The indie project Panline looks so strikingly similar to the parkour classic Mirror’s Edge that fans online are already fearing a lawsuit from the publisher.
Since the release of Mirror’s Edge Catalyst in 2016, there has been absolute radio silence at EA when it comes to the beloved parkour franchise.
While developer studio Dice is stuck in the eternal Battlefield grind, fans of cultivated freerunning action are left high and dry. But this is exactly where indie studio Viridian Matters is now stepping into the breach.
With their new project Panline they are delivering a spiritual heir that captures the original so well that heated discussions are already raging online.
A declaration of love to Mirror’s Edge
When you watch the first gameplay scenes for Panline, you will certainly feel immediately reminded of the great role model. Once again, you’re in a shiny, clean, dystopian metropolis full of skyscrapers, but the developers have swapped the iconic red of the original for bright accents of blue, yellow and green.
But it’s not just visually that the game has the same look: You run along walls, slide under obstacles, smash through doors with full force and swing across chasms.
Your most important companion is the eponymous tool “Panline”, which looks suspiciously like an old Sony PSP. You can upgrade this device to unlock new areas of the city as you progress.
Instead of following a strictly linear campaign, you take on procedurally generated jobs and delivery orders in the metropolis. But you risk everything you have with you on each run. Your progress is only saved permanently once you have made it back to your base in one piece after a successful run.
Too-good-to-be-true?
The striking similarity to Mirror’s Edge, however, also brings skeptics onto the scene. On X there is already discussion as to whether EA will soon let the lawyers off the leash due to the strong visual and gameplay overlaps.
This developer is building a futuristic parkour game that looks like the spiritual successor to Mirror’s Edge we’ve all been waiting for. I’m so excited!
– No mini-maps (landmark-based navigation)
– Open-world courier gameplay
– What you carry is what you risk (falls wipe you) pic.twitter.com/8Q6902aZxT– Indie Game Joe (@IndieGameJoe) March 12, 2026
Other users even raised the suspicion that Panline had been generated with the help of AI, as it simply looked too good for a small indie project.
However, these rumors can be quickly refuted: Viridian Matters has already developed the game in 2025 Ikarus Parkour which has received very positive reviews on Steam.
When exactly you can plunge into the dystopia yourself is not yet certain to the day, but a release on Steam in Early Access is planned for this year.
What do you think of Panline? Are you looking forward to a spiritual successor to Mirror’s Edge, or do you think this is just a cheeky copy? Let us know your opinion in the comments!
