EA Cancels ‘Black Panther' Game, Shutters Cliffhanger Games Studio, Gamers React
That Black Panther standalone we were all excited for is no longer happening.
IGN broke the news that EA has taken away Cliffhanger Games' heart-shaped herb and has cancelled one of the games Marvel fans have been eagerly anticipating since it was first announced back in July 2023.
According to the website, EA Entertainment President Laura Miele stated in an email that the recent changes, cancellations, and other moves were aimed at 'sharpening our focus and putting our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities.'
The bad news for the gaming industry doesn't stop there, EA is also laying off an unspecified number of workers on both mobile and central teams. IGN reports that EA declined to comment on the specific number but believes, while not confirming that the number is less than the roughly 300 employees let go last month across Respawn and EA's Fan Care teams.
'These decisions are hard,' said Miele. 'They affect people we've worked with, learned from, and shared real moments with. We're doing everything we can to support them — including finding opportunities within EA, where we've had success helping people land in new roles.' Gamers Are Sad About Black Panther's Cancellation & Layoffs At EA
As you can imagine, the gaming community isn't taking this news very well.
'You've got to be fucking kidding me. First Wonder Woman (a female led game) gets cancelled and now Black Panther (a poc led game) gets cancelled, and neither of them ever had a video game before. This really is Trvmp's America…' one post on X, formerly Twitter, read.
' more layoffs as the Black Panther game cancelled and the studio closed it keeps getting worse :(,' Kinda Funny and GamerTag Radio's Parris Lilly said.
While we are not getting the Black Panther game, EA says it is still committed to bringing us that Iron Man game currently being developed by Motive, and will focus on Battlefield , The Sims , Skate , and Apex Legends .
What a sad time to be a gamer and Marvel fan, just saying.
The video game streets are still talking; you can see those reactions below.
EA Cancels 'Black Panther' Game, Shutters Cliffhanger Games Studio, Gamers React was originally published on hiphopwired.com
Black America Web Featured Video
CLOSE
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
2 hours ago
- Boston Globe
Jim Shooter, editor who ‘saved the comics industry,' dies at 73
Powerfully built, with a looming 6-foot-7 frame, Mr. Shooter dominated the comic-book world for much of the 1980s, reinvigorating an art form that had been in decline by finding new markets and new readers. Although he was not yet 30 when he took over at Marvel in 1978, he was already an industry veteran. He sold his first comic story, to DC, Marvel's rival, when he was just 14, and he worked for both companies while still a teenager. Advertisement As editor-in-chief at Marvel, he rationalized what had been a chaotic operation, instituting a coherent editing process and driving his staff to meet deadlines. He pushed into the growing comic-store market, targeting dedicated fans over the casual reader. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up And he drove the company further into licensing opportunities, signing the sort of deals for toy and film adaptations that went on to make comics an enduring keystone of American popular culture. 'I honestly think he saved the comics industry,' Harry Broertjes, a journalist who once worked with Mr. Shooter, said in an interview. Mr. Shooter could be imperious, but he could also be generous, and he welcomed new talent to the Marvel fold. Emerging voices such as Frank Miller and Walter Simonson flourished under his watch, bringing a new, more sophisticated sensibility to the genre. He increased pay rates for writers and artists and gave them more control over their creative output. Advertisement Marvel prospered in the 1980s. Not only did its sales and profits soar, but it also experienced a long run of landmark releases, among them Simonson's work on Thor; Miller's work with Klaus Janson on Daredevil; and Chris Claremont and John Byrne's on X-Men. At the same time, Mr. Shooter brought a traditional vision to comic-book writing, insisting on simple, straightforward narratives. Among his many aphorisms was 'Every comic book could be a reader's first comic book,' and he made his writers find a way to introduce their main characters in each issue. His changes were divisive, especially among those who had enjoyed free rein under previous editors, above all Stan Lee, who put Marvel on the map with a new line of superhero titles in the 1960s. Several Marvel veterans left for DC. 'Some people swear by him, and other people swear at him,' Bill Sienkiewicz, an artist at Marvel during Shooter's tenure, said in an interview. In 1986, New World Entertainment bought Marvel's parent company, Marvel Entertainment Group, and a year later, the new owners fired Mr. Shooter. The feelings about his time at Marvel were so passionate that even years later, his critics spoke of him in brutal terms. 