In a rare, long-awaited update on EA's Iron Man game, developer Motive Studio says the hotly anticipated superhero game is still in early pre-production and following in the footsteps of its latest release, the fantastic Dead Space remake.
Motive general manager Patrick Klaus broke the studio's long-standing silence in an update posted today. Klaus says the Dead Space remake was "a big milestone for us," and after its successful launch, "our focus has switched to the Iron Man project, giving us the opportunity to work (and play!) with another extraordinary property.
"We’re still early in pre-production and taking our time to make sure we set the best possible foundation for development," Klaus says, echoing a report from way back in February 2023. "But already, we’re finding so many opportunities to explore story, design and gameplay with Iron Man, and it’s exciting to see the fantasy start coming alive.
"Even this early in the process, we’ve put in place a Community Council made up of Iron Man and Marvel fans; as with Dead Space, they’ll be offering feedback on pretty much everything throughout the development process. Meanwhile, we’ve chosen Unreal Engine 5 as our game engine, in order to empower the dev team to work their magic and create something really special."
It's a bit disappointing but totally unsurprising to hear that this Iron Man game is still in the formative stages and undoubtedly years from release, but it's encouraging to see Motive doubling down on the feedback process that helped polish the Dead Space remake.
The remake's development process was refreshingly open, with early assets and regular dev diaries offering regular looks behind the curtain, and fan feedback directly informed several key points. Our Dead Space review called the result "a sublime mix of fresh, familiar, and freaking terrifying," and many hardcore fans praised the remake's attention to detail.
Klaus goes on to confirm EA's Iron Man game will use Unreal Engine 5 "in order to empower the dev team to work their magic and create something really special." As development continues, Motive will pursue a hybrid in-person and remote work schedule "so we continue to find a balance that gives us the best of both worlds," Klaus says, addressing a lingering hot topic in the games industry.
EA previously confirmed that its Iron Man will be a single-player, third-person action-adventure game, which sounds right up Motive's alley.
