EA has formally announced that it is working on a Black Panther game for one player. In a tweet, the publisher confirmed that its new Seattle studio, Cliffhanger Games, is developing an original story-driven game that explores the world of Wakanda. The project is led by Kevin Stephens, who served as studio head of Monolith Productions when Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor was conceived. Originally codenamed ‘Project Rainier’, the title is the result of EA’s partnership with Marvel – formed last year – to create at least three new games. The Black Panther game is still in early development stage and therefore has no release window.
“We are committed to providing fans with a definitive and authentic experience Black Panther experience, giving them more agency and control over their story than they’ve ever experienced in a story-driven video game,” Stephens said in a blog post. “Wakanda is a rich Super Hero 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.” While the term “open world” isn’t mentioned anywhere, its description as a sandbox suggests the game could be heavy on exploration – something like Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, where the world activities create a sense of openness and freedom. It’s also worth noting that the team is still being assembled, with Cliffhanger Games posting job openings for anyone interested, on the official website.
No further details were revealed, but in 2022 game journalist Jeff Grubb claimed that the game’s premise takes place after the death of the Black Panther in the beginning. On it, players are tasked with completing a series of trials or challenges to become the next incarnation and king of Wakanda. That said, it doesn’t necessarily point to King T’Challa’s death, as we have no idea what timeline the game is set in. In the comics, Wakanda was ruled by King T’Chaka, who got into trouble with the villainous, Vibranium-obsessed Ulysses Klaw, ultimately leading to his downfall. When his son T’Challa returned to his native country after school, he secretly took part in an open challenge to become the Black Panther we know today. So there’s a possibility that we’re playing an origin story. At the moment, however, I’m just speculating.
Black Panther is the second in a series of three games EA has in development under a deal with Marvel. One of them is still unannounced while the other one was revealed as one Iron Man game from Montreal-based EA Motive, the same studio that previously worked on the Dead Space remake (review). In recent years, Marvel has teamed up with numerous major studios to expand its video game portfolio, with Insomniac Games releasing Spider-Man 2 and a standalone Wolverine title in October. Even SkyDance Media, Amy Hennig’s new studio, is leading the charge on an unnamed World War II game starring Captain America and Black Panther.
There is currently no release window for the Black Panther game, but we can expect it to release on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series S/X.