'From a creative standpoint, Jim Shooter's Marvel was, by and large, a wasteland of formulaic self-imitation and blatant profit-seeking,' Jordan Raphael and Tom Spurgeon wrote in their book 'Stan Lee and the Rise and Fall of the American Comic Book' (2003). Advertisement But Mr. Shooter was equally beloved by many artists and fans, who saw the Shooter era at Marvel as the foundation for the efflorescence of comic-book storytelling in the decades that followed. 'Every bad thing you've heard about Jim Shooter has a bit of truth to it,' Danny Fingeroth, another Marvel writer under Mr. Shooter, said in an interview. 'But so does every good thing you've heard.' James Charles Shooter was born Sept. 27, 1951, in Pittsburgh. His father, Ken, was a steelworker, and his mother, Eleanor, managed the home. Jim's mother used children's comics to teach him to read, but he hadn't perused a comic book in years when, in 1963, he found himself in the hospital for minor surgery with a stack of Marvel and DC books to read. He loved what he saw in Marvel, but he found DC boring. As a challenge, he pulled out the narrative and artistic elements that he admired in Marvel and applied them to stories he wrote using DC characters. On a whim, he sent them to DC headquarters in New York. The editors liked them so much that they not only published them (with new art) but hired him to write for the company's Legion of Superheroes line. It was good timing: Union strikes and jobsite injuries had left his father unable to work, and his family needed the money. While still in high school, he wrote for DC's Superman and Supergirl titles, created several new members of the Legion of Superheroes, and in 1967, with artist Curt Swan, created a story pitting Superman and the Flash in a race — a hugely popular issue. After being accepted at New York University and offered a job at Marvel, he moved to New York in 1969. He passed on school to take the job, but he quit after a few weeks because the pay was so low. Advertisement He returned to Pittsburgh, got a job in advertising and, for several years, completely dropped out of the comic-book world. About five years later, a group of fans tracked him down and encouraged him to return to New York. Offered jobs at both DC and Marvel, he chose Marvel in 1976. Two years later, he was in charge. Mr. Shooter's marriage to Michele Minor ended in divorce. A complete list of survivors in addition to his son was not immediately available. After leaving Marvel, Mr. Shooter started a number of independent comic-book companies, including Valiant, Defiant and Broadway. Valiant met with some success, but all the companies eventually closed shop. He ended his career as creative editor for Illustrated Media, a company that creates customized comics. He also became a fixture on the comic convention circuit, where he would give lectures about storytelling. He had a simple message, built around the nursery rhyme 'Little Miss Muffet.' In an economical 27 words and two sentences, he said, you have everything: a character, an action, a climax and a resolution. 'If you can remember 'Little Miss Muffet,'' he wrote in an essay on his website, 'you can remember everything you need to know about the basic unit of entertainment, which is a story.' This article originally appeared in
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Newsweek
Wakanda Not Forever: Plans For Futuristic African City Fall Apart
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Plans for a $6 billion futuristic city in Senegal, envisioned by U.S.-born singer Akon and inspired by the fictional Wakanda of Marvel's Black Panther, have been formally abandoned by Senegalese authorities following years of setbacks and failed construction milestones. Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of the Senegalese tourism authority Sapco, stated, "The Akon City project no longer exists," confirming that the ambitious urban development will be replaced by a more modest initiative in partnership with Akon. Why It Matters The cancellation of Akon City marks the collapse of one of the most high-profile pan-African development fantasies in a generation and highlights the risks associated with celebrity-driven megaprojects and unproven financial models such as cryptocurrency. Akon, who spent part of his childhood in Senegal, had promoted the city as Africa's answer to Wakanda and a launchpad for his Akoin cryptocurrency. What To Know Akon announced plans for the city in 2018, billing it as a high-tech, eco-friendly metropolis to be powered by solar energy and Akoin, his newly created cryptocurrency. The designs, marked by futuristic skyscrapers and pan-African symbolism, drew direct comparisons to Black Panther's Wakanda, with some media coverage positioning the city as inspired by Wakanda. Initial work was marked by a high-profile launch ceremony in 2020, where Akon, Sapco officials, and local dignitaries unveiled a commemorative plaque on a bare stretch of land. However, by mid-2024, the only structure on site was an unfinished reception hall. "We're still waiting," local leaders said, expressing the frustration of local communities who had expected jobs and rapid economic transformation. Residents described empty fields grazed by goats rather than new buildings or vibrant city life. A rendering of Akon city, designed to be a top tourism destination in Senegal. A rendering of Akon city, designed to be a top tourism destination in Senegal. 