(Image credit: EA)
Following the closure of Warner Bros. owned Monolith, the gaming world was filled with concern over the possible disappearance of their unique Nemesis System. However, Cliffhanger Games, established in 2021 by former leaders from Monolith, was reportedly attempting to bypass these patent limitations. Unfortunately, EA recently shut down Cliffhanger and terminated its promising project.
Jason Schreier from Bloomberg revealed that insiders claimed the Black Panther game would involve Marvel heroes vying for the mantle of the Black Panther. Players would have navigated alliances and enmities among iconic characters, echoing the mechanics seen in Shadow of Mordor(2014) where Uruks jostled for power amongst themselves and against the game’s ranger protagonist.
Schreier also noted the game would have enhanced the initial Nemesis System. Strange Scaffold studio director Xalavier Nelson Jr. had previously speculated in Edge Magazine that game developers might innovate under patent restrictions to keep the spirit of systems like Nemesis alive.
Adding depth to the narrative, the game’s heroes would have confronted the Skrulls, a group of shape-shifting extraterrestrials capable of betrayal, parallel to the deceptive Uruks.
The Black Panther concept seemed poised to provide a captivating evolution of the Nemesis System. Unfortunately, industry decisions halted any chance of bringing it to fruition, robbing fans of what was described as “amazing and stunning.” It’s a significant emotional blow to the developers, who lament the loss of a project with such potential.