Electronic Arts (EA) may have canceled its Black Panther project and shut down Cliffhanger Games, but the publisher isn’t walking away from Marvel. Both EA and Marvel have confirmed that their multi-title partnership is still alive and well, with at least three Marvel games planned beginning with the highly anticipated Iron Man game from Motive Studio.
This reassurance comes on the heels of a disappointing announcement with Cliffhanger Games shutting down, the team formerly developing Black Panther. Originally announced as the second of a three-game deal between EA and Marvel signed back in 2023, the cancellation sparked concern about the future of the collaboration. However, both companies quickly clarified their continued commitment.
"Our partnership with Marvel remains strong and our multi-title, long-term collaboration continues," said EA Entertainment president Laura Miele in a statement to IGN. Marvel Games echoed the sentiment, calling the partnership "a creative collaboration focused on original storytelling with various, beloved Marvel characters." When pressed, a Marvel representative confirmed that the deal still includes at least three games, despite the Black Panther project being canceled. We are not sure what the other two games are, however we should see news about them in near future hopefully.
With Cliffhanger out, development responsibilities now fall largely to Motive Studio, which is leading the way with Marvel’s Iron Man. The single-player, third-person action-adventure game will let players step into Tony Stark’s suit for a fresh, original story rooted in Marvel lore. Though no release window has been shared yet nor a lot of details, the game is shaping up to be a central piece in EA’s upcoming portfolio.
Interestingly, EA’s reaffirmation of its Marvel plans comes at a time when the company has signaled a strategic shift away from licensing. EA CEO Andrew Wilson previously expressed interest in moving away from developing licensed IP that may not align with the company’s evolving priorities. However, the Marvel partnership appears to be an exception one EA still sees as viable and worth investing in.
This year alone, EA has canceled multiple projects, including two internal incubation efforts and Black Panther, while also cutting hundreds of jobs. Despite this, it’s expanding other areas most notably ramping up development on Battlefield and reinforcing Motive as a key studio for the future.
In the broader industry, Marvel games continue to gain traction. In addition to EA’s Iron Man title, fans can look forward to Marvel 1943: Rise of Hydra from Skydance, Wolverine from Insomniac, Blade from Arkane Lyon and the recently announced Marvel Tokon: Fighting Souls 4v4 tag fighting game.
For now, Marvel fans can rest assured: EA’s plans to explore the Marvel Universe aren’t going anywhere, however we are not 100 percent sure how it will look.
What are your thoughts on the comments? Do you think the Iron Man game will be worth the wait? Let us know what the other two games should be in the comments down below!