Leaked Iron Man gameplay shows flight, combat and Chicago setting for EA Motive's upcoming game
Nearly four years after Electronic Arts announced a partnership with Marvel to develop a new Iron Man game, the first footage of the project has leaked online, offering a look at what EA Motive has been working on behind the scenes. The clip, which surfaced on ResetEra and other platforms, runs just over two and a half minutes and shows the superhero soaring through the skies, engaging in combat, and customising his armour. While the footage is clearly from an early build, it has generated considerable excitement among fans.
The leaked video begins with Iron Man launching into the air and zipping around a large city, which appears to be Chicago rather than the New York City setting familiar from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The flight mechanics seem to borrow ideas from the now-cancelled game Anthem, with the jet boots providing a sense of speed and freedom. The clip also shows Iron Man travelling to other locations, including Japan and a SHIELD Helicarrier, suggesting a globe-trotting adventure.
Combat in the footage appears to combine elements from the Batman Arkham and Marvel's Spider-Man games, with an additional layer of Iron Man-specific abilities. Players can be seen smashing enemies into the ground and hurling them across the battlefield, as well as using missiles and lasers while hovering in the air. The game draws on EA Motive's experience with the Dead Space remake and Star Wars Squadrons, blending weapons-based ground combat with high-flying dogfighting sequences.
Several familiar characters from Iron Man's world make appearances in the leaked footage. Tony Stark is shown up close, along with what appear to be game versions of Pepper Potts, Obadiah Stane, and Henry Pym. The rogues' gallery includes Madame Masque and Iron Monger, with one shot featuring what looks like Ultron and another focusing on a character resembling Yellowjacket. James Rhodes, better known as Rhodey, also appears. These Marvel characters hew more closely to their comic book counterparts than their MCU interpretations, though they will still be recognisable to film fans.
Armour customisation
A key feature glimpsed in the leak is the ability to customise Iron Man's suit. One shot shows Tony Stark modifying a suit of armour with a variety of weapons, including homing missiles. The upgrade system appears to be inspired by Resident Evil's inventory management and Dead Space's node-based suit upgrades, with components and boosters laid out on a circuit board. This suggests players will have significant control over their loadout and playstyle.
The footage is watermarked "AUG26 TEST" and includes placeholder assets, indicating it is a work-in-progress. EA has confirmed the validity of the leak. In an email to Kotaku, the publisher directed attention to an official X account for the game, which posted a statement reading: "Well, that didn't go as planned. But now you know, and we've got a lot more to show you. See you when we're ready." The account had otherwise been unused.
Release date unknown
Electronic Arts and EA Motive have not announced a release date for Iron Man. When the game was revealed in 2022, no release window was provided. The leaked trailer included a section with text reading "Release Window", but the actual window was absent, suggesting an announcement may be forthcoming once the trailer is finalised. Given the development time, a 2027 release seems plausible, especially if EA and Marvel want to capitalise on the hype surrounding upcoming Avengers films. However, Iron Man himself is not expected to appear in those movies, though actor Robert Downey Jr. will return as Doctor Doom.
This is not the only Iron Man leak to surface this week. Earlier, gameplay from Avalanche Studios' unrelated Iron Man game from the 2010s also appeared online. EA Motive's project has been quiet since its announcement, amid multiple rounds of EA layoffs and the cancellation of other Marvel projects, including a Black Panther game and the shuttering of its developer, Cliffhanger Games. Motive's most recent releases include the Dead Space remake and co-development on Battlefield 6.