10 Design Architecture Akon City's reliance on Akoin as its payment backbone became a key vulnerability. The cryptocurrency performed poorly in the market, dropping to as low as $0.003, and skeptical regulators in Senegal questioned its legality. The CFA franc remains the only recognized legal tender in Senegal, with the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO) expressing reservations about cryptocurrency-based economies. Akon reportedly struggled to secure the $6 billion necessary, with several payments to national partners missed. An ultimatum from Sapco set tight deadlines for Akon to demonstrate progress or face the loss of the majority of his development land. In their latest statement, Sapco confirmed a mutual agreement to shift toward a more realistic, "fully supported" project. Akon publicly acknowledged that "It wasn't being managed properly—I take full responsibility for that." Officials indicated they would collaborate with Akon on a scaled-down plan more likely to achieve completion. What People Are Saying Serigne Mamadou Mboup, head of Sapco, told BBC News: "The Akon City project no longer exists." Akon said: "It wasn't being managed properly - I take full responsibility for that." What Happens Next The Senegalese authorities announced that development on the site would continue but with a revised and more modest plan involving Akon. The strategic Atlantic coastal land remains earmarked for potential new projects, which may gain urgency as the nation prepares for the 2026 Youth Olympic Games and seeks to boost tourism.
Forbes
4 hours ago
- Forbes
EA Is Completely Shutting Down ‘Anthem' And No, You Can't Get A Refund
Anthem One of the biggest misfires of the looter-shooter Destiny-copycat era was BioWare's Anthem, a game that sapped loads of time and resources away from the likes of Dragon Age and Mass Effect to produce a half-baked release. I kind of loved it. Anthem had so, so many problems, of course, and it was not shocking that eventually, EA killed it instead of tripling down with more major updates. But now, EA has ended things for a second time. For good, It has just been announced that Anthem servers will be shut down entirely on January 12, 2026, six months from now. The game has still been able to be played all this time, even since its 'death' in February 2021, but now? Nothing. You won't be able to play at all. This is sad because Anthem will always be a 'what could have been' for me with genuinely fun combat and moves toward fixing itself near the end. But this raises another modern-era games question about a title that people paid for but now will not be able to play at all. Despite single-player elements including an entire campaign you'd play solo, because the game needs a server connection, with those servers offline, you cannot play it. And no, no refunds will be issued for the game. The FAQ doesn't address this, but it's true, though it does have a section about how you can still spend your premium in-game currency until it's shut down! Hooray! Anthem FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder The timing of this comes alongside a big movement called Stop Killing Games, a petition that has racked up 1.1 million supporters and is about exactly this: games that players paid for being summarily deleted from existence. Here's the description: Right now this is largely based in Europe, and in some countries, progress has been made regarding the process in some places. This current movement is UK-focused, as a petition like this will be considered to be brought before Parliament if it gets 100,000 signatures. It has certainly gotten that. A separate movement to register complaints in France about The Crew being shut down is also part of this. This is not some moneymaking scheme; Stop Killing Games does not want funding, but a genuine consumer movement, and now we can add Anthem to a long list of games that are unplayable because they were designed as online-only, even with single-player elements, and have shut those servers down so they are inaccessible. And no, no refunds. That seems very wrong. Follow me on Twitter, YouTube, Bluesky and Instagram. Pick up my sci-fi novels the Herokiller series and The Earthborn Trilogy.
