marvel andStar Wars. It actually seems that EA could be going through a phase of history repeating itself, as itsStar Warsprojects haven’t always gone as smoothly, either. TheStar Wars Jedifranchise has been quite successful, but when it comes to the now-canceledProject Ragtag,Black Pantherfinds itself with a similar fate thatIron Mancan hopefully sidestep.
What Was Project Ragtag?
Project Ragtagwas the codename for an EA-publishedStar Warsgame that never came to fruition. There isn’t much known about the game’s finer details, but it was set to be a third-person shooter action adventure title with a linear narrative. Sadly,Project Ragtagwas canceled after four years of development. Now, withBlack Pantheradded to the list of once-promising game adaptations,Iron Mannow has a lot of weight resting on its shoulders.
Project Ragtagwas being led by Amy Hennig, the creator of theUnchartedfranchise.
Project Ragtag Was Never Finished, But Star Wars Jedi Brought EA Plenty of Success
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Ordercame onto the scene in 2019, and it proved to be a huge hit for EA. There have now been two chapters intheStar Wars Jediseries, and while many are eager for a third entry, it’s unclear when developer Respawn Entertainment will be ready to reveal the game.
However, withBlack Pantherbeing set aside, EA could experience some deja vu, asIron Manis now in line to potentially repeat the success ofStar Wars Jedi, just with a completely different franchise. According to EA’s president Laura Miele, continuing the goal of “original storytelling with various, beloved Marvel characters” is still a big part of the company’s plan, despite canceling one of the projects.EA and Marvel’s partnership is still active, and that at least remains a good sign forIron Manat the moment.
In recent years, EA has been busy expanding its portfolio by diving deeper into major franchises like Marvel andStar Wars.
There are even more Marvel games being developed outside of EA. These titles includeMarvel 1943: Rise of Hydra,Marvel’s Wolverine,Marvel Cosmic Invasion, andMarvel’s Blade.
Iron Man’s Future Remains Uncertain
Despite the confirmation from EA thatIron Manis still in development and the company’s relationship with Marvel is still intact, there’s no telling what the future of the project looks like. According to reports,the shut-down ofBlack Pantherand Cliffhanger Games was a big surprise, so EA Motive hopefully doesn’t have to face the same shock.
Of course, only time will tell. Between the cancellation of projects likeBlack PantherandWonder Woman, superhero games are in a strange position at the moment. There are a lot ofother Marvel games in production, so it will be interesting to see how many games get to cross the finish line, but it’s hopefully all of them.
