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- EA recently cancelled Black Panther and shut down the cliffhanger studio.
- The reason behind the cancellation was that the project had been stuck in pre-production for almost four years.
- It was just beginning to pick up pace when EA decided to close the book on the matter.
Earlier this week, EA announced the cancellation of the Black Panther game, which was a result of the company’s downsizing that previously also affected Respawn Entertainment.
While Black Panther was looking to be an ambitious title, the reason behind the project’s cancellation was much deeper than just restructuring and cost-cutting. According to a new report, the game was stuck in pre-production for almost 4 years, which frustrated EA executives.
Why it matters: Normally, pre-production for a AAA game takes a year or two at most. Anything more than that would increase the development budget for the title, which could make it unlikely to succeed financially.
This report comes straight from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier. According to him, Black Panther only recently entered the ‘Gate’ phase, which EA refers to as a developmental milestone, where executives analyze the project and decide whether to continue or not.
It seems that EA executives didn’t like the pace of the project. The extensive pre-production phase was likely due to the fact that Cliffhanger Studios was just beginning to ramp up.
The studio was just beginning to pick up the pace with the hiring of new workers. Some of them were a year old, and others were a few months or weeks old. As such, the cancellation of the title and layoffs came as shocking news to them.
Plot details for the title have also emerged and would’ve pitted one of the Black Panthers against the Skrulls, a formidable enemy race from the Marvel comics. The updated Nemesis system would’ve also played a part with enemies shapeshifting as allies, remembering moves, and so on.
What are your thoughts on the cancellation of Black Panther? Let us know in the comments below or at the official Tech4Gamers Forums.
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[News Reporter]
Shaheer is currently pursuing a Business degree while also working as a part-time Content Writer. With his deep passion for both writing and video games, he has seamlessly transitioned into a role as a Journalist. Over the past two years, Shaheer has contributed as a freelancer to various websites and landed positions on acclaimed platforms like Gamerant. Currently, his role at Tech4gamers is as a Features Writer, but he also covers News occasionally. Shaheer’s favorite gaming franchises are Assassin’s Creed and the God of War series.
Get In Touch: shaheer@tech4gamers.com
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