EA Cancels Black Panther Game, Shuts Down Cliffhanger Studios

Electronic Arts has canceled its upcoming Black Panther game and is shutting down the development studio behind it, Cliffhanger Games, according to information obtained by IGN.

In an internal email to employees, EA Entertainment president Laura Miele stated that these changes—alongside recent project cancellations and staff reductions—are part of a broader strategy to "sharpen our focus and put our creative energy behind the most significant growth opportunities."

The decision also includes layoffs affecting individuals on EA’s mobile and central teams. While EA declined to provide an exact number of impacted employees, sources confirm the total is fewer than the approximately 300 roles eliminated last month across Respawn and EA's Fan Care divisions—though the precise figure remains unconfirmed.

“These decisions are hard,” Miele acknowledged in her message. “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.”

As in previous restructuring efforts, EA is actively working to reassign affected staff to other teams across the organization. This placement initiative has remained viable despite ongoing reductions, likely due to substantial hiring on other projects. According to reporting by Game File, EA’s workforce has grown by 800 employees since March of the previous year.

Going forward, EA will concentrate its resources on a select group of core franchises: Battlefield, The Sims, Skate, and Apex Legends. Miele confirmed continued investment in Motive Studio’s Iron Man game and the upcoming third installment in the Star Wars: Jedi series, while affirming ongoing support for its mobile portfolio despite today’s cuts. Bioware will continue development on the next entry in the Mass Effect franchise. Last year, CEO Andrew Wilson outlined a strategic shift away from future licensed IP that the company does not believe will succeed in the evolving market landscape.

Notably, the Black Panther title was part of a three-game agreement between Marvel and EA, which also included Iron Man and one unannounced project. Since its reveal in 2023, little has been shared about Black Panther. However, a now-removed job listing indicated it was in development as a single-player, action-adventure, open-world experience.

Cliffhanger Games, the studio tasked with bringing the game to life, was established in 2023 under the leadership of Kevin Stephens and staffed with veterans from titles like Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor. The studio is now officially closed.

These latest moves follow a series of organizational shifts at EA in recent years, particularly throughout 2025. Just last month, EA cut around 300 roles, including roughly 100 at Respawn, while canceling a new Titanfall title and another incubation project. Earlier this year, Bioware underwent restructuring, resulting in team reassignments and layoffs. In 2024, EA conducted a company-wide reorganization that eliminated 670 positions, including about two dozen at Respawn. Additional cuts occurred in 2023, with 50 roles lost at Bioware and an undisclosed number at Codemasters.

Additionally, EA recently mandated a return-to-office policy for all employees—a change that, according to some staff, has raised concerns among remote workers about the long-term stability of their positions.

When contacted for further details regarding the number of affected employees, the rationale behind the recurring cuts, or the potential for future reductions, EA directed inquiries back to Miele’s email. Marvel has not yet responded to IGN’s request for comment